Prince Matternich of Austria stated these words to emphasize the power and influence that France enjoyed in the first period of the 19th Century. It is a reflection of the importance of France in the revolutionary ideas that swept over Europe and which still permiate in the society which we currently live in.
The French Revolution can be regarded as the advent and culmination of a number of ideas struggling to be heard. In the beginning of the 1790’s the French used to say "War with the Kings, peace with the people’. This same phrase is sometimes used during our own time, but instead of "kings’ we refer to politicians, the government and the Church.
Eighteenth century France and its ideas were and remain an inspiration to the whole modern era that we live in. Philosophical ideas that were born during the French revolution are still being implemented and developed in our century. During the French Revolution the metric system was developed, along with women’s rights, the concept of elections and the right to vote. Some ideas were more successful at that time, such as elections and the right to vote. However once must not omit that the idea of women’s rights also dates back to the Revolution.
The end of the 18th century also saw the birth of a number of new government systems. The Robespierre dictatorship is a notable example, with the massacre of 4000 civilians in Nantes highlighting the cruelty with which the contemporary dictators clinged to their power. They were all murdered by force drowning in the river of the same town. The same can be said for the guillotine, a harsh reminder of Robespierre’s quest for power. Opposition was not permitted and the iron rule meant that countless lives were executed simply because of different political ideologies.
Luckily, ideas changed and nowadays demonstrations and protests are permitted, although some might argue that minorities are still oppressed in a modern democratic system. This is typical in Venezuela, Ukraine and Turkey. Leaders are afraid of giving liberty to their own people, fearing that they lose their power.
Napoleon faced the same challenges, but tackled them differently when compared to Robespierre. He became an emperor of France by means of a referendum. The French voted in favour of his rule. Napoleon ended bureaucracy and introduced meritocracy. You did not need to be an aristocrat to succeed but everyone should be rewarded according to his personal efforts and studies.
The French loved his reforms but the same cannot be said for the Maltese. Under French rule Malta was subjected to a different culture with different ideas. This didn’t go down well with the local population who blockaded the French in Valletta for almost two years. Our small nation succesfully resisted the biggest world power of the time.
In the first few years of the 19th century, Napoleon kept on implementing important reforms, which saw the stabilisation of the French ecomony, the provision of good health care and the construction of quality roads. He also prioritised education in schools, with an emphasis on history and art.
From 1805 to 1814 Napoleon sought to take over Europe. His exploits were initially a success but at the end resulted in failure, mainly due to the harsh weather conditions encountered by the French troops during the Russian Campaign.
This ultimately led to the abdication of Napoleon who was then exiled to the island of Elba. In March 1815 he managed to escape and went back to France where he was warmly welcomed. He prepared an army to reconquer Europe but was defeated in Waterloo, in what came to be known as the Hundred Days’ War.
But the French revolution lasted much more than its military aftermaths. The idea of a representive government swept across Europe. Such a government was not necessarily the same as our present democratic government. Representation implied that the government started to understand what the people actually wanted.
Napoleon had introduced various economic reforms, such as paper money. He destroyed the feudal system in France and led to its demise in Europe. During this important period of history, we see the birth of feminism, with women gaining important rights. A notable example is property rights, which was a huge step forward for the female population even though it was later lost, with the decline of the Napoleonic period.
The French Revolution gave life to Nationalism, developed Socialism while introduced Liberalism.
Matternich tried to oppress every revolution that occurred in Europe. He was partly successful but inevitably failed. with his own people turning against him. The revolution brought a new philosophy to European states: If you aren’t willing to open your doors for discussion, you will ultimately be removed. All those leaders who weren’t open for new ideas ended up in this way; even the almighty Napoleon was abolished.
The ideas brought forward from the French Revolution resulted in the unification of Italy and Germany, unifications which eventually led to the Great War (World War I). The Great War influenced Russia and led it to a communist ideology. It brought harsh penalties on Germany and with it the rise of Fascism which led to World War II. By the end of World War II we saw the birth of two great powers: the rise of Capitalism and the USA along with the rise of Communism and the USSR. This eventually led to the development of the Cold War and the birth of the European Union, along with the descent of the British Empire and the independence of its colonies, with Malta an important example.
History is indeed a chain of events: everything occurs as a result of previous actions. And some actions lead to justice, others to anarchy.
