Saturday, July 02, 2016

American revolution to French revolution

Did the American revolution (war of independence) instigate the French revolution?

There are some facts to support the possibility. The French, who supported the US against Britain, were in serious debt and that eventually lead to the French revolution.

That's how true revolutions are and should be. Inspiring. One revolution leading to another. A single torch lighting many torches, one after another.

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The French spent 1.3 billion livres (about £56 million). Their total national debt was £187 million, which they could not easily finance; over half the French national revenue went to debt service in the 1780s. The debt crisis became a major enabling factor of the French Revolution as the government could not raise taxes without public approval
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America may also choose to extend a small amount of gratitude to an Indian prince, Tipu Sultan, who took on British in India around the same time, possibly at the behest of French to inflict more damages to the worldwide interests of the British. French, Spain, Netherlands dragged Britain into war at many places around the world and hence the British could not focus on fighting the American revolutionaries alone. Their focus and might was scattered and they suffered a bitter defeat and thus the sweet independence of this great country was achieved.

Sadly, Tipu Sultan, who was promised French help when he took on British did not get it in time and died on the battlefield and the kingdom of Mysore came under the British rule. That might have been a small solace to the British after getting hammered by US revolutionaries and their allies in various parts of the world.

Happy independence day, July 4th.

1 comment:

sunaath said...

Dear Mahesh,
History is strange. But many of us know very little about it. Thanks for giving some insight in the matter.