1. Common Causes of Revolutions
A Study of Crane Brinton’s Theory

2. Brinton’s Theory
Historian Crane Brinton, after studying many different revolutions, came up with a theory on how revolutions have similar conditions in place prior to the revolution occurring.
He also examined the course revolutions take and came up with a series of steps that most revolutions follow.

3. Brinton’s Theory
Brinton concluded that countries that encounter revolution have similar conditions in place before revolt occurs
The revolutionary “fever” begins with certain “symptoms”
Lets look at the “symptoms” or factors/conditions that Crane Brinton believes countries on the cusp of revolution exhibit.

4. Brinton’s Theory-Common Factors/Conditions of Revolutions
1. People from all social classes are discontented
2. People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
3. The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
4. The government does not respond to the needs of its society
5. The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
6. The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt and/or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

5. Anatomy of a Revolution Case Study: The French Revolution
The French Revolution is a good case study of Crane Brinton’s theory. Let’s take in in-depth look at France before the Revolution.
While you learn about France prior to Revolution, try to identify Brinton’s common factors/conditions. Ask yourself, does pre-revolutionary France contain all six conditions? Which ones are not present?
After you view the case study on the French Revolution, you will be asked to identify the factors/conditions present, and those that are not.
The following chart can be a great note taking format while you read about the French Revolution

6. Factors/Conditions
Example 1
Example 2
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

7. Case Study: French Revolution
By the late eighteenth century, France was on the brink of revolution. The reasons had been building up over many years, and mainly concerned the great divide between the nobility and the clergy, and everybody else. Many scholars and thinkers from the Enlightenment had given up on French society. The French population was divided into three estates. This division perpetuated the looming revolution.

8. The Three Estates THE FIRST AND SECOND ESTATE- Nobility and Clergy
Nobles had almost complete authority over peasants.
Nobles did not have to do military service.
Nobles were exempt from most taxes.
Nobles collected tolls from people using roads and markets.
Many nobles and clergy lived in great luxury in chateaux and palaces.

9. THE THIRD ESTATE- Peasants
- Peasants were forced to do military service.
- Peasants could not hunt or fish on nobles’ estates.
Peasants had to pay taxes to their lord, the king and the Church
Peasants had to use the lord’s mill, oven, and winepress and
pay for them.
- Peasants made up 90% of the population.
The Kings, through their ministers and
local officials RULED ABSOLUTELY.
-This meant that they had complete
authority over France.
-The ‘parliament’ (Estates General) had
not been called since 1614!

10. As if the system of estates in France wasn’t enough to cause resentment among the lower classes, towards the end of the 1700s, France was experiencing other problems too.
Problem 1 – MONEY
By 1787, the French government was bankrupt. It was 4000 million lives in debt. France had spent a lot of money fighting costly wars, but had nothing to show for it.
Many people accused the royals, especially Queen Marie-Antoinette of spending too much money on luxuries. Others said that the tax system was corrupt and some tax-collectors did not hand all their taxes over to the government.
In 1787 the King asked the nobility to help him reform the tax system. As we already know, members of the first and second estate did not have to pay taxes.
King Louis XVI wanted them to start paying some of them. It is not surprising that they refused to do so.

11. Problem 2 – Bad harvest
Most people in France depended heavily on agriculture and farming in the 1700s. In the years 1787 – 1789, terrible weather, heavy rain, hard winters and extremely hot summers led to three very bad harvests in France.
This led to peasants and farmers having smaller incomes, while food prices rose sharply. The poor harvests also meant that many French farmers became unemployed. Many poorer people were starving, but could not afford food and could not find a job.
Meanwhile, the nobility, the clergy and King Louis and his family continued to live in the lap of luxury in their palaces and chateaux.

12. Problem 3 – Louis calls the Estates General. May – June 1789
In August 1788, King Louis XVI called the Estates General (a gathering of representatives from all three estates) for the first time since 1614.
There were 1100 members, or deputies, divided into three orders.
nobles, clergy, and the third estate (which represented millions of ordinary French people) only contained half the deputies
The king hoped the Estates General would approve new taxes. The nobles and the clergy hoped they would control the affairs to continue their privileged lifestyles.
The middle classes hoped for an English style democracy.
The peasants hoped for solutions to their problems and were asked by their representatives to draw up lists of complaints
The King summoned the Estates General to Versailles, where he had a body of troops. Some saw this as an attempt to frighten the representatives. He did not present them with any proposals for discussion, so they were left to think up their own ideas. Louis did not have control of the meeting.

13. Problem 4 – The National Assembly, June 1789
The deputies of the third estate, having grown tired of the arguments over how each order should vote, declared themselves a ‘national assembly’. They represented 90% of the population and felt that they were the ‘true’ parliament.
They wanted to draw up a constitution showing how France was to be governed
On June 20th, the members of this assembly met at the royal tennis court. They pledged an oath (The Tennis Court Oath) not to leave until the King agreed to meet their demands.
He gave way and deputies of the first and second estates became part of the National Assembly.

14. Test Your Knowledge
Using the chart showing Brinton’s common factors/conditions, You will identify if each factor/condition was present in France before the revolution.
Click in the “YES” column next to the conditions you think apply to the French Revolution.
Click in the “NO” column for conditions/factors you do not think apply to the French Revolution.

15. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

16. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

17. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

18. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

19. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

20. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

21. Factors/Conditions Leading to the French Revolution
YES-
I found examples
NO- I did not find examples
People from all social classes are discontented
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
The government does not respond to the needs of its society
The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly

22. CORRECT! People from all social classes are discontented
The First Estate: The Clergy The Second Estate: The Nobility
-Louis XVI wants them to start paying taxes, which they have never done before
Taxed heavily by the church, lords, and King
Forced to do military service
Lived life of poverty while nobility and clergy lived lives of luxury
The Third Estate: 90% of the population

23. Political corruption at local and national levels
People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government
Political corruption at local and national levels
Harsh and restrictive laws
Nobility held key positions in government
Offices could be bought and sold
Abuse of system by clergy
Church owned 10% of French land
Charged exorbitant rents and fees for land use
Carte blanche – blank papers that were automatic authorization to do what they wanted
Third estate paid 98% of the revenue but made little of the income.
They had no control over legal system and could be put in jail for minor offenses with little recourse

24. The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates
Scholars and Enlightenment Thinkers
Locke
Rousseau
Montesquieu
The French people are highly influenced by the outcome of the American Revolution and the development of a republican form of government.
They too begin to look at the Enlightenment philosopher’s and their ideas about government

25. The government does not respond to the needs of its society
Did not respond to needs of peasants
Most in poverty, yet still taxed heavily
Years of bad harvests lead to higher food prices, yet monarchs host parties and build palaces
Did not respond to Estates-General
Nobility wants more control
Third Estate wants more representation
Louis XVI locks the Third Estate out

26. The government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself
All Estates unhappy with Louis XVI and his lack of authority
First and Second Estates mad about taxes and his financial excesses
Third Estate will not be ignored

27. Monarchs spend regardless of financial situation
The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt and/or trying to tax heavily and unjustly
Monarchs spend regardless of financial situation
Endless wars are expensive
Seven Years War
American Revolution