French and Egyptian Revolution

1. Compare / Contrast Louis XVI and Mubarak.
1. The reigns of Louis XVI and Hosni Mubarak experienced many similarities as well as several differences.  Louis XVI was an absolute monarch, and Mubarak was a dictator, which makes them very similar because they both were in complete control of the things that went one in their own country.  Both Louis and Mubarak lived isolated from their people.  Louis lived in his palace in Versailles and rarely visited Paris.  Mubarak lived in his presidential palace and was very out of touch with the people beyond those walls.  In both reigns nobles and businessmen/clergy were given special privileges and did did not have to pay taxes.  Throughout both reigns the common worked very hard, but were given no reward; also, the prices of common goods were escalating, unemployment was increasing, and the rich were becoming richer while the poor became poorer. The common people in both societies could easily be outvoted by the nobles.  Both rulers spent far too much on their on wants, and refused to reform the financial situations in their countries.  The people of both societies were encouraged by writers and thinkers as well as the success of other countries to overthrow the government.
1. http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/020711a.html
2. http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/article-355-the-common-causes-between-the-egyptian-and-the-french-revolution-4176719.html
2. In each case, WHY were the people protesting? (Cite primary sources).
1. In the French Revolution the main reason for the people protesting was the inequality of taxes.  "The abuses attending the levy of taxes were heavy and universal" (Arthur Young).  The poor peasants were forced to pay heavy taxes, while the nobles and clergy were exempt.  Even Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI, admitted that the people were overwhelmed with taxes.  "Taxes with which they are overwhelmed" (Marie Antoinette).  The burden of the government was resting on the poor who were forced to pay more for taxes than they could afford, which was causing the economy to fall apart.  Another reason for the protesting was the decrease in the availability of land for farming, causing a fear of grain shortage.  Bread is the staple food of the peasantry, so they were either going to starve or revolt.
1. http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Young.html
2. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1773marieantonette.html
2. In the Egyptian Revolution, the people were protesting Mubarak because they have been wanting him to step down as president, but they were not sure how to accomplish this.  The people were inspired by the overthrow of the government in Tunisia through protests.  What happened in Tunisia showed the Egyptian people that they could too overthrow their government and begin a revolution.  There was extreme unemployment in Egypt, and many people were living in poor conditions because Mubarak failed to pay attention to the people.  "The organizers framed the protest as a stand against torture, poverty, corruption, and unemployment" (Kareem Fahim).
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/world/middleeast/26egypt.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
3. What role did women play?
1. In the French Revolution, women played an important role.  "I am inclined to think that they [women] work harder than the men" (Arther Young).  Women were "seamstresses and laundresses, but also skilled artisans, merchants, or domestics" (Gwynne Lewis).  Hundreds of thousands of women marched to Versailles in protest during October of 1790.  The women who marched on Versailles were the main reason that the royal family was moved from there to Paris.  Women, many times, were the leaders of protests.  They had been excluded of basically every right that men had, and they were fighting for their rights as well as the equal rights of all.
1. http://history.hanover.edu/texts/young.html
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20021215172126/http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/History/teaching/french-rev/people.html
2. In the Egyptian Revolution, women also played an important role.  "And many of them are spending the night in Tahrir Square.  Others have been taking part in democracy rallies across Egypt" (Mona Eltahawy).  Many young women used social media to bring about change in their country.  Women were not afraid of the thugs and security forces, who could have assaulted them.  Women took part in the protesting in Tahrir Square as well as using social media and other tools to voice their opinions.  The women were fighting for the rights of the country and its citizens.
1. http://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133497422/Women-Play-Vital-Role-In-Egypts-Uprising
4. What concerns are there about the current situation in Egypt? How might they relate to the days following the fall of Louis XVI?
1. The concern about the current situation in Egypt is that the transition to the new government will not be peaceful.  There is also concern that the revolution in Egypt will cause unrest in other countries.  It is very important that Egypt begins their transition quickly.  These concerns may relate to the days following the fall of Louis XVI because after Louis XVI was executed the French people were in need of a new leader to rule.  The time after Louis XVI's reign was a time of great turmoil for France because there were so many clubs and different groups of people fighting for the throne.  Thousands of people were executed during this time period known as the Terror.  The Egyptian people do not want things to happen the way they during the Terror; they want the transition to be peaceful.
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/world/europe/01iht-union01.html
5. How did/are people express(ing) their views?
1. The Egyptian people were expressing their views through peaceful protest.  The Egyptian people were sure to avoid any confrontation with security forces and police by chanting peaceful sayings.  "Without any identifiable leadership, or specific organizers, the Egyptian people in the hundreds of thousands have proved to themselves and to whoever was watching that they can maintain order as they become more resolute about their demands" (Marwa Maziad).  The Egyptian people were successful in their demands, and they are now celebrating their victory over Hosni Mubarak as president of Egypt.
1. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/20112714401412146.html
6. Are the current protests violent?
1. The protests in Egypt were fairly nonviolent compared to those in other countries.  There were times when tear gas and weapons were used to subdue the people, but for the most part the protests were fairly peaceful.  Currently, there really are not any protests going on; the Egyptian people are celebrating Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
1. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/20111251711053608.html
7. What do people on the ground in Cairo think is going to happen now? (Directly contact reporters and bloggers in Egypt via Twitter during this class period).
1. Everyone in Egypt is still celebrating their victory over Hosni Mubarak; the people are no longer protesting.  The Egyptian people are just hoping for the best outcome in this situation.  They expect that everything will go well, and that the transition of power will be peaceful.  The protests have been fairly peaceful so far, and that is all the people can hope will continue to happen.  The people are hoping that through a democracy their lives will improve, and they will gain the rights that they deserve.
1. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112523026521335.html
8. Based on your study of the French Revolution and your current observations of the situation in Egypt, what do you think are possible outcomes? How are the possible outcomes in Egypt alike or different with outcomes in France -- both in the short and long term.
1.  The Egyptian Revolution could either have a really great outcome or a difficult outcome.  The best possible outcome would be a peaceful transition to democracy, and the people would receive all of their rights.  The worst possible outcome would be if Egypt followed the path of the French Revolution, which was not a very peaceful time.  Many groups of people were fighting and executing each other in order to become the rulers of France.  If Egypt follows the path of the French Revolution they will have a violent transition to democracy, but in the long term they will end up in a good place.  The best thing would be a nonviolent change in government that leads to Egyptians being the best citizens they can be.