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Role of Political Clubs on Frnech Revolution

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Role of Political Clubs on Frnech Revolution
History, Piotrek Szumowski

Assess the role of the political clubs for the course of the French Revolution

The revolution begun in 1789 with the meeting of the states general. Soon later the Bastille was stormed (till this day French celebrate it as their national holiday), the king was executed and a new constitution was written up. By 1799, end of the revolution, a new time had come not just for the French government, but for all. The revolution was to have an astonishing impact on world affairs, and its effect can be directly seen today. What french political clubs existed at the time and what part did they play during the course of that revolution? One by one I will try to answer this question by looking at how each political party influenced the events and what mark did they leave after themselves. Towards the end I will combine the individual information stated under the heading of each club in order to really understand the impact of these conglomerates.

Before we start it is important to first define what a political club really is. According to source [2] it is an organized group with a leader at its helm. It contains a political program that targets specific social groups. It's aim is to rise to power and to enforce that program. The article also underlines the importance of the french revolution to the way we understand politics today. It recognizes that the division on left and right wing originates exactly from that period. The importance of clubs during the French revolution can be summed up by the words of historian Alan Woods "The basic cell of the Revolution, especially in Paris but also in the provinces, was the club and the secret society. It is impossible to understate the importance of organizations like the revolutionary clubs, whose model was the Jacobin Club ("The Society of the Friends of the Constitution") in Paris. Here the masses came to debate the burning issues of the day, to listen to the most popular leaders, to cheer and hiss, to

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