First I want to say that both beginnings of the French and Russian Revolutions have two major similarities, Economic crisis and Constitutional Monarch governments. Second I think that all revolutions have three stages. I think the French Revolution did go through the three stages but I dont think that the Russian Revolution had the same three stages. I think in the French Revolution you can clearly see the liberal in the Constitution of 1791, the radical in the Constitution of 1793, and the conservative in the Constitution of 1795.
In the Russian Revolution the stages are hidden in February and October Revolutions and the their Civil War. Well you can start off with Russia in 1915 before all the revolutions. Nicholas II, a very incompetent leader, and not the smartest one either during a time of bad economic crisis. So that didnt help the government at all, not to mention they were fighting in WWI with half of the skilled workers fighting. While fighting in WWI, Nicholas thought that the troops would fight harder if he were leading them.
While Nicholas was fighting he left Tsarina Alexandra in charge of Russia. The problem with this is that she made horrible decisions, partly because of Rasputin (a monk, or faith healer), She would hear different sides of the argument and then the last person to talk to her would make her mind up for her. So Rasputin would basically just wait to be the last person to talk to her so that way he could get stuff done in the government. But this earned him a bad reputation and got him assassinated. This would lead to increasing problems and the start of a revolution.
The February Revolution (really in March) starts when Nicholas abdicates on March 15, 1917. The provisional government rules from March to November, which is the old duma that Nicholas created. Here is where you see the rise in the soviets power. But this does nothing for the country, they still have the problems of fighting a war, no food supply, and they wont redistribute land. Then Lenin and the Bolshevik party write the April Theses (Peace, Bread, Land). Lenin also takes control of the soviets, which is important because they are the skilled workers.
The October Revolution (really November) comes around because the Provisional government was defeated and the Bolsheviks start to take over cities, first at St. Petersburg and then Moscow. But they manage to sign a treat of Brest-Litovsk but they give up the best part of Russia in the treaty. The Russian Civil War starts out in 1917 and lasts until 1921. In the war the communists have the popular support and a unified army. This makes them unstoppable in the civil war, and they end up winning and setting up Moscow as their capital. The Reds (communists) were very right wing conservatives.
Now before France had their revolutions they had a Constitutional Monarchy just like Russia with Louis XVI and the National Assembly. The National Assembly tries to start the economy with destroying feudal privileges. All the land is to be owned by peasants and no longer nobles, but they are to pay it back slowly over time. Then National Assembly also adopts the declaration of rights of man, sells off church property for revenue, reorganizes the French administration, and institutes civil constitution of the clergy (all catholic priest are loyal to the state).
The liberal phase of the revolution happens at this time with the Constitution of 1791. It divided power between the king and legislative assembly, it have the right to vote to men over 25 (about of the population of men), it have the king power of suspensive veto, and it gave the officials responsibity to assemble. During this liberal phase they set up a development of public schools. The Radical Revolution was started between the Moderates (Girondins) and the Radicals (Jacobins). The Moderates supported the constitution of 1791.
But they wanted the revolution to end and wanted war to defend and establish borders. Then you had the Radicals that feel that the king cannot be trusted, favor a new constitution, and wan more revolution. This is when Europe gets involved, France declares war on Austria, Prussia but they dont have any money, King Louis XVI is removed from the thrown. The National convention is called and they write another constitution with no king. The Constitution of 1793 has no executive branch, no guarantees of personal liberty, universal manhood suffrage, and says that majority rules.
After that the trial of Louis XVI becomes famous with the introduction of the guillotine the humane way to die. Then the Jacobins take over. They start some new legislation; they abolished slavery, started mandatory draft, made a law of maximum on bread, started social security type programs, and made laws against free business. The rest of this revolution is mostly about the usage of mobs, particularly in Paris. The conservative part of the revolutions is where it ends, with the Constitution of 1795.
The constitution of 1795 had a separation of three powers, a restricted voting right, and elected officials (no king). But then Napoleon Bonaparte enters the picture, becoming a general of the military and putting down revolts. He becomes dictator in 1779 and Emperor in 1804. He uses parts of the Revolution, all political offices by talent and ability and keeps nobles privleges abolished so that none could raise up to challenge him. He also solves financial crisis, he just refuses to pay all debts to other countries.
He creates Code Napolean that guarantees personal liberty, religious freedom and poor position for women. To conclude both of these Revolutions had three stages: liberal, radical, and conservative. Both happened in much different ways of government and different times. But for the same reasons and under the same circumstances a government has to change and evolve with the time and the people. Im interested where the from of government now will go after we find the full effect of the Internet.
