Posted: Apr 17, 2016 1:06 pm
Ciwan wrote:Hello Friends
I am not well informed on the French revolution, but I remember watching a documentary once on how powerful an impact it had on Europe and civil rights.
I had a few guests over the other day, and one was saying that there isn't much difference between the French revolution and the Syrian Revolution. They were both uprisings against tyranny.
Is he right in thinking this? What would be a good read to really get a good accurate understanding of how the French revolution happened, why it happened and what impact it had on Europe.
I am here to learn and know very little about this, so go easy on me
Thanks
The French Revolution was the intellectual class mobilising the poor to overthrow the ancient regime of aristocrats and priests. Whilst not openly atheistic, many of the thinkers in the revolution were anti-religion This was achieved largely without the interference of outside forces.
The Syrian situation is misconstrued as a move to overthrow a dictatorship to replace it with a democracy. Only one small minority of western educated middle-class represent a small part of the struggle.
In truth the Syria owes more to internecine tribal (and religious) struggles, and the poorest section of the populace are motivated by these factors and not democracy. Syria is also a war of proxy in which the whole world's superpowers are involved.