The French Revolution In Plain English
This is 6 minutes of plain English that take you through the French Revolution, from the oppression faced by the poor in 1789 to the rise of Napoleon in 1799; from a fight for a constitution to the Declaration of the Rights of the Man, then to the Napoleonic Code; from the corruption of an absolutist society to—well, you’ll discover soon enough in the video. The simple explanations give you a good opportunity to compare and contrast the beginning and end of the revolution, as well as the advancements or regressions seen throughout. You might notice that the French Revolution saw the birth of many ideas and philosophies surrounding the society, politics, and humanity, though you might also observe the differences between those ideas and their execution (as in “enaction”, though in this revolution, “execution” as in “execution” would also be adequate).
As you watch the video, keep in mind the question—was the French Revolution worth it?