Anatomy of a Revolution

American and French Revolution

 Crane Brinton’s Anatomy
of
He a
borrowed his terms from
pathology.
Compares a revolution to a
fever or a disease:
§ The revolutionary “fever”
begins with the appearance
of certain “symptoms.”
§ It proceeds by advances and
retreats to a crisis stage, or
“delirium.”
§ The crisis ends when the
“fever” breaks.
§ A period of convalescence
follows, interrupted by a
relapse or two before the
recovery is complete.
Crane Brinton: Conditions
Present Before a Revolution
Occurs
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 govt.
3. People are hopeful about the future, but they
are being forced to accept less than they had
hoped for.
4. People are beginning to think of themselves
as belonging to a social class, and there is a
growing bitterness between social classes.
5. The social classes closest to one another are
Crane Brinton: Conditions
Present Before a Revolution
Occurs
6. The scholars and thinkers give up on the way
their society operates.
7. The government does not respond to the
needs of its society.
8. The leaders of the government and the ruling
class begin to doubt themselves. Some join
with the opposition groups.
9. The government is unable to get enough
support from any group to save itself.
10. The government cannot organize its finances
correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying
to tax heavily and unjustly.
Crane Brinton: The Course that
Revolutions Seem to Take
1. Impossible demands made of government
which, if granted, would mean its end.
2. Unsuccessful government attempts to
suppress revolutionaries.
3. Revolutionaries gain power and seem
united.
4. Once in power, revolutionaries begin to
quarrel among themselves, and unity
begins to dissolve.
5. The moderates gain the leadership but
fail to satisfy those who insist on further
changes.
Crane Brinton: The Course that
Revolutions Seem to Take
6. Power is gained by progressively more
radical groups until finally a lunatic fringe
gains almost complete control.
7. A strong man emerges and assumes great
power.
8. The extremists try to create a “heaven-on-
earth” by introducing their whole program
and by punishing all of their opponents.
9. A period of terror [extreme violence]
occurs.
10. Moderate groups regain power. THE
REVOLUTION IS OVER!
American & French Revolutions
Impossible demands made of government
American French
 Colonial lawyers  Rousseau and Voltaire
protested the Stamp spread enlightenment
and Tea Acts, leaders ideas.
such as Thomas Paine  Third Estate calls for
and Patrick Henry, a National Assembly
encourage conflict and Constitutional
with British Monarchy
authorities.  Angry mobs storm
the Bastille &
Tuileres.
Unsuccessful government
attempts to suppress
American French
The British pass the King orders the
Intolerable Acts, Estates General follow
troops are sent to stop medieval rules.
rebellion, war breaks Third Estate locked
out. out of the Assembly
Once in power, revolutionaries begin to
quarrel among themselves, and unity
begins to dissolve.
American French
Weak National National Assembly
government, Articles strips the church of
of Confederation, land.
Shay’s Rebellion Peasants alienated by
Revolutionary
changes, split with
bourgeoisie.
Assembly splits into
radicals, moderates, &
conservatives.
The moderates gain the leadership but fail to
satisfy those who insist on further changes.

American French
Constitutional Mods form a limited
Convention, New monarchy and creates
Jersey Plan, Virginia the Legislative
Plan, three-fifths Assembly.
compromise. Radicals demand
further action.
Power is gained by progressively more radical groups until
finally a lunatic fringe gains almost complete control.

American French
Federalist defeat the Mods dissolve the
Anti-Federalists, National Assembly,
Constitution, new abolish the Monarchy,
form of government. and declare France a
No Lunatic fringe. republic.
Louis XVI is executed.
Jacobins gain control.
Moderate groups regain power. THE
REVOLUTION IS OVER!

American French
Moderates gained the Mods of the National
addition of a Bill of Convention turn on
Rights. Robespierre and
Anti-Federalists execute him.
eventually regain Draft a new
power with Jefferson constitution giving
(Democratic- power to the middle
Republican) class.
Two House legislature
and Directory.
Differences
6. A strong man  Never occurs in America
emerges and
assumes great  Robespierre and the
power. Reign of Terror.
7. The extremists try to
create a “heaven-on-  New Calendar, The
earth” by Committee of Public
introducing their Safety
whole program and
by punishing all of  The Great Terror,
their opponents. Revolutionaries
executed by The
8. A period of terror guillotine
[extreme violence]
occurs.
Describe the progression of an illness like the
flu.
What differences are there between the beginning,
the
height of the flu, and the end?
Describe specific traits that these stages could
share
with other illnesses?
FEVER MODEL OF
REVOLUTION Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage
Convalescence

Incubation
Stage

Much like an illness, revolutions can also be

studied in stages
This stage in an illness is when the cause of the sickness first
comes
into contact with the individual, infecting them, but not yet
causing
any symptoms to present themselves.

Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage

Convalescence
Incubation
Stage

In a revolution, this stage would involve the political, social,

intellectual,
or economic causes. In some cases, these causes could
fester for
many years before showing themselves in the form of actual
This stage in an illness is when sickness starts to affect the person
in observable ways. Temperature may rise. A cough might present
itself. The individual might become weak and queasy.

What would this stage be like in a revolution?

Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage

Convalescence

Incubation
Stage

In a revolution, this stage would be the first to involve

direct
action resulting from the social, political, intellectual, or
economic
causes of the incubation stage. This stage might involve
the publication
This is the critical stage in an illness where two things can
happen.
The individual either breaks the fever after a heightened stage
of illness or the individual gets progressively worse and does
not
What would this
stage
be like in a

Crisis Stage
Symptomatic
Stage

Convalescence
Incubation
Stage

In a revolution, this stage would be the make or break

part of the
struggle. It may involve conflict where sides for and
against
the revolution compete. This competition could take
the form of
This stage involves recovering from the illness. The individual
might
be weakened from the experience, but he or she will eventually
emerge healthy and with new knowledge and experience that
might
prevent the illness from occurring again.

Crisis
Stage

Symptomatic Convalescence
Stage

Incubation
Stage

In a revolution, this stage would involve recovering from

the extreme
disruptions of the crisis stage. In general, the political,
social,
intellectual, or economic causes of the revolution must be
addressed in