Revolts Past and Present

1. Similarities and Differences between Louis XVI and Mubarak


       Similarities
              Both men were accepted by their respective countries when they first stepped into office, but due to      their unorthodox views on political subjects they were soon all but thrown out of power.
              Louis XVI became king of France after his grandfather, Louis XV, died. Mubarak became the president of Egypt, previously being the vice president, after President Anwar El Sadat was assassinated.
              The majority of the citizens within the countries wanted to see both men removed from positions, though they were for different reasons. Riots were held, and both revolts ended with the leader stepping down.

       Differences
              Mubarak ruled Egypt for 30 years, beginning in 1981 and ending in 2011. Louis XVI ruled France from 1774 to 1791- 17 years.
              The revolt to push Mubarak out of office lasted for 18 days. The French Revolution lasted for 10 years, and even though removing Louis XVI from power was not a primary goal, it was an effect.
              Mubarak retired to Cairo in a vacation spot, and for the most part, he peacefully handed power over to his successor. Louis XVI was brutally beheaded after being accused of treason.
              Both men had tried to become the complete ruler of their respective country, Mubarak with his pseudo-dictatorship and Louis with his absolute monarchy.
            
2. Reasons behind the protests

       Egypt
              The protesters in Egypt poverty, unemployment, corruption, and the dictatorship of their president of thirty years to step down. The Egyptians wanted the quality of life in their country to improve drastically. The success rate of their protests would increase drastically, they thought, if Mubarak was no longer their president. The revolution in Tunisia seemed to travel to Egypt with rapidity. Protesters in Egypt were asking for many different things, but most of them can be put under the category of human rights.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/egypt/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=Egypt&st=cse
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112515334871490.html

       France
              The French Revolution was brought about by the Third Estate, who called themselves the National Assembly. They were the largest of the three estates in France, yet had the least rights and suffered the highest taxes. Pamphlets were written that were brash enough to say that France could function without the Third Estate. This inspired the French people to rise up and demand equal rights as the clergy and nobility. France was also bankrupt because of Louis XVI. The people of French felt that a new ruler was in order.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1789platiere.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sieyes.html

3. The role of women


       Egypt
              There were many women activists who were actively protesting out on the streets or playing major roles in the revolution as a whole. The younger women were using social media to spread their ideas and promote change. Womens rights groups were established in Egypt. Women were telling other women, through word of mouth and social networking sites, how to behave when they revolt to help them out and proceed with the revolt. Women had been sexually assaulted by government people, and this is one of the reasons why women revolted in the first place. In Egypt, most women played as big of parts in the revolution as many men. They were all just humans working towards a common goal.

       France 
              The French Revolution was just the start of women entering into politics. It was still banned for them to have an education, for instance, and women and others wanted this to change. Rousseau wrote a book that promoted the suppression of women in terms of governmental influence. Many women disagreed and actively revolted against the publication. Olympe de Gouges was one such instance of a woman who despised how her gender was being treated. She published a pamphlet named The Declaration of the Rights of Women. Females would soon became key factors in France and the rest of the world. While their rights did not improve drastically overnight, improvements were seen.

4. What happens next?
      
       The protesters in Egypt received their main reason for uprising: Mubarak handed power off to Vice President Omar Suleiman. There are still protests going on to keep the momentum going, and for all citizens of Egypt to receive, as stated in our constitution, certain unalienable rights. Others fear, though, that even with Mubarak out of power, things will not get better. It was not only Mubarak who was the problem. Government officials and police officers suppressed people all over the country. Perhaps Suleiman will find himself in the same position as Mubarak and not be able to do anything about it. In France, even though the monarchy with Louis XVI ended, it did not end monarchical rule in France completely. Nothing much changed in France to stay following the revolution, and if history does repeat itself, Egypt is not at peace.

5. Expression of views

       Egypt
              People marched on Tahrir Square to express their opinions on the government. Many of the citizens of Egypt utilized social networking sites, namely Twitter, to communicate with other people in Egypt and the outside world. For 18 days, people congregated in Tahrir Square in Cairo to express their views and play their small part in the Egyptian Revolution.

       France
              The French population's main method of communication were pamphlets and letters, the ancestors of social networking. These works were passed out to anyone who was willing to take them. The views expressed in the documents help to stir up debate, and continue on with the revolution. People marched and protested ultimately resulting in the Terror.

6. Violent protests


       In Egypt currently, the protests have died down, and for the most part are no longer violent. That is not to say that they were not violent at the beginning. The "Day of Rage" began on January 25 of this year. The protests had been peaceful up until this point, but then the police and protesters fought in the streets. Tear gas and water hoses were aimed that the participants to try and subdue them. For days, violent protests continued, with hundreds of people being arrested. The deaths did not number nearly as many as the Terror, but the threat is still there. The problem is happening right now, and anything could happening.

7. Real peoples' views


       Even though my personal tweets were never answered, I have seen some answers that others in the class asked and received, and I have been updating myself with the Twitter feed of Egypt. Most people on Twitter are satisfied with the outcome of the protests. For the most part, people are saying that protests are still going on, but for different reasons than they had been. There has been non stop partying, but now that the week is about to begin anew, people said that work has to start sometime. There are still a few people worried about how the Egyptian military will behave for the following weeks, but for the most part they believe that things have finally calmed down.

8. Outcome


       The revolts that occurred in Egypt will have a more lasting effect than they did in France in the 18th century. The revolts in France did not last, but times have changed. There are more ways to express opinions. As soon as people catch wind of Egypt trying to reinstall a dictatorship, it will be quenched. Unlike in France, where Robespierre gained as much power as Louis XVI had, Egypt will remain relatively peaceful. In the long term, France found stability, even though  many other wars and revolts had to before it became what it is. But Egypt is different. In the long term, it is possibly that a new world superpower could rise from the ashes. In these times, absolutely anything is possible.

Check this out: http://www.fastcompany.com/1721846/anonymous-goes-old-school-attacks-egypt-with-faxes I'm sure you have some interesting views on this.