French Revolution Outcomes

The French Revolution, occurring during the years 1789 -1799 in France, was a time of much change in the country and was a rather decisive period in the shaping of the modern Western world.   Needless to say, times of great change and brand new ideas will never be accepted by everyone involved.   Whether it is ideological changes in politics, religion, or general theories and ideas, much change at that period of time is bound to bring about serious turmoil and uncertainty, and The French Revolution was no different.   The Reign of Terror was a tumultuous time during France that took place during September 5, 1793 - July 28, 1794 – a literally deadly span of 15 months for tens of thousands of French men and women. A serious question arises when such terror occurs: Did the Reign of Terror occur primarily due to ideological views, or was it simply because of the strain of immediate historical circumstances?   In order to answer this question, more information must be known about all the factors in and around France that took place during, and leading up to the period in question.
The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France.   A new era was forming, and it was one that promised to realize the ideals of the enlightenment. The Enlightenment of the eighteenth century in Europe was a time where the ideas of reason and freedom, along with the ideals of rationality and order, were at the forefront.   A new secular and public culture was formed.   As Norman Hampson explains in his book titled The Enlightenment: An Evaluation of its assumptions, attitudes and values, “As the French Revolution was to demonstrate, the self-confidence of the educated, their readiness to engage in radical political and philosophical speculation and the willingness of a socially privileged aristocracy to mock religion and embrace principles implying the natural equality of man, all rested on the almost universal conviction that the social order was static. No one seems...