Blog #6

Along with this World History class I am also taking a French culture, USA vs France at NDNU. We have learned so much about France, the culture, business and personal and we have also talked a lot about the history of France which has set the foundation for the way the French live and operate their country today. This beng said I was particularly interested in the section in Chapter 17 about the French Revolution. The only real exposure I remember about the French Revoution in high school was the movie and book "Animal Farm", which is the negative side of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution. Of course there are positives and negatives to every change that happens. Especially when it comes to something as big as a revolution and war. Being from Canada and living in a province that was previously under the Brittish rule, it makes sense to me now that this was the picture that was panted for us about the french Revolution under Napoleon. However this revolution was painted it did have its ups and downs. Come to know now that the French as a whole tend to be very proud and grateful of this time in French and European history. The French Revolution of 1799 - 1815 put into place many of the systems that the French still have today. The revolutions marked the beginning in the separation of Church and state for France, which is sill true today. France is considered a country with no defined religion as a culture or a stated power, and some even consider an atheist nation. One of the major things that this particular revolution brought to France was the education system that France has today.

Per Strayer, the French Revolution was similar to that of the American Revolution in the way that it was fought and the tactics used since some of the French fought alongside the American colonists. They also differed in the ways that they wanted to spread a influence other regions and countries.While the Americans were working to build upo the past and grow, the French revolutionists wanted to begin from square one and redifine things by starting over and making the time of the revolution year one. The French revolution created one of the worlds largest army's at the time and all adult men were required to serve. It definitely was not a time of freedom in the same way that Americans view freedom. From what I have learned of France, the general population doesn't seem to mind the way the country is run as a whole and the systems that have been put in place in the country, many of which were born of the French Revolution. The French have a deep respect and pride for their country and support the way it is run. This may be due to the fact that they know nothing different in their own country or they really do believe that it is the best way to run a country.