Short Book Clips
The World of the French
Revolution, R.R. Palmer, Harper and Row, New York, 1971
Needless to say the history
of the French Revolution that began in 1789 and arguably has not been completed
yet has been looked at from every possible perspective, some of them noteworthy
others merely cumulative. In Professor Palmer’s little book we have a noteworthy
one although, perhaps not for the purpose that he wrote the book. At the end of
2007 we have been through a period when the American Bush Administration policy
in the Middle East has seen as one of
its aims the ‘export of democracy’ ; in the terminology of the French
Revolution the ‘export of revolution’. I would also note that during the height
of the Cold War with the former Soviet Union, particularly in the immediate
post World War II period the ‘export of revolution’ in that case, socialism raised
it head. Thus the central point of Palmer’s book in relationship to the French
Revolution offers some important historical lessons about that phenomenon.
Professor Palmer divides his
work in sections dealing with the pre-revolutionary period, the immediate
issues of the revolutionary and the significant period of the reign of the Committee
of Public Safety in the 1793-94 period. That part is fairly common. What he
does additionally is give space to the various external movements influenced by
the French example and the policies of the various adversaries of the French.
Further he ties the whole period together by getting a fair outline of the
Directory period (basically 1794-99) that is overlooked or undervalued in most
works and the policies of the various governments toward outside revolutionary
movements.
If there is one conclusion
that drifts through the Professor’s work is that it is hard, extremely hard to satisfactorily
export revolution, event world historic revolution like the French one. And
that fact is not all one-sided. At various times, depending on internal French
politics, there was hostility or indifference to those like the Polish who
wished to either emulate or come under French protection. Palmer gives us the
highlights to further search for the relationship between local indigenous
forces, the role of French military success on the ground and other
governmental considerations that forced the creation of a least six French-like
republics in the 1790’s. This book is hardly the last word on the subject of
the French ‘export of revolution’ but it certainly is the first word. Read on.
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