My health is failing and my life is coming to an end. And I feel the
need to write down my last thoughts. I have lived a rich life and I do
not complain. I have seen an age of many changes. I have seen kings rule
our beautiful country. Good and merciful kings but tyrants as well.
Then everything seemed to break down with the revolution. Many beloved
friends found a dire end, dying in their blood for old and new values
and rights or duties. Our world has irreversibly changed. But is it for
the better, I ask myself. Do I leave this world a better place for the
coming generations? Well, my friends, what do you think? Of all the
things, the old and the new, what will continue, what will fall to dust
within a few decades? Tell me quickly, that I may rest and die in
peace!
You really have a point there: We have all seen a lot of changes in our lifes. More than many people before us. But are those changes for the better? I can`t tell you as a woman. Sure, I can afford to pay my food now, or at least: it is better now than it was back then. And I am glad about that. But nothing has changed for me when it comes to my political participation. My opinion is still just as important as the opinion of a child. And it makes me very sad when I think about the fact that that isn`t going to change as long as I live - I will never be able to vote or be asked about my opinion because I`m "just" a woman. I think everybody should have the right to participate in politics and be able to have a own opinion. And yes, I have heard about the Civil Code. But in case you don`t know that anymore: I am a woman and not a man. It is just madness that I am going to die and 50 percent of the population is still not treated equaly. So I would say: For men the revolution has been a good thing, for women it hasn`t changed much.
AntwortenLöschenBut because I am a woman and I do have a heart I want to tell you that I think higly of you since you aren`t complaining about your life. Because I am sure that you have had a better life than any french woman. I hope you can rest in peace and I hope not for you, but for the whole society, that women soon will have the courage to make a change and get real equalitiy.
I am so happy about the change the revolution brought. Firstly, there is a setting of the food prices. I am now able to buy enough food for my whole family. But to be honest, I do not thing that this maximum price will last forever. Some time there will be everything about supply and demand as it used to be. Another positive effect of the revolution is the compulsory education. My children now have the possibility to go to school and I do not even have to pay for it. As a result I hope that they all will have a much brighter future than I had with a well-paid job. I am delighted that nowadays it is only about ability and not about birth. But there is still a thorn in my side: The missing of the rights for women. Why are women not equal to men? My hope is strong so I think that at least some time, men and women will be equal. In conclusion I think that you will definitely leave the world a better place for the coming generations but hopefully not only for the men.
AntwortenLöschenI think that your doubts about the success of the revolution are justified. Of course there were several things, such as the reign of terror which weren’t revolutionary at all. Many people died and you couldn't trust your neighbors anymore, but somehow, we managed to end this terrifying period of time. Maybe you should try to look at the revolution from my point of view. I actually did have a good life, with a nice job and lovely family, but I often thought that the privileges of the first and second Estate were unfair. I wanted the third Estate to be treated the same as the other two Estates. And that's why I think that the revolution was successful. Take a look at the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the national assembly and at the Civil Code. We changed the way of thinking of many people and if those ideas spread we might even inspire other nations. I think that the fact that now even people from lower classes can achieve something in their lives, Napoleon himself is the best example shows a great improvement.
AntwortenLöschenWe certainly have all witnessed dramatic changes politics, revelations in mindsets and most considerably death and suffering amongst our family and friends.
AntwortenLöschenWith that in mind I do not think anyone can truly be happy about the whole revolution because we will never forget about all the people we lost.
Although for the long run the revolution also brought positive changes, it eliminated discrimination of classes, it set a limit on the price of bread so it’s available for everyone and it gave the people more power. So I think for the coming generations France could definitely become a better place and these events could also lead to the uprising of other peoples which could lead to a better world.
It also taught us a lot e.g. how a government should not rule, how people can abolish an administration and that a government can and will be overthrown by the people eventually if a majority of the population is unhappy about it. But there will always, no matter how good the intention of the ruler(s), be people who do not agree with the government, so does that mean that a government will never be able to remain in power? And the only solution to that is democracy, the people will never try to conquer themselves. But it should be a true democracy so even the poor men in my parish are able to express their beliefs.
In conclusion, I think we are leaving the next generation with a blank canvas and its up to them to make this country a better place with what we’ve got and we are not yet able to know if the revolution was actually good for the future.
To be honest the revolution was one of the biggest fails in the history of France. The privileges are gone because Louis was too weak to prevent the bankruptcy of our country. So he wanted us, the clergy and the nobles, to pay the taxes. This was a completely idiotic idea. After his time of reign there was the reign of terror with its leader Robespierre who was in my eyes nothing but a tyrant. They killed many friends of mine and I had to flee from my home country. I’m still abroad because I don’t want to visit the place where my life had been destroyed. But the main point, why I think that the revolution was a complete fail is that we have a single ruler just like before. If everything stayed like before Napoleon couldn’t even have become ruler of our country. The children who will be born noble won’t have the same high stand as I had. So I think that I’m lucky that I was born when I was born and not fifty years later, but even though I have to say that the revolution destroyed my estate and France will never be such a nice country like it was before.
AntwortenLöschenDear members, today's my 70th birthday! Instead of celebrating it, I want to comment the latest blogentry. The reason: I might not be living any longer, as Mister Praslin, I am suffering from stomachcancer and unfortunately the academic medicine isn't far enough that I could treat the cancer with any medicine. Well, let's let nature decide my entrance for heaven.
AntwortenLöschenTo stick the point, yes of course there are some positive effects out of years of terrible bloodmassacres and paranoia! If you have a look at the educationform now, it's brilliant! Everybody can study science or whatsoever, there will soon be clever farmerboys operating a fracture with its assistant, a rich Bourgeoisie. Best example of such a career: Napoleon Bonaparte! Next point: As Mister Couthon mentioned above, the population has now the confirmation of having the power to completely change a governmentsystem.
The negative side: All the involved couldn’t reach their aims without killing thousands of people including the king. The plans might have not been arranged that presicely, but it clearly shouldn’t have ended like this. For me the revolution failed in its methods! No discussion! Where’s equality? My last wish is that women get even more strength and courage than Madame de Gouges, to finally obtain political participation. When do men admit the importance of women?
Thanks a lot for those hours sharing distress, let's pray for an carefree lifetime for the next generations!
Yours faithfully, Pierre Marc Gaston Duc de Lévis
The France I knew and loved is gone and will probably never be rebuilt in the same way. The outcome of the revolution was something completely new and I still don't believe it will last, seen as there is a lack of absolute control and with that also safety. Nor do I think the "achievement" was worth the prize we all paid, too many people, including me, died. The revolution was an uncontrolled massacre that turned the people of France into bloodthirsty and godless monsters. Without even having a real plan you destroyed the established order and gave the right to vote to every other peasant who doesn't understand politics at all. In the end you have your rights, but they won't help you in war or through financial crises.
AntwortenLöschenFrance will at some point have to change some parts of this new system or it will lose its power and influence.
So many changes and so many things that turned out to be the same again. I don't even know anymore what I should think about our nation and about the revolution. Was it a good thing?
AntwortenLöschenYes on a way it was. It showed anyone that you can't oppress your people too much and too long. Not even if you are the king. It showed that the people have the most power if they are willing to form an alliance. But than it showed as well that after every singel ruler that you will defeat an other one will follow.
So I couldn't answer your question now. I can't tell if the nation or even the world turned for the better and if so how long it will stay for the better.
I don’t think things have changed positively. The revolution was a horrible plan from its beginning; I knew it wouldn’t end well, but then they made it even worse… I’ve lost a lot of friends and family members during the Reign of terror, and I think many other people suffered the same, when they aren’t the death ones. So what happened can’t be changed, but we know that there will be a lot of work for our next generations, it doesn’t matter if they choose the only right decision and they try to get back to our old system, or if they just try to convince everybody that their current system is the right one… But most I hate our new consul: I think our consul isn’t the right thing for our country and our people at the moment, even though people weren’t fans from our king, I believe that France needs and wants one strong leader.
AntwortenLöschenMay god support the right ones.
In my eyes the revolution has been a success. I wouldn't say a great success, but it has definitely changed things in our country for the better. During the reign of terror I really wondered if it was worth going through with all the suffering. I have never lived in such fear of losing my loved ones or my own life. I feel very lucky that my husband and I have survived such terrible times. Of course, this was not the case for everyone. Many innocent people were victims of the revolution and lost their lives fighting for their rights. However, I hope that they can now rest in peace, because the sacrifices made have paid off. The bread prices have become stable and children can now have an education. Most important of all is of course the uprising of the third Estate. It makes me happy to know that the people of our estate have a better chance at doing what they want in life. I personally don't have children, but I hope that future generations will follow in Napoleon Bonaparte's steps and strive to achieve their goals. Having said all this Mister Praslin, I believe that you too can rest in peace.
AntwortenLöschenOh how I wish I could turn back time! The revolution brought changes which aren’t good in my opinion. I’m asking myself how a world without privileges and in which everyone is treated equally can be better. I don’t think the 3rd Estate deserves to be treated equally. I mean if you’re born as a poor farmer it’s clear that you should have fewer rights than a rich nobleman. Though I hate to say it I think the equal rights will remain. I miss the life I used to live with parties and beautiful dresses. I had a nice life I enjoyed to live and without many sorrows until the revolution started and I was sent into exile. I think after knowing how great my life used to be you understand why I don’t think that the changes of the revolution are good and why I hate the people who started the revolution: The 3rd Estate.
AntwortenLöschenWell some of us died. Since I am one of them I think that the revolution had his heights and lows. However we managed to get through the whole reign of terror; at least the most of us. Anyway I contributed much to this revolution because I wanted the 3rd Estate to be allowed to vote, to be heard and some other reasons. If I imagine myself still being alive now that the revolution is calming down and is basically over, I could vote! Okay, my wife for example couldn’t but I think that we reached some of the goals we wanted to have. The biggest negative aspect of the revolution according to me is that we let the reign of terror stand for too long. So many families could have stayed together… But it seems that god wanted it that way. But as a conclusion I’d say that no matter if at the end the Frenchmen still have a single leader, we reached many goals that we were heading for and we led other folks to stand up against they’re leaders… It was necessary to have as many victims, because that shows us, what the whole revolution was for and it won’t be forgotten.
AntwortenLöschenThe revolution should have been good?! In my opinion it is a shame that it has come to that. I am seriously glad to be dead by now. I would never want to live in a world like this. And I hardly think that the people are happier now than before! So what have all those people died for? “We want equality”, they said. But looking at the whole situation from above, I cannot see any kind of equality. What did they kill me and their own king for? And especially the reign of terror was a great disaster. I saw the people suffering, I saw them dying and no one seemed to know who to trust and who not to trust. I think they are just too stupid. Before the revolution, they had a king, someone who cared for them and had everything under control. I just cannot understand what was going on in their heads but maybe they can see their mistakes now... At least, I hope they do.
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