The French Revolution, 1789-1804: Authority, Liberty and the Search for Stability

ISBN-13: 9780333611760 / Angielski / Miękka / 2004 / 310 str.

Nigel Aston

Opis

This book is designed to move students quickly to the exciting thematic subjects at the center of current debate on the Revolution and the Counter-Revolution. After a short narrative focusing on continuities and ruptures inside the Revolution, the creation of a new political culture is covered in chapters on institutions, political participation, and rhetoric. Nigel Aston deliberately takes a wide perspective and is concerned throughout with the reception of Revolutionary values in Europe, in the French colonies, and the United States.

Spis treści

List of Maps.- Preface.- Timeline.- Introduction.- PART ONE: THE UNFOLDING OF THE REVOLUTION, 1789-1802 The End of the Monarchy, 1789-1792.- The Convention, 1792-1795.- An Attempt at Moderation: The Directory and the Consulate, 1795-1804.- PART TWO: THE CREATION OF A NEW POLITICAL CULTURE The Language and Signs of Revolution.- The Transformation of Institutions.- Changing Patterns of Political Participation.- PART THREE: THE REVOLUTION AND ITS SOCIAL IMPACT The Militarisation of France (The Nation in Arms).- Violence, Vandalism, and Coercion.- The Economy and Society.- PART FOUR: THE REVOLUTION AND THE WIDER WORLD The Impact on Europe.- The French Diaspora and the Wider World.- Conclusion.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Index.

O autorze

NIGEL ASTON is Reader in History at the University of Leicester, UK.

Blurb

What was the appeal of the values of the Revolution? When did disillusionment set in, and why? Why did so few women identify with the Revolution? These are some of the questions which recur in this fresh study which focuses on some of the major themes at the heart of the current debate on the French Revolution and the Counter-Revolution.

The French Revolution, 1789-1804:
- examines the human cost of Revolutionary change and the political ruthlessness of its key players
- explores the continuities and ruptures in the unfolding of the Revolution up to 1804 and Napoleon's coronation as emperor
- discusses the emergence of a new political culture, institutions, political participation and rhetoric
- considers the social history of the 1790s with an assessment of the militarisation of France, violence and vandalism, and the social effects of economic changes
- adopts a wide perspective and looks at the reception of Revolutionary values in Europe, the French colonies, and the United States

Nigel Aston's concise study is essential reading for all those with an interest in this crucial moment in the creation of the modern world.