One theory is the French Revolution was caused by a cold snap in Europe which caused food crops to fail and hungry peasants revolted.
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One theory is the French Revolution was caused by a cold snap in Europe which caused food crops to fail and hungry peasants revolted.
Rain is nice to see particularly in Tassie
Rains bring relief to bushfire-weary Tasmanian towns and fire crews
Yes, I think that's right.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoMick
When I was in first year uni I did a Meteorology subject - along with learning the nuts and bolts of climate and weather, the lecturer would regularly throw in stuff like that as a break from the heavy stuff. I'm pretty sure that was one of the events he mentioned.
Well, we've had a hot snap, and the coming grain season will be a shocker, so when do we start the Revolution here???Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoMick
the dead fish down south will soon have visitors,, dead QLD cattle,,
I don't think that can be quite accurate - the French Revolution started in Paris - not too many peasants there. Hungry city workers, yes, peasants, less likely.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoMick
Another fascinating proposed contributor is that the French troops that fought with the Americans against the English returned in 1784-5, having seen that revolutions could be successful. And the costs of this war, which France funded by borrowing, were disastrous, and probably were the major factor in triggering the revolution (The biggest cost came from the disastrous siege of Gibraltar).
The French government was flat broke and squeezed the taxpayers as hard as possible, add a poor harvest, and a lot of hungry discharged soldiers who had been educated about revolutions..........
Interesting. Probably more than one cause.
Hungry rural peasants would drift to the cities seeking food and work.
Demobbed soldiers left penniless could revolt.
What's the modern equivalent?
I would think that the country folk would have been able to find something to eat much easier than the city folk by hunting and forraging .
Stalin sorted out the recalcitrant kulaks in The Ukraine by sending squads to strip the countryside of food and shooting any who tried to hide their tucker. Millions died. Ukrainians have not forgotten this.Quote:
Originally Posted by trout1105
Undoubtedly more than one cause. Peasants were unlikely to move to the city in eighteenth century France in search of food - food doesn't grow in cities, and they had few job opportunities. Certainly a few would have made the move, but my memory of reading about the history of that time was that the peasants mostly supported their local lords, at least initially, although they were quite happy to loot the chateau when a Paris based force of revolutionaries arrived to arrest the proprietor.Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoMick
It is difficult to think of a modern equivalent. Not exactly modern, but the Russian Revolution was largely the result of the war going very badly for the Russian Army, and the poor situation of the soldiers - bad equipment, bad supplies, poor leadership, but the revolution was started by the urban intelligensia, who appealed to and provided leadership for the disaffected troops (and sailors).