Crane Brintons Anatomy of a

Revolution
He borrowed his
terms from pathology.
Compares a
revolution to a
disease.
Convalescence
Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage
Incubation
Stage
FEVER MODEL OF REVOLUTION
Much like an illness, revolutions can also be studied in stages
Convalescence
Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage
Incubation
Stage
This stage in an illness is when the cause of the sickness
first comes into contact with the individual, infecting them,
but not yet causing any symptoms to present themselves.
What would this stage be like in a revolution?
In a revolution, this stage would involve the political, social, intellectual,
or economic causes. In some cases, these causes could fester for
many years before showing themselves in the form of actual
revolutionary action.
Sickness affects person in observable ways Temp may rise; cough
might present ; individual might become weak & queasy.

What would this stage be like in a revolution?
Convalescence
Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage
Incubation
Stage
1
st
part to involve direct action resulting from social, political,
intellectual, or economic causes of incubation stage. Might
involve the publication of works calling for a change, street
level riots by common people, or more direct attempts at
changing society.
Crisis Stage
Convalescence
Symptomatic
Stage
Incubation
Stage
Make or break part of struggle. May involve conflict where
sides for & against revolution compete. (could take the form of
debate or full-scale war) Successful revolutions survive this
stage- those that dont are failed rebellions.
Critical stage 2 things can happen individual either breaks the fever
after a heightened stage of illness OR gets progressively worse & does
not recover.
What would this stage be
like in a revolution?
Convalescence
Crisis
Stage
Symptomatic
Stage
Incubation
Stage
Recovery from illness. Individual might be weakened from experience,
but he or she will eventually emerge healthy & w/ new knowledge &
experience that might prevent illness from occurring again.

What would this stage be like in a revolution?
Recovery from the extreme disruptions of crisis stage. Political, social,
intellectual, or economic causes of revolution must be addressed in
some way, though not necessarily to satisfaction of all revolutionaries.

1) People from all social classes are discontented.
2) People feel restless & held down by unacceptable
restrictions in society, religion, & the economy or
govt
3) People are hopeful about the future, but are being
forced to accept less than they had hoped for
4) People are beginning to think of themselves as
belonging to a social class, & there is bitterness b/t
social classes
5) Social classes closest to each other are the most hostile
6) Scholars & thinkers give up on the way their
society operates
7) Govt does not respond to needs of its society
8) Leaders of govt & ruling class begin to doubt
themselves some join w/ opposition groups
9) Govt is unable to get enough support from any
group to save itself.
10) Govt cannot organize its finances correctly & is
either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily &
unjustly.
1) Impossible demands made of government which,
if granted, would mean its end
2) Unsuccessful govt attempts to suppress
revolutionaries
3) Revolutionaries gain power & seem united
4) Once in power, revolutionaries begin to quarrel
among themselves, & unity begins to dissolves
5) Moderates gain the leadership but fail to satisfy
those who insist on further changes

6) Power is gained by progressively more radical groups
until finally a lunatic fringe gains almost complete
control
7) Strong man emerges & assumes great power
8) Extremists try to create a heaven-on-earth by
introducing their whole program & punishing all of
their opponents
9) Period of terror or extreme violence occurs
10) Moderate groups regain power.
THE REVOLUTION IS OVER!!!!
The French Revolution
Application of the Fever Model
Causes - Incubation
Social Inequality - three
estates
Three estates
First Estate (upper clergy) - 1%
of population, taxed peasants
Second Estate (nobles) - 2-3%
of population, paid no taxes,
taxed peasants
Third Estate (Bourgeoisie,
peasants, workers) - paid up to
1/2 of income in taxes

Causes - Incubation
Enlightenment Ideas/American Rev.
Belief all men should have liberal freedoms
Right and just to remove unjust govt
Equality for all
United States Dec. of Independence and
Constitution
Causes - Incubation
King Louis XVI
Weak leader
Preferred personal interests, delegated
authority
Incapable of decisive action

Causes - Incubation
Economic Crisis
French economy bankrupt
Wars, Louis XVI lifestyle
Nobles not taxed
Crop failures
Debt - 1/2 budget goes to interest
Bourgeoisie begin questioning King
Moderate Stage - Symptoms
Estates General called, Third Estate
demands reform - resisted by others
Moderate Stage - Symptoms
National Assembly declared (June 20, 1789)
Moderate Stage - Symptoms
Bastille
stormed (July
14, 1789) in
response to
king
mobilizing
Swiss troops

Moderate Stage - Symptoms
Declaration of the Rights of Man and
the Citizen (Aug., 1789)
Influenced by America
Equality of all men, sovereignty resided in
the people, and individual rights to libery,
prosperity, and security
March of the Women (Oct., 1789)
Food protests turn into march to Versailles
King forced to move to Paris
Moderate Stage - Symptoms
Reforms on National Assembly
Liberty, equality, fraternity - motto
Dismantled feudal system
Seized Church lands
Abolished estates
Creates Constitution of 1791 - limits power
of king (constitutional monarchy)
Men of property could vote
Radical Stage - Crisis
Prussian and Austrian
invasion of France
French Republic
established - King
dethroned, the
Convention set up
Large scale draft
King tried and
executed
Radical Stage - Crisis
Robespierre /
Jacobians take control
of the Convention
Committee of Public
Safety oversees the
Reign of Terror (40,000
people executed,
300,000 arrested)
Tried to eliminate
influence of the church
Moderate - Convalescence
Convention arrests Robespierre - executes
him
The Directory takes over
Committee of five conservative men
Tries to find middle ground
Military successes outside of France
Domestically, still many problems
Napoleon stages coup, imposes new
constitution - declares himself first consul
What do you think is the reaction of the
French?