Today is July 14.--The 219th anniversary of what is
called “The French Revolution”.
Japanese schools teach young Japanese that the
French Revolution was a milestone for human freedom
and democracy.
By doing so, the Japanese schools impress the young
Japanese that the French Revolution was a glorious
page of world history.
So, many Japanese believe French Revolution was
a great step to freedom and democracy in human history.
But, is it true?
A French historian Rene Sedillot, for example, cast
doubt such view about the French Revolution writing
that the Revolution claimed approximately 2 million
human lives(!) after all in his book “Le cout de
la Revolution francaise”(1987).
2 million human lives!
Was such massacre really necessary for “freedom”
or “democracy”, as I have been taught in Japanese
schools?
Another historian as William Doyle argue that
so-called “ancient regime” had democratic aspects
actually.
Although I am not a historian, such arguments
lead me to a serious question--Was French Revolution
really necessary?
What do you think?
NISHIOKA Masanori
