(no subject)
Stupid Printer. Here's my essay that I get to print out in school tomorrow. Look how sucky it is.
Tim Farina April 16, 2005
Period 3 Western Civilization
Carl Gustauson's Common Errors Associated With the Nature
of Political Revolutions
"When we examine the nature of such an upheaval carefully, however, every common conception about a revolution proves to be a gross oversimplification." Written by Carl Gustauson, this philosopher developed five misconceptions about common ideas of war. His first error that he found was that a revolution is caused by the misery of the people. Second was his error that one of the principal reasons for a revolution is the tyranny and brutality of the government. Third was his error that the transfer of power occurs when the people storm the citadels of the government in the course of civil war. Next was his error that in a revolution, the people rise spontaneously and take power. Gustauson's last was that the result of a revolution is to gain greater freedom for the people. Based on the Serbian Revolution, the French Revolution of 1848, and the German Revolution of 1848, Carl Gustauson's found error that a revolution is caused by the misery of the people can be denied, in that each example was caused due to the misery of the people. The Spanish American Revolution, the Belgium Revolution, and the French Revolution of 1848 can confirm Gustauson's second theory on the error that one of the principal reasons for a revolution is the tyranny and brutality of the government. The German Revolution of 1848, the Italian Revolution of 1848, and the Russian Revolution of 1905 prove that Gustauson's theory is correct on the error that the transfer of power occurs when the people storm the citadels of the government in the course of civil war. Through the Greek Revolution, the Decembrist Revolution, and the Polish Revolution, his fourth theory is correct on the error that in a revolution, the people rise spontaneously and take power. Gustauson's final theory is also correct that there is an error that the result of a revolution is to gain greater freedom for the people based on the Polish Revolution, the Decembrist Revolution, and the French Revolution of 1830.
Gustauson's first theory was the error that a revolution is caused by the misery of the people. In his opinion, the depression and misery that was said to cause a revolution would actually cause people to work harder to simply survive, instead of spend their time revolting. However, his theory is incorrect due to the fact that the misery of the people did cause many revolutions. The first example is the Serbian Revolution in 1804 in which the people were sent into Revolution out of there misery from the control of the Turks. The Ottoman Turks had fallen well behind Europe in commercial and industrial matters, and as a result, were limiting the advance of the Serbs. Due to the misery of the Serbian people and their will to become independent and advance technologically, they revolted to remove themselves from Turkish dominance. A second example was the French Revolution of 1848 which again shows how people started a revolution as a result to their misery. Europe in 1848 was scene to an economic crisis that deeply hurt France. Grain harvests failed and as a result there was a sharp rise of the price of bread. There was starvation as a result, and even riots. In addition, there was an industrial depression which halted the production of railroads and increased unemployment. With the extreme conditions that the people were forced to live in, it is safe to say that the French Revolution was caused as a result to the misery of the people. Finally, the German Revolution of 1848 proves Gustauson's theory wrong and that revolutions are caused are a result to the misery of the people. The German people were going through a hard time with fear and desires from several social classes and a stately desire of liberalism and nationalism. Artisans became upset and scared of industrial competition due to the rising number of factories. Peasants longed for the end to manorialism which had already ended in other European countries. In addition, many of the business class desired more influence and respect. With the misery from the people and their wants and fears, Germany was thrust into a revolution which attempted to replace Germany with a constitutional monarchy.
Gustauson's second theory was the error that one of the principal reasons for a revolution is the tyranny and brutality of the government. The Spanish American Revolution is the first example to confirm his theory. The Spanish American Revolution was an attempt for the independence of Spanish colonies in America. Instead of tyranny of brutality of the government, the colonies were anxious to begin trade with Britain and increase their economy. The Belgium Revolution also confirms Gustauson's second theory. Instead of a powerful and brutal government, Belgium was dealt with a very weak government that kept Belgium politics unsuccessful. The Belgium Revolution came as a plan for to strengthen the government with the Belgium people in charge. Finally, the French Revolution of 1848 confirmed Gustauson's theory. In France, it was not a brutal government, but a brutal failure of the economy and a depression that threw the people into a revolution. With rising unemployment and the government's failure to provide for the starving people, France went into revolution.
Gustauson's third theory of the error of the transfer of power occurs when the people storm the citadels of the government in the course of a civil war can also be confirmed through certain revolutions. The German Revolution of 1848 shows how it took many more steps to achieve success in revolution. There were early demands for constitutions and civil liberties, and then in Berlin barricades were erected to enforce the people's wants. Finally the insurgents captured the king and forced him to sign a constitution, but the revolution as a whole was much more involved than just taking over government buildings. Likewise was the Italian Revolution of 1848 were it took several months to force the rulers of each province to sign constitutions. To further influence the rulers to sign the constitution, the Italians boycotted cigars and rioted. The Russian Revolution of 1905 was also more complex than just the people storming the citadels of the government. Storm troops were organized that killed thousands of Jews against the October Manifesto. Army officials took the side of the government and there was a lot of street fighting that resulted in the failure of the revolution.
Gustauson's fourth theory of the error that in a revolution, the people rise spontaneously and take power can be confirmed because many revolutions started with secret societies. The Decembrist Revolution, for example, started with the formation of the Northern and Southern Societies which pushed for a decentralized government and then a highly centralized republic. These two groups were the start of conspiracy which eventually led to revolution. Also, the Greek Revolution started with a secret society, modeled after the Carbonari of Italy, that originally wanted to rid the Greek language of its Turkish influence, but eventually was one of the primary groups that started the Greek Revolution. In addition, the Polish Revolution also started with a secret society of cadets in Warsaw that plotted and then eventually launched a revolution. With the numerous secret societies that formed prior to the outbreak of many revolutions, Gustauson's fourth theory can be confirmed and considered true.
Gustauson's final theory of the error that the result of a revolution is to gain greater freedom for the people can also be confirmed through the Polish, Decembrist, and French Revolution of 1830. The first example, the Polish Revolution, was headed by the Polish nobles who had no intent of emancipating the Polish peasants who were ruled by landlords. Instead, the nobles pushed for independence. The Decembrist revolution, the second example, was a failure, and as a result, only took away more freedom from the people. Moderate Czar Nicholas I now became severely autocratic, increased censorship, and had many of the revolutionaries executed. Finally, the French Revolution was ended with the revision of the Charter of 1814. However, King Louis Philippe continued to restrict suffrage and kept France very far from democratization and the revolutionary phrase "liberty, equality, and fraternity."
Carl Gustauson's five theories on the errors of a revolution can both be proved wrong and proved correct with the revolutions throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century. His first theory that it is an error that a revolution is caused by the misery of the people can be proved incorrect through the Serbian Revolution, the French Revolution of 1848, and the German Revolution of 1848. His second theory that it is an error that one of the principal reasons for a revolution is the tyranny and brutality of the government can be confirmed through the Spanish American Revolution, Belgium Revolution, and French Revolution of 1848. His third theory that it is an error that the transfer of power occurs when the people storm the citadels of the government in the course of a civil war can also be confirmed through the German Revolution of 1848, the Italian Revolution of 1848, and the Russian Revolution of 1905. His fourth theory that it is an error that in a revolution, the people rise spontaneously and take power can be confirmed through the Greek Revolution, the Polish Revolution, and the Decembrist Revolution of 1825. Gustauson's final theory that it is an error that the result of a revolution is to gain greater freedom for the people can also be confirmed through the Polish Revolution, the Decembrist Revolution, and the French Revolution of 1830.