Case Cracked
Through the evidence collected from the sources,we can conclude that the French Revolution had a great affect on the citizen's of France collective idea of Nationalism. Throughout the French Revolution, every major event that occurred the citizens of France created a stronger bond with one another. They were able to share the pride each one felt after making huge accomplishments which brought down the monarchy. When we look at the Storming of Bastille, we see how much power people can have as a collective. It was surprising how successfully they were able to fight against the king and it's nobility. But what became apparent was that the citizens always tried to find equality in their nation. A great representation is shows of this when King Louis XVI is portrayed without a wig. It shows how the king is no better than any other man. Prior to the French Revolution, there was never a sense of equality unless you were talking within your own Estate. This segregation was mostly caused by the high taxation of the Third Estate. When the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen came into action, it was a huge step forward in the Revolution. After decades of Feudalism, this document gave every man in France the same set of rights and granted them liberty. The most important impact the Declaration had was the level of equality that was created between the Estates. Another important was the Decree Abolishing Hereditary Nobility and Titles. Yes, the Declaration gave all men of France the same rights, but the nobility still had more political and economic power than the people of the Third Estate. What the Decree did was strip the nobility from all this power, till they eventually had only as much power as any other man in France. The themes of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen would remain with the French citizens all throughout the revolution, creating a sense of nationalism with it. At this point in the Revolution, all men were equal, but there was still a connection missing. What separated the nobility from the peasants was education. That is why the Jacobins introduced the idea of universal, free, secular education which was provided by the state. The schools were an essential part in strengthening France's nation. The schools taught the peasant children about morality and about French society. The peasants learned how one must work in order to become wealthy and that idleness was viewed as unfavorable. School also became the place where the peasants learned about government and their part in making France a better place which included serving for France in the military. Patriotism was inspired through the use of songs, gymnastics, and writing. The obligatory French school system allowed for the indoctrination of youth for the goals of the nation to have one language, a strong army, and strong commitment to France. Sometimes the revolution provoked some doubt among the French citizens. In order for the revolution to stay strong, pins and badges were often worn to remind the revolutionaries what they were fighting for. “Vivre libre ou mourir," which means "live free or die," was a common engraving on pins, used mainly to remember the sacrifices that one must be willing to make for the revolution to acheive it's purpose. It is important that the engraving on the pin was in French, because written language shows that the citizens share a common language, further strengthening their connection. Speaking French became an expression of pride, prestige, and respect that helped unite France bothin lingual terms and cultural terms. The French Revolution definately strengthened French nationalism in all aspects, including social, political, economic and cultural terms, and created a strong unified nation with citizens proud of their heritage and a strong collective identity.