The French aristocracy tightly held to their power and privilege, but meanwhile, the population was starving. These types of conditions sparked the French Revolution. From the storming of the Bastille, to the rise and eventual fall of Napoleon, this period left an indelible mark on the French people and all of Europe.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Discuss the origins of the French Revolution up to 1791 Explain why the French Revolution became increasingly radical after the year 1791 Understand the early romantic movement as a reaction to intense industrialization Summarize how new ideologies were reflections of social and economic changes in the early nineteenth century, laying the groundwork for socialism and the emergence of Marxist ideology Lecture
Romanticism, Industrialism, and Marx
Romantics reversed the principles set forth by the Age of Reason. This new ideology was a reaction, in part, to the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution began with the invention of the steam engine in the late 18th century. In this market-based economy, the working class faced many hardships while the factory owners became very wealthy. Karl Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto as a response to the conditions of the proletariat class in the newly emerging industrialized world.
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