Dear 简友们，

下文是我写过的一篇关于“法国大革命”的小论文。文中几个论点主要是描述大革命期间不同阶级的不同待遇，剖析引发大革命战争的原因，介绍革命期间涌现的积极分子，和革命尾声宣布的新政策。希望热爱英语，或是对历史感兴趣的朋友喜欢！

French Revolution

French Revolution is an important historical period to Europe. During the French Revolution, French was in a disordered situation. Royal people were facing threats at that time. In my opinion, French  Revolution happened mostly because of the people in the 3rd estates. Most of them are merchants, farmers, soldiers and peasants. They were in the face of political oppression and unfair for a long time. In 1789, they began to revolt violently. So the French Revolution started. It lasted until 1799.

French Revolution had many long-range causes. The causes might be unstable economy, poor harvests lasting several years, price of food got higher because of the inconvenient traffics. The national government's fiscal troubles caused by an inefficient tax system and expenditure on numerous large wars.

Before the Revolution, there were three different estates in French. To compare with the 3rd estate to 1st and 2nd estate, I find 3rd estate account for about 80 % of total population. But they only account for 65% of total land. The most unfair fact is they need to pay 50% of taxes. And people in 1st estate don't need to pay taxes at all, and people in 2nd estate  just need to pay 2% of taxes.

Economic and political inequality has led to war. During the French Revolution, there was a political adventurer named D'Autraigues. He published "A Chronicle of the French Revolution." He was one of the first to identify the third estate as a "nation". In a famous passage he wrote:

"The Third Estate is the People and the People is the foundation of the State; it is in fact the State itself... It is in the People that all national power resides and it is for the People that all states exist."

Now, let's look at the picture " The political and social system in France."

I think the cartoonist is saying about the relationship among the three estates in France. It describes  that 1st and 2nd estates's people stepped on 3rd estate's people. The cartoon indicates richer use their political privileges and economic privileges to bully common people. The cartoon filled with unfairness.

In August 1789, "The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizens" passed by France's National  Constituent Assembly in August 1789. It's a fundamental document of French Revolution. The declaration indicates the national rights of man. People are born and remain free and equal in rights. All citizens can freely speak, write, print. And everyone can have separation of powers.

Consequently, French Revolution abolished of the French Monarchy. Also replacing them with republics and liberal democracies. French Revolution abolished the privilege of nobleman and built a fair society.

Lie Ying said "It is called the Revolution is not without reason. This Revolution to the class, the class for its service, for the bourgeoisie do a lot of things, so that the entire nineteenth century, giving the whole human civilization and culture of the century, is under the sign of the French Revolution.

Today, a lot of rich man willing to pay more taxes. For instance, billionaire Baffett announced that it is unfair that he paid a lower percentage of taxes than his assistant. I think it might be on of the influence of the Revolution.