Friday Lesson: French Revolution. Quiz THURSDAY.

In Class:
1. Please fill out this questionnaire now. You have five minutes.Discussion on Enlightenment revolutions:

• What do we learn about political idealism from the Atlantic Revolutions? When the dust settled, who benefited most in each of them?

2. French Revolution movie + Viewing Guide. Fill out and review over weekend for quiz Thursday, 20 points--identifying people and events from the study guide. (Your textbook can give you background too. Check the Table of Contents.)

The reason the French Revolution interests us today is because it's Europe's first revolution based on the ideals of liberty and equality. It sounded good in theory, but played out differently in practice--just like revolutions ever since, including today's Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and possibly Syria soon. All those revolutions started with hope, but are currently facing problems. Voters and policy-makers need to understand what history teaches about revolutions in order not to make blind mistakes.

So focus on how the French Revolution follows the stages that most modern revolutions follow:

1. Pre-Revolutionary disturbances
2. Revolution:
1. Moderate Stage
2. Radical Stage
3. Exhausted Stage ("Thermidorean Reaction" in France)
3. Reaction:
1. Tyranny or
2. Return to Pre-Revolutionary stage (Counter-Revolution)
4. Reform