Ebric Hobsbawm and French revolution History Research Paper

Eric Hobsbawm and the French Revolution
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Eric Hobsbawm was a British historian and author of dozens of books over half a century. His books covered the broad history of Europe such as Echoes of the Marseillaise that looks back on the French revolution through a deeper scope. He approaches the European revolutions as ‘dual revolutions’ meaning that the demand for political change was influenced by the rapid industrial changes. At this time, pieces of literature regarding the French revolution were massively skewed and the narrative was mainly dominated by those who did not like it. This essay will analyze Eric’s perspective on the French revolution, similarities with other kinds of literature, its reviews by other scholars and its strengths and weaknesses.
History is not indistinguishable from fiction that is why there is a need for historians. The details of the French revolution have varied differently since 1789 mostly because of political agendas and other ideologies. However, there is one aspect people seem to agree on and it is the theories on the origin of the evolution. At the height of the crisis involving the old monarchy, there is a need for resolution and a senate assembly is called in 1788. The senate consisted of representatives of three estates of the realm, clergy, nobility and the third estate. This was the first involvement of the “Third Estate” in the national assembly since 1614 and it paved way for the drafting of the firsts constitutions of modern France. Also, there is no disagreement in the revolution of 1792, a war involving revolutionary France and foreign powers and insurrections that were against the revolution. This is after France abolished their monarchy to become a republic and the double radicalization lasted for years until 1815. CITATION Eri90 \l 1033 (Hobsbawm, 1990)[CITATION Eri90 \l 1033 (Hobsbawm, 1990) pg 17]
The relevance and impact of the France revolution to the history of the world are questionable but it is something that we have grown to accept. Most of it can be attributed to the quotes from historians such as Holland Rose, which described the events of the French revolution as, “terrible and momentous series of events in all history,” and the only way to go was up as the world ushered in the 19th century. CITATION Eri90 \l 1033 (Hobsbawm, 1990) Others were not too quick to acknowledge the significance of Europe’s history going forward but still acknowledged it to be a historical event since the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Therefore, the significance of the French revolution is what most people seem to disagree on. Eric’s retrospective analysis on this period is focused on three perspectives; the French Revolution as a bourgeois revolution, a model for subsequent revolutions and commemorations of the French Revolution between its first and its second centenaries.[CITATION Eri90 \l 1033 (Hobsbawm, 1990) Pg 18]
The rise of the bourgeoisie was the ultimate cause of the French revolution in 1789. Through the years, the notion has been supported by historians and became a major framework of research. Karl Marx’s understanding of the historical developm...