Worsening Economic & Social Conditions Trigger Revolutions

By Rusiripala Tennakoon –AUGUST 26, 2021

Rusiripala Tennakoon

History advances in disguise. There is a saying that History repeats itself. We scrutinize history only because we need to have a better and fuller idea how it will help us to shape our future. A revolution is a change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against oppression (political, social, economic) or political incompetence of governments.

Liberation movements have been growing gaining ground in scope and depth, invariably facing strong resistance by the systems they rise up against. Revolutionary attempts that fail will be regarded as coups against the authority and will be subject to punishment under the Law. The Modern free world, we witness today, comprise of many countries that have emerged victorious in their struggles for national liberation with great sacrifices made by the revolutionaries.Victories of the National Liberation movements and class struggles waged by working people to defeat the monopolies and exploitations have contributed to the development and strengthening of Socialism. Many revolutionary struggles have been recognized as Great land mark events in the world history.

The American Revolution was an epic political and military struggle waged between 1765 and 1783.- also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection through which 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies threw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America, founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The protest began in opposition to taxes levied without colonial representation by the British monarchy and Parliament.

The Russian Revolution took place in 1917, during the final phase of World War I. It  brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), replacing Russia’s traditional monarchy with the world’s first Communist state.

The Chinese Communist Revolution, known as the War of Liberation, … led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman Mao Zedong, …

On October 1, 1949, Chinese Communist leader Mao declared the creation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt in the mid 1950’s led by Fidel Castro against the government of Fulgencio Batista. … He was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Fidel. As he announced in his famous speech addressing the Judiciary that convicted him, “history will absolve me!”, he established a government in October 1965.

Industrial Revolution was different. The Industrial Revolution was the transformation of economies dominated by agriculture and handicrafts to economies dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. The process began in Britain (18th-century) and slowly spread to other parts of the world.

The Industrial Revolution involved technological changes, including the novel use of materials like iron and steel, the intensified use of energy sources like coal and steam, and the use of new inventions; socioeconomic changes, including the introduction of the factory system and a wider distribution of wealth; and cultural changes, including the growth of cities and development of worker’s rights movements. The period was also marked by the devaluation of skilled work and by unsafe working conditions, long hours, and child labor.

The French Revolution was a culmination of the revolutionary movement that was developing in France between 1787 and 1799.It brought an end to a long existing regime in France in 1789 and was hence called Revolution of 1789. The climax of the event was in July and August of 1789. It is interesting to examine the social conditions that prevailed at the time of this uprise. Hence, I thought of dealing with this in more detail looking at our own situation with regard to certain aspects.

The Feudal Regime was characterized by a system of privileges extended by the monarchy to the rich and the elite at the expense of the peasants denying  equality before the Law. Abuse of Judicial procedures by the King and his administration were serious challenges levelled against the system. There was a strong need that the individual must be safeguarded against arbitrary police or judicial action.

In such a background some protest actions of the people starting from May 5, 1789, reached climax levels by July that year leading the peasants to rise against their lords in many provinces. The Nobles and the bourgeois were scared. The national State Assembly on the night of the 4th August 1789, declared the abolition of the Feudal regime and the tax laws in force. Thereafter on 26th August it introduced the declaration proclaiming liberty, equality, the inviolability of property and the rights to resist oppression, which came to be known as “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”

The decrees of August 4th and the Declaration were accepted as great innovations but the King refused to sanction them and made an attempt to flee. People, rose again and brought the Royal family back to Paris.

French population participated actively in the culture put into place by the Revolution. Uncensored newspapers reported and kept the people abreast of the developments.

The National Constituent Assembly totally abolished Feudalism, established civil equality, nationalized the lands which helped pay off the public debt and created widespread redistribution of property.

Following sequence of events will indicate what led to the culmination of that great revolution.

Feb 1787, Charles de Calonne, controller general of Finances arranged a meeting of “notables”( prelates, great noble-man, and representatives of the bourgeoisie) to propose  reforms designed to eliminate the budget deficit by increasing the taxation on the privileged classes. The assembly refused the proposal. Due to adverse opposition to the proposed reforms the privileged class managed to curtail the powers of the courts of justice by the Edict of May 1788.

Before end of 1788, people started revolting creating unrest. The King, Louis XVI, had to yield and convened the Estates General in May 1789. He reappointed a reform-minded Finance Minister and granted freedom of the press, after which France was filled with pamphlets addressing the reconstruction of the State.

May 5, 1789- The Estates- General met and agreed to declare themselves as National Assembly. Many parish priests supported this move. 

The King agreed and yielded and allowed the official Title to the National Constituent Assembly on July 9.

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