The French Revolution and historical materialism : selected essays / Henry Heller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heller, Henry, author.

Series:

Historical materialism book series ; 140.

Historical Materialism Book Series, 1570-1522 ; Volume 140

Standardized Title:

Essays. Selections

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Capitalism--Political aspects--France--History.

Capitalism.

Middle class--France--History--18th century--Historiography.

Middle class.

France--History--Revolution, 1789-1799--Historiography.

France.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (283 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Leiden, [Netherlands] : Brill, 2017.

Summary:

This text reasserts the Marxist view of the French Revolution as a bourgeois and capitalist revolution. Based mainly on articles published in the journal Historical Materialism it challenges the still dominant revisionist view of the French Revolution. It serves to restore the close tie between the history of the Old Regime and the Revolution. It demonstrates that the rise of a bourgeois capitalist class has a long history dating back to the sixteenth century. Moreover, it shows that the Revolution itself played a large role in strengthening the bourgeoisie politically and economically while bringing about the unification of financial and productive capital. Indeed, it shows that the rising of the masses during the Revolution, viewed by revisionism as economically regressive, in fact helped to bring about the consolidation of capitalism.

Contents:

Front Matter

Introduction: French Revolution and Historical Materialism

Jaurès

Review of Guy Lemarchand, Paysans et seigneurs en Europe

The Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie

Response to Henry Heller’s ‘The Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie’ / William Beik

Henry Heller and the ‘Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie’ / David Parker

Response to William Beik and David Parker

French Absolutism and Agricultural Capitalism: A Comment on Henry Heller’s Essays / Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller on Capitalism in the Old Regime: A Response

Marx, the French Revolution, and the Spectre of the Bourgeoisie

Review of Jeff Horn, The Path Not Taken: French Industrialization in the Age of Revolution, 1750–1830

Bankers, Finance Capital and the French Revolutionary Terror, 1791–4

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

90-04-34586-8

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004345867 DOI