The French Revolution and the Concept of Nation and Liberty

The French Revolution occurred between 1789 and 1799 and was characterized by violent political and social turmoil with its influence across France and the continent throughout Europe. Political activists, rural farmers, masses and other organizations continue to attack aristocrats and religious privileges planned by the controlling monarch. Some people think that the French Revolution brought new concepts of state and freedom to the world (Baker, Boyer, Kirshner 303).

Changes bring about the transfer of sovereignty from the hands of absolute monarchs to the French citizens, the French people have the right to form a country and shape its fate. The slogans of the French Revolution - Freedom, Equality and Fraternity - have influenced the whole world. Many other revolution such as the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution (you already read in Lesson 3) also strengthened the concept of nationalism. In this section, I will learn about the rise of Indian nationalism that appeared in the 19th century after the revolt in 1857.

The first modern manifestation of nationalism was the French Revolution (1789). As a movement of "freedom, equality and fraternity", the French Revolution began to be a war of the French people against foreign invaders. When Napoleon took power and started to build the French Empire, other countries also fought back. From Spain to Russia, people in all countries protect their country in order to resist French imperialism. German philosopher Johan Gottlieb FICHTE told concretely between Napoleon and the country of Germany (1807-08).

Napoleon - Napoleon Bonaparte was a leader of the army who had an alliance with Jacobins during the French Revolution. When he beat the Italian Austrians, he became a national hero. In 1799, Napoleon finished the French Revolution when he defeated the catalog and founded the French Consulate. He finally crowns his French emperor