political struggles
Primary source“To good citizens revolutionary government owes the full protection of the state; to the enemies of the people it owes only death”
-Maxamillion Robespierre |
Secondary source“Louis XIV was well-meaning, but weak and indecisive.” –(Ellis, Esler, and Beers) Louis XIV was not a strong king, and the nobles who held the top political jobs were not fit for their positions. Their poor decisions caused the nation a lot of debt, and made it difficult for the bourgeoisie to have any say in government.
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Analysis
By the time the revolution began, the people had good reason to dislike their government. Louis XVI was a bad King because of his indecisiveness and weakness, and he allowed unreasonable inequality among the different political classes. The bourgeoisies, or common people, had little to no power, and absolutely no say in the government.
Robespierre was a key figure in the revolution because of his clear ideas of a government’s responsibilities to its people. In the above quote, Robespierre mentions his viewpoint on the protection that a state is supposed to provide. He also talks about the fact that he fully supports the death of the people’s enemies. In the case of the French revolution, these enemies also included those who threatened the progress of the revolution. This quote also justifies the extreme violence in this revolution-because it is, according to Robespierre, the responsibility of the state to kill those who threaten progress.
Robespierre was a key figure in the revolution because of his clear ideas of a government’s responsibilities to its people. In the above quote, Robespierre mentions his viewpoint on the protection that a state is supposed to provide. He also talks about the fact that he fully supports the death of the people’s enemies. In the case of the French revolution, these enemies also included those who threatened the progress of the revolution. This quote also justifies the extreme violence in this revolution-because it is, according to Robespierre, the responsibility of the state to kill those who threaten progress.