A Short History of the French Revolution, 5th Edition

Dr. Popkin provides an excellent, well-researched portrayal of the French Revolution, analyzing and explaining the cause and effect of its important events in an easy-to-read style. Beginning with the origins of the French Revolution, and then taking one through the main characters and developments into the age of Napoleon, the author ends his book with a look at the Revolution’s heritage and how various historians have interpreted it. The book is a “short” 158-220 pages, depending upon which edition of seven you’re reading. Each edition attempts to correct/update/expand upon the previous edition.Here are a couple opportunities for revision (which may have been corrected by the 7th edition): In the 3rd edition, on page 32 in the 2+ pages on the Storming of the Bastille, the author says the crowd attacked the Bastille because its governor refused to give up the weapons it contained. Actually, the crowd had come to the Bastille primarily to obtain gunpowder and ammunition for muskets they had captured elsewhere, with the eventual demand for surrender of the not only of the powder and ammunition, but of the Bastille itself. On page 33, the author then says the crowd “lynched” and then beheaded the Bastille’s governor and Paris’ royal administrator. Unfortunately, the term “lynch” means summary judgment, usually by hanging. To clarify any confusion, there was summary judgment (execution), but it was not by hanging, but by beheading. Also, on page 136, the author writes, “Cold, hunger, and Russian harassment decimated his [Napoleon’s] troops; less than one-tenth of the men who had set off for Moscow returned.” The original meaning of “decimate” was to kill one tenth, viz, one of every ten men (with 9 surviving), but the meaning has since blurred to killing a significant portion. That the author says one-tenth survived might make one incorrectly believe that decimating equates to meaning killing 9 of 10 men. In the 5th edition, Documents A & F are missing.In other cases, the author is bound by his goal of providing a “short” history of the French Revolution. So one may forgive him for, on page 81, using his author’s “short-but-sweet” prerogative to avoid explaining why the Danton and Desmoulins group was called the Citras.For those curious, “Citra” is Latin for “before,” “on this side,” or “short of.” This was in reference to the “Mountain,” the highest level benches which the Jacobins occupied in the National Assembly. Danton and Desmoulins had been Jacobin club members but began to differ from the majority of Jacobins in their views as regards the use of terror. After the ouster/guillotining of the moderate Girondins, the now comparatively moderate Citras, such as Danton and Desmoulins, were “before” the Mountain. The Ultras (the very radical Hebertists) were “after” or “beyond” the Mountain, where remained the “just-right” Jacobins or Montagnards (French for mountain-dwellers/highlanders) under the leadership of Robespierre and Saint-Just.On page 101, the author introduces but doesn’t explain the term “chouan.” For those interested, this was a nom-de-guerre surname (meaning “owl”) of two royalist, counter-revolutionary brothers who led a guerrilla rebellion in northwestern France. Finally, on page 118, he uses just one sentence to describe the Louisiana Purchase.Overall, though, for a “short history” I found the book “just right,” with more than its share of “Wow, I didn’t know thats!” Highly recommended!“Character is Key for Liberty!” Check out how “Character, Culture, and Constitution” played “key” roles in the American and French Revolutions:  George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key – the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul , a best-seller at Mount Vernon.

I had to read this little book for a European History elective focused entirely on the French Revolution, and boy was it helpful. Terse, but concise, it highlights the most important occurrences and events that transpired during the years before, during, and shortly after the Revolution. Great read if you're interested in the subject matter.

I used in my class and it is perfect for an undergraduate seminar.

This work is brief yet provide an excellent overview of the French Revolution. An excellent starting point for anyone who wants to understand what happened in France during these turbulent years.

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