Political+and+Economic+Control+in+1450+vs.+1750


 * Prompt:** "Every successful revolution puts on in time the robes of the tyrant it has deposed.” Evaluate this statement with regard to the English Revolution (1640-1660), the French Revolution (1789-1815), and the Russian Revolution (1917-1930)."

**Thesis:** Throughout European history, revolutions have occurred again and again to show signs of dissatisfaction; however, as demonstrated by Oliver Cromwell's tyrannical policies, Napoleon's seize of power, and the autocratic Bolshevik rule, there are obvious signs that greed and chaos will always breed yet another tyrant similar to the one that was rebelled against for so long.


 * By:** Melody Huang :P


 * English Revolution:**
 * Causes: Kings had monopoly of power over Parliament, and refused to work with the members of Parliament
 * James I - Understood little about laws
 * Believed in divine right of kings = Kings were granted power from God
 * Started conflict
 * Charles I (Son of James I) -
 * Petition of Right: Passed by Parliament stating that the king must pass by Parliament to pass any laws
 * Reneged on the petition, and pursued "personal rule"
 * Ship money = Levy on seacoast towns to pay for coastal development (Collected by king's own officials)
 * Long Parliament - Placed severe limitations on king (abolition of arbitrary courts, abolition of taxes, and Triennial Act)
 * English Civil War: Oliver Cromwell led the New Model Army (Extreme Puritans = Independents)
 * Captured King Charles I in 1646
 * Cromwell eventually took over and purged Parliament leaving Rump Parliament
 * Abolished monarchy and the House of LOrds (said England was a republic)
 * Cromwell battled radical rebellions with brute violence
 * Tried to use "arbitrary rule by army"
 * Ended up using military force to maintain his rule and had more arbitrary policies than Charles I (destroyed Parliament and decided not to call Parliament anymore)
 * End Result: After Cromwell's death, the Stuart dynasty was restored when Charles II returned after exile - aka nothing really changed. Glorious Revolution would later follow


 * French Revolution**
 * Causes: Social structure in Old Regime (Poor kept getting poorer and were burdened with taxes, while those that were rich were declining in number and allowed to lavish in luxuries), bad harvests, criticism of upper class privileges, influence of philosophers who believed in a utopian society as well as the success of American Revolution, government finances were terrible
 * Estates General: Summoned to fix financial collapse (and hoped to raise taxes)
 * Consisted of three estates, but since voting took place by estates and not majority, third estate (which represented most of the population)
 * In response, third estate formed National Assembly to write a constitution
 * Louis XVI hoped to use force to respond
 * Fall of the Bastille: Signaled famous urban rising and success of mob mentality
 * Constituent Assembly: Wrote new constitution (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen)
 * Heavily influenced from the American Declaration of Independence
 * Began restructuring old regime (Jacobin clubs formed all over)
 * Radical Revolution: People assumed to be traitors were massacred (National Convention began to act more of a ruling body than people representing citizens)
 * Girondins vs. Mountains (Mountains eventually won)
 * Eventually, Mountains decide to kill the king
 * Met with foreign crisis in that other countries decided to attack France, and created great national mobilization
 * COPS! (Committee of Public Safety)
 * Killed off many people (Reign of Terror)
 * Did not distinguish who they killed, they just simply killed everyone/anyone
 * Republic of Virtue: Controlled France by creating new republican order
 * Law of General Maximum: Established price controls on goods
 * Dechristianization
 * Death of Robespierre led to end of COPS
 * Thermidorean Reaction: National Convention shut down Jacobin club and curbed COPS power
 * Established a legislative assembly (Council of 500) and 5 directors (Council of Elders)
 * National Convention ruled 2/3rds of National Assembly
 * Result: People longed for normality after so many years, Directory relied heavily on military to maintain power, and eventually people looked to Napoleon Bonaparte as their leader
 * Napoleon established himself as the emperor and Civil Code (Created tons of positions but they were all puppet figures; he was an authoritarian dictator)


 * Russian Revolution**
 * Cause: Czar Nicholas II's inability to rule as well as the Bolshevik's growing powers
 * Poverty, famines, and corruption
 * i.e. Rasputin's heavy influence in the government, Czar's incessant need to lead the military in WWI even though he had no military skill
 * Lenin: Led Bolshevik resistant mvt and used propaganda to seek mass support
 * "Peace, Land, and Bread"
 * After provisional government was overthrown, Lenin and Trotsky worked together to take over Russia
 * Red Terror: Instituted by Cheka, terrorized Proletariats even though gov was supposed to be run by the Proletariats
 * War Communism: Ensured regular supplies for the Red Army
 * NEP: New Economic Plan
 * After Communism failed to work (economic failure), Lenin instituted the NEP which was somewhat capitalistic
 * Result: By 1921, Russia was Bolshevik Regime but was bureaucratically centralized state dominated by one party
 * After Lenin's death, Stalin took power and instituted 5 Year Plan, and later killed off many people in his Great Purges