Publisher Description

With the international celebrations of the French Revolution as background, the publication of Peter Kropotkin's classic with an introduction by George Woodcock represents the fulfilment of an important documentary need. The turbulent upheaval that swept in the first mighty revolution in the West, and which had such far ranging consequences, has subsequently been described by a thousand differing pens. From the King's summoning of the Estates General in 1789 to the establishment of the Directory in 1793, the revolution has had many interpretations. But Kropotkin is among the very few who analyses this drama not only as a complex interplay of its leading personalities or a chain of political decisions made from above; rather, he penetrates this surface confusion to describe a great reordering of the economic bases of the ancien régime by the mass of urban workers and the peasantry. He saw the redistribution of land impeded at every step by an aggrandising middle class and by the forces of the counter-revolution inside and outside France. Kropotkin, as a true historian, was not concerned with merely the period he discussed. He saw it as a climax in a long past and future development. The result is a very skillful and absorbing book, with great momentum, an active and readable style, and a capable use of a mass of details regarding the most obscure but no less important aspects of the French Revolution. First published in 1909 and long out of print, The Great French Revolution is the finest historical writing from the fluent pen of Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921). The introduction by George Woodcock, the celebrated Canadian author, throws a modern light on the significance and scope of Kropotkin's contribution.

Author Biography

Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) was a renown Russian scientist and anarchist philosopher and activist who lectured across Europe and North America and published widely. His many books include Words of a Rebel and Fields, Factories and Workshops.

Table of Contents

An Introduction By George Woodcock Preface Chapter 1: The Two Great Currents of the Revolution Chapter 2: The Idea Chapter 3: Action Chapter 4: The People before the Revolution Chapter 5: The Spirit of Revolt: the Riots Chapter 6: The Convocation of the States-General becomes Necessary Chapter 7: The Rising of the Country Districts during the Opening Months of 1789 Chapter 8: Riots in Paris and its Environs Chapter 9: The States-General Chapter 10: Preparations for the Coup d''Etat Chapter 11: Paris on the Eve of the Fourteenth Chapter 12: The Taking of the Bastille Chapter 13: The Consequences of July 14 at Versailles Chapter 14: The Popular Uprisings Chapter 15: The Towns Chapter 16: The Peasant Uprising Chapter 17: August 4 and its Consequences Chapter 18: The Feudal Rights remain Chapter 19: Deceleration of the Rights of Men Chapter 20: The Fifth and Sixth of October 1789 Chapter 21: Fears of the Middle Classes - the New Municipal Organization Chapter 22: Financial Difficulties - Sale of Church Property Chapter 23: The Fete of the Federation Chapter 24: The "Districts" and the "Sections" of Paris Chapter 25: The Sections of Paris Under the New Municipal Law Chapter 26: Delays in the Abolition of the Feudal Rights Chapter 27: Feudal Legislation in 1790 Chapter 28: Arrest over the Revolution in 1790 Chapter 29: The Flight of the King - Reaction - End of the Constituent Assembly Chapter 30: The Legislative Assembly - Reaction in 1791-1792 Chapter 31: The Counter-Revolution in the South of France Chapter 32: The Twentieth of June 1792 Chapter 33: The Tenth of August: Its Immediate Consequences Chapter 34: The Interregnum - The Betrayals Chapter 35: The September Days Chapter 36: The Convention - The Commune - The Jacobins Chapter 37: The Government - Conflict with the Convention - The War Chapter 38: The Trial of the King Chapter 39: The "Mountain" and the "Gironde" Chapter 40: Attempts of the Girondins to Stop the Revolution Chapter 41: The "Anarchists" Chapter 42: The Cause of the Rising on May 31 Chapter 43: Social Demands - State of Feeling in Paris - Lyons Chapter 44: The War - The Rising in La Vend

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