"People are inherently good." Proceeds to brutally kill all opposition.

Whenever one cares to study the French Revolution to any depth, one quickly realises that it was an absolute horror

Whenever you hear "Utopian Society" get ready for the exact opposite.

When being worried is a crime punishable by *death* You know something went horribly wrong

“When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box”

What these historical movies show us how quickly heroes become villains and allies turn into enemies. There was an old joke I loved. Three prisoners in a Russian jail were locked in isolation wards. They managed to dig a tunnel and meet. The oldest guy says :- "I was locked away because in 1950 I spoke up for Kruschov" The second guy says "I was locked away because in 1960 I spoke up against Kruschov" The third guy says "I was locked away because in 1970 I was Kruschov"

"Like Saturn, the revolution devours it's own children." This is what scares me the most about a full on revolution. One day you're the hero and the next day your head is rolling. With a revolution the power changes quickly in instabilities throughout the land.

"He was stabbed to death by a moderate" - kinda sums it up.

The French revolution and its consequences

"Rage and phrenzy will pull down more in half an hour than prudence, deliberation, and foresight can build up in a hundred years." -- Edmund Burke, writing on the French Revolution

Pride. The ideas that they were smarter, more just, more benevolent: better than those who came before them led to their own demise. We must not fall into the same trap when looking at them.

As a Frenchman myself, I have to say that this is probably the vest summary of that whole tragedy I've watched

I visited Mont St Michel not so long ago. My wife and I went on a guided tour.Our tour guide who is also a historian, explained how beautiful the cathedral and Abby were brightly painted in representation of the garden of Eden. She went on to explain that all the paint was stripped from its walls and frescoes destroyed, I could not understand why anyone would destroy such beauty so I asked who was responsible. She simply said “the French Revolution “.At the time I could not understand how anybody could do such a thing ,watching this now I do.

There's an old joke I heard one time: There was a young turnip farmer in the south of France who one day had a team of horses come riding up to his farm. One of them announced "By order of King Louis XVI you are required to surrender a portion of your turnips by divine right." A few years later he was out in his field when a team of horses came riding up. One of them announced "Citizen Robespierre has volunteered you to give up some of the peoples' turnips." A few years later he was out in his field when a team of horses came riding up. One of them announced "Emperor Napoleon requires your turnips for the glorious army's conquest of Europe." A few years later the now old man was out in his field when a team of horses came up wearing the emblems he saw many years before, yet before any of them could announce anything he said "who wants my turnips now?"

"Instead they created their own Greek tragedy!" oh, I loved this line so much

What a saga. 1. Have a good idea. 2. Ask for it. 3. Get rejected. 4. Fight for it. 5. Meet resistance. 6. Bring more people. 7. Crush resistance. 8. Euphoria. 9. Want more. 10. Look for limits. 11. Make enemies. 12. Make terror. 13. Monopolize terror. 14. Regulate violence. 15. Export violence. 16. Bring violence back. 17. Reflect. … 18. See what can be done with what is left of the initial good idea.

One crucial event nobody talks about is what happened in the morning before the fall of the Bastille, the 14 of July 1789. A croud gathered at the Hôtel des Invalides. The Invalides is a military hospital created by Louis XIV for the war invalids. But it is also the headquarters of the military governor of Paris. Therefore the Hôtel des Invalides hosts a large arsenal of military weapons. In the morning of the 14 , a crowd gathered at the Invalides and the officer in charge retreated for some inexplicable reason giving them access to the arsenal. So when, in the afternoon, when representatives of the Assemblée Nationale presented themselves at la Bastille located at the opposite side of Paris, there was also a crowd armed with 30.000 to 40.000 riffles and even a canon. The Bastille was, like the tower of London, a medieval fort converted into a prison. They were only 7 prisoners inside but also the stock of canon powder of Paris. Something the crown did not know but the military governor of Paris knew very well. One can speculate that the governor of Paris took part to a conspiracy with members of the Assemblée Nationale to arm the citizens with the guns from the Invalides and the powder from the Bastille. Or one can believe that was is pure coincidence and the crowd was very lucky that day. Ccharles-Maurice de Talleyrand (the main power nroker of the period) used to say "Agitate the people before using it, such a wise maxim." ("Agitate before using" was usually written on vials containing pharmaceutical beverages back then)

OK now I'm chilled to the bone. You take that part from the conclusion about what they revolutionaries thought they were doing VS what actually resulted, and I feel like you're describing what is in the earliest steps of happening today with increasing social and political radicalization.

As an American living through 2023... I'm seeing a lot of sentiments here you could apply in my country now...

The problem was that liberty as defined by the French intellectuals was given by the state and its powers to preserve it, which means it could also take it away at any time. The American revolution defined liberty more accurately as the rights of man to not be molester by government interference and that liberty was defined by the individual and not government, meaning that government had no right to take it away.

You know, as garbage of a Developer as Ubisoft is to this day i am still impressed by how savage they portrayed the french revolution in Assassin's Creed Unity.

'For liberty' reminds me of 'our Democracy, our values"

History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes (almost perfectly).

The night b/4 his execution, Robespierre tried to commit suicide, but missed and broke his jaw. He used paper to make a bandage of sorts to keep it in place, so he was in utter agony up until the moment they dropped the blade. I don't remember reading about how he was placed on the board, but it might have been due to his jaw falling off if they had placed him face down.

It's fascinating how the Enlightenment idea of "safety" continues to be reinvented as its advocates demand absolute loyalty to whatever snap decisions they come up with and claim the legitimacy of the use of unlimited force to justify their aims.

How it started: Eat the rich How it ended: Eat themselves

This is was the start of what we call WOKENESS today. There’s nothing new under the sun folks.

In the end, I've always said that the French Revolution was nothing but a hellish anarchy. Sure, some changes were needed, but they killed the French King unjustly, wrongfully, and its honestly a tragedy how so many people view and overglorify the situation as a "fight for freedom".

I studied the French Revolution in my European History 1600-present course in 2006, HIS108 I think. It was absolutely fascinating and one of the most important events in history. The whole thing was insane. And any history lover needs to do a deep dive into this period.

As a French person, I like this video a lot. I've been thinking about it for a few years, but I feel like the French Revolution is a glorified civil war

Edmund Burke's "reflection on the revolution in France" is an excellent criticism of the revolution in France. Highly recommend it.

>The French places sanctions on the Church >The Church refuses the sanctions and continues in their millennia old tradition >"Wtf, why are you reacting to our sanctions so much??"

The French revolution was a model for the 1917 Russian revolution which brought about even more horrible massacres and suffering.

It's also worth mentioning that the French Revolution not only had long lasting consequences in Europe, but also in Latin America as well. For example, many of the Libertadores were inspired by the same ideals that motivated the Jacobins, and the Left-Right spectrum was for a long time very similar to that of Continental Europe (e.g. if you were on the Right, it meant you favored Throne and Altar, whereas if you were on the Left, it meant you supported Republicanism and secularism). Also, there are more specific cases like Mexico, where the Cristero War was more-or-less their version of the Vendee Uprising, and the post-independence regime had shifted back and forth between a monarchy that was fairly supportive of the Church and an anticlerical republic (likewise both Emperors Agustin and Maximilian met a similar fate as Louis XVI), and then Haiti, whose revolution started out as a slave rebellion with legitimate grievances, but then spiraled out of control when Dessalines ordered the massacre of all the French Haitians because they were representatives of the old colonial regime.

Oh yes, Rousseau, the guy who put all his 5 children in the orphanage (back when it was almost a death sentence), claiming men are inherently good, sounds legit.

I saw AOC getting heckled by left-wing protesters and it reminded me of a lesson from the French Revolution: oftentimes in revolutions the early revolutionary leaders are guillotined as well for being insufficiently radical.

Excellent video. One lesson we can take into today is to remember that the body responsible for the worst of the terror was called “ The Committee of Public Safety.” Most tyranny is done in the name of safety.

You should make a video on the Russian Revolution of 1917, I'd be really interested in that

Finally some common sense about the topic. I'm French and since childhood, I never understood why this horror isn't considered a genocide rather than celebrated as a national holiday. A lot was lost during the French Revolution. If enemies of France had wanted to destroy its heritage and memory, they couldn't have planned a better way. Sadly, most French people are still convinced the revolution freed them, as they are brainwashed by the winners of that revolution still (un)ruling this country. Thank you for being awake and spreading the word that the French Revolution isn't what you are told it was but much worse.

The epic unabridged novel Les Miserables took place 43 years after the French Revolution in the early to mid 1800s in Paris in the June Rebellion of June 1832 during the European Enlightenment movement - with some Catholic themes in it although Victor Hugo never intended it- the Catholic theme of mercy compassion amendment and salvation- (Jean Valjean) - Javert represented the French Revolution itself (despair and self destruction the ultimate consequence) But the epic novel showed how France was no longer a true Catholic nation during the 1800s AD like it once was after the reign of King Charlemagne during the 800s AD to 1300s AD (500 years !)

The Soviet Union: We are the world's first bastion of communism! France under Maximilien Robespierre: Hold my wine, citizen.

In school as a kid in America, I remember how glorified the French Revolution was. It was propped up as a movement of the under-dog, little guy peasants, finally getting rid of the big mean rich blue-bloods. But the more I've learned about the French Revolution over the years; I see now that it was an age where France plunged into "Lord of the Flies" and all the adults were no where to be found.

Many of the clips in this video are from Polish director Andrzej Wajda's film, DANTON. Robespierre was played by Wojciech Pszoniak a well known Polish actor. The film was filmed around the time when back in Poland Gen Jaruzelski was cracking down on the democratic opposition of the Solidarity trade union in the form of marshal law.

Talleyrand was a Catholic Bishop before the revolution. That tells you everything you need to know about the French Catholic Church. A closeted Atheist, polygamist, gambler, and drunkard was promoted to the position of Bishop because he was friends with the right people. He had never visited his own diocese. He never once saw the inside of his own cathedral. He used his position inside the church to destroy it from the inside. At one point, the Pope excommunicated Talleyrand. According to tradition, when a Catholic was excommunicated they were to be denied fire and water by all other Catholics. This has been interpreted to mean that Catholics should not provide you with warm food or fresh water. Talleyrand "celebrated" his excommunication with a cold dinner and wine. In a world were Catholicism is rotted to the core, and Protestantism is illegal, the people will turn to the Cult of Reason and the Cult of the Supreme Being or outright Atheism.

An old man shouted to Robespierre as he was dragged up to the guillotine: "Oui, Robespierre! Il y a un Dieu! -"Yes, Robespierre! There IS a God!!"

Glad you used footage from the movie Danton as it really helps temper the fervor that so often accompanies revolution. Revolution is so romanticized (star wars, che guevara etc.) we neglect how easily one becomes the very thing they swore to destroy (or worse(

"religion became an after thought especially for clergymen. Prostitution and porn industries grew" Oh my that sounds familiar

The whole thing ended in the restoration of the monarchy. It was basically a really intense fever dream.

The sadism and barbarism of the French Revolution was unreal

Thank you for this summary of a turbulent time in French history. However, at 5.50, you refer to Louis XV as the son of Louis XIV -- in fact, Louis XV was the great-grandson of Le Roi Soleil. Louis XIV's son had died in 1711, followed by the death of Louis XIV's grandson in 1712. (Although this video is filled with a great deal of facts/information, we did not want your viewers to be misinformed about the lineage between Louis XIV and the next French king.)

Edmund Burke got it right. He supported the American Revolution from the start, arguing the colonials were trying to defend their traditional rights to self-government. And he immediately opposed the French Revolution, arguing that a revolution attempting to do away with all existing norms and traditions would end in disaster.

The proto communists and proto "anti fascists" all stemming from the same people.. the juice

The nobles of France were in fact NOT entrepreneurial at all. That's actually the main difference between the UK and France. Work was seen as something bad and in fact nobles risked losing their status if they tried to open a factory or what not. You can take a look at Asha Logos video on the French revolution here too btw.

“The French government spent half their tax revenue on debt service”…..sounds a lot like the path the US is on currently 😐

Unfortunately, what many modern people have learned from this history is to envy the methods of the Jakobins, a wish to emulate it. I've been trying to find a historical nexus for what I see playing out before my eyes, and this might be it. Thanks, great video, very thought provoking and eye opening.

I really appreciate your logic and structure to your videos. You don’t give them too much credit but you do correct for the stupidity of the masses. Taking intellectual shortcuts. I highly approve. Instant subscribe.

Do people really think France was a “poor backwater under the king” country?

This quote is in relation to the later revolutions' of 1848, but still applicable and as haunting: "I saw society cut into two: those who possessed nothing, united in a common greed; those who possessed something, united in a common terror" -Alexis de Tocqueville

This is why when asked "Where are you from?" The Coneheads answered "From France, we are from France".

What chills me are the parallels we can see in a number of countries as we progress through history and events now. Things move in cycles.

"Revolutions are rarely from the ground up" This comment in the beginning hits the nail on the head about the realities of how/why revolutions happen. Revolutions don't happen because the people at the bottom are fed up and tired. Revolutions happen because key players at the top are dissatisfied and start fighting with each other. The money in organization has to come from somewhere and it's not going to come from the poor and huddled masses.

I can't believe how similar the Russian Revolution and the emerging Soviet Union was to the French Revolution!

"They believed that women getting involved in the political process would destroy society." That's called foreshadowing :)

The french revolution is better described as "the atheist crusade".

Strange. Back in highschool they taught us that the kings were evil oppressors with no redeemable qualities and the revolutionaries were the heroes spreading freedom and liberty.

England under Oliver Cromwell was a police state This occurred nearly two centuries prior to the French Revolution

A tiny, extremely motivated minority, that's willing to do whatever it takes to seize power; can and will if the majority allows it.

Its funny how the people that help such monsters are the first ones on the chopping block but Machiavelli already knew that. The same thing will happen to the people that support such people in our times.

"Why The French Revolution Was Worse Than You Thought" No, this is just as bad as I thought it was. Maybe it's romanticised in America but this is pretty much how it was taught to us in Europe

What is the name of the song/symphony in the beginning of the video?

Im sorry but Robespierre in the thumbnail will haunt me in my sleep 😃

Like a Spanish proffesor said: The French Revolution is the biggest chromatic shit in the history of humanity.

I recently finished reading the novel "Zanoni", and book 7 is set in the Reign of Terror. While it only covers the couple of days leading up to Robespierre's downfall, Bulwer-Lytton does a superb job depicting the full horror of the Reign of Terror. Indeed, he uses many primary source documents, including various writings and memoirs of Robespierre, to inform both action and dialog, so it is extremely authentic, and utterly terrifying. Terror is indeed a very good descriptor.

What are the movies playing in the background?

I just finished a western civ class in college. We spent almost the entire semester on, and building up to, the French revolution. It was the best and most in depth history class I have ever had in the US public education system. This video serves as quite an excelent add on to that class

So far, the critics of this video are people saying that the fellow giving the presentation is biased and clearly a Catholic… If that sounds familiar then it may be because you have heard of an event called the French Revolution.

Just for clarification, the Jacobins weren't the most radical revolutionary faction. That would be the Engrages

"The problem with guillotining all enemies of the people, is that you eventually run out of people." -Robespierre (probably not)

What are some kino I can watch on the french revolution? any good tv shows or miniseries?

This subject was not sugarcoated when I was in school. While the gory details where left out we still learned how horrific it was for everyone involved and there were no pure good or bad.

Great summary! Thanks for bringing up the Vendée war. It's an often overlooked part of the French Revolution, and shows an overlooked aspect that was also a part of most revolutions that followed - how most of the population in rural areas usually remained with the Church and the King, and were threatened to join revolutionary regimes by violent thugs sent by city-based elites.

00:02 French Revolution was more complex than a simple oppression narrative 02:14 France was a prosperous and influential nation prior to the revolution. 06:44 The decline in religious standards and the rise of Freemasonry in France 08:57 Debate over government's role and individual freedom during the Enlightenment 13:12 The French Revolution escalated due to inequality and mob violence. 15:15 The National Assembly made catastrophic mistakes in 1790 19:12 Radicalization of the French Revolution 21:07 The French Revolution's brutal tactics led to mass killings and a lack of accountability. 24:53 The reign of terror during the French Revolution led to the downfall of the Jacobins. 26:51 French Revolution led to unexpected consequences French Revolution was more complex than a simple oppression narrative - The Revolution involved a mix of shifting allegiances and complex conflicts - Events of the Revolution had both positive improvements and damaging consequences France was a prosperous and influential nation prior to the revolution. - France faced challenges in reforming its institutions due to industrialization, mass literacy, and population growth. - France's financial problems, exacerbated by wars and excessive spending, led to a deep debt crisis. The decline in religious standards and the rise of Freemasonry in France - The increase in Masonic lodges and Freemason leaders in the coming Revolution - The decline of religious standards and the impact of the Age of Enlightenment Debate over government's role and individual freedom during the Enlightenment - The Enlightenment emphasized science and reason, sparking debates on government purpose and public involvement. - Enlightenment thinkers clashed with traditional views on man's nature and freedom, promoting new ideas. The French Revolution escalated due to inequality and mob violence. - The Estates General was unable to agree on reforms due to disproportionate voting power favoring the nobility and clergy. - The wealthy bourgeoisie led the radical change, hijacked the National Assembly, and seized church property to address the debt crisis. The National Assembly made catastrophic mistakes in 1790 - The Civil constitution of the clergy law enslaved the Catholic Church under French government control. - Major opposition arose as the majority of Bishops and priests refused the Loyalty oath. Radicalization of the French Revolution - Jacobins took control after September massacres and executed King Louis - Reign of terror began with Committee of Public Safety targeting enemies of Liberty The French Revolution's brutal tactics led to mass killings and a lack of accountability. - The Committee of Public Safety established a harsh regime where anyone suspected of opposition was arrested and executed. - The Rebellion in Vendee, though initially successful, was brutally pacified by the government resulting in over 100,000 civilian deaths. The reign of terror during the French Revolution led to the downfall of the Jacobins. - Moderates retaliated against the Jacobins, leading to a coup and their eventual guillotining. - The Directory took over, but their corruption and military reliance paved the way for Napoleon's dictatorship. French Revolution led to unexpected consequences - Napoleon's defeat in 1815 ended the Revolution, leading to monarchy restoration and a period of political conservatism in Europe - Revolutionaries failed due to a loss of touch with reality and created a system worse than what they overthrew

Very good job. This is a topic difficult to discuss in France. We are taught in France to idolize the revolution. Our national holiday celebrates the beginning of this horror. The far left claims Robespierre as a hero. Most French people think Louis XVI was killed in 1789. Almost no french people know what the revolutionaries did to his child. The revolution led to literally the Terror and yet we at told that it was a great event. In 1989 all schools in France made all children celebrate the 200years of the revolution.

The French revolution is one of the things I despise the most in the history of my country ! 💀

5:51 Louis XV was not Louis XIV's son. He was his great - grandson.

Much appreciated! Which movie(s) is the clips from?

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🇫🇷 The French Revolution, starting in 1789, was a complex turning point in political thought with impacts on Western society, marked by challenges to the thousand-year-old French monarchy. 04:36 💰 France faced financial problems, a debt crisis, and attempts at reform by King Louis XVI, but struggled due to resistance from the powerful French nobility. 09:45 🌍 Enlightenment ideas and debates over government's purpose, man's nature, and freedom fueled the revolution, challenging traditional views and fostering optimism for progress. 16:02 ⛪ The Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790 led to conflict between the revolutionary government and the Catholic Church, escalating tensions and dividing French society. 18:49 🔄 The Revolution shifted toward radicalism, with the monarchy abolished, King Louis XVI executed, and the rise of the Committee of Public Safety, initiating the Reign of Terror. 21:10 ☠️ The Reign of Terror, led by the Jacobins, witnessed mass executions, brutal pacification in Vendée, and a radical push for a utopian society through dehumanization and anti-religious policies. 23:26 ⛪ Religion became a scapegoat, leading to extreme de-christianization, execution of clergy, and the establishment of the atheistic Cult of Reason, reflecting the radical vision of the Jacobins. 24:22 🌐 Robespierre promotes The Cult of the Supreme Being, attempting to balance radical factions and lead a deistic festival. 24:37 ⚖️ 1793-1794 witnesses the execution of many revolutionaries, including moderates, by their own comrades, illustrating internal power struggles. 25:34 ⚔️ A coup against Robespierre in July 1794 marks the end of the Reign of Terror, as he and allies are arrested, tried, and guillotined. 26:14 🔄 The Directory follows, marked by corruption, reliance on the military, and aggressive anti-religious policies, leading to continuous revolts. 26:42 🇫🇷 Napoleon seizes power in 1799, ruling as a dictator. He reverses some revolutionary policies, signs a Concordat with the Pope, and restores Catholicism. 27:09 🕊️ The post-Napoleonic era sees political conservatism in Europe, leading to the Concert of Europe and an extended period of peace. 27:22 📚 The French Revolution offers lessons about the failures of the monarchy, the dangers of losing touch with reality, and the need for temperance, honor, and justice.

One insight i find absolutely prudent.....they tarnished the queen with accusations of bestiality and degeneracy, so that they could overthrow her and.......institute mass degeneracy. It is indeed a rich tapestry.

It should be remembered that the French wars of religion also played a significant role in fermenting the eventual revolution, as it was what caused so many people to conclude that religion was irrationally and irredeemably violent.

What are the movies used in the video?

It could've been avoided if the Protesant Reformation had been allowed to proceed in France; the loss of the Huegonots was fateful

It's crazy how similar the french revolution was with Communists for brutality and cruelty. Explains a lot about France today

a quick side-note: to better understand what is meant with positive and negative freedom, think positive freedom as focusing on "freedom to" and negative freedom as "freedom from"

A really good overview but... So many people think Waterloo was when Nappy was defeated. Waterloo (June 18, 1815) was when Nappy was defeated for the second and final time. Then exiled permanently to the island of St Helena. The Battle of Leipzig, (Oct. 16-19, 1813) should always be mentioned as it was the decisive defeat for Nappy, resulting in the destruction of what was left of French power in Germany and Poland. And that resulted in the half-hearted exile to Elba-an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea just 10 miles from the Italian mainland-lasted from May 1814 to March 1815.

Brilliant job breaking this all down Pax! I’m sure a lot of work went into putting this video together. Thank you!

Good job,but little unclear in some cases.Carmelites were executed on July 17 in 1794 and 11 days later Robespierre lost his head. I think it’s important

Basically, these guys made cancel culture a pastime.

Glad to find a video that isn't so biased and shallow. Would love to hear some book recommendations as well, if anyone has some. Or good documentaries.

The french revolutionary government was arguably the most chaotic government in history. This is what happens when people who put equality over order are in charge

Some people would have us return to this sort of anarchy even now. The French revolution is an example not to follow yet is venerated by many.