How important was the role of ideas in the outbreak of the French and Russian Revolutions?

Both the French and Russian Revolutions were influenced by new waves of philosophical thinking, however, in neither case can it be seen as being the major cause. The French Revolution of 1789 which lead to the sacking of King Louis XVI occurred mainly due to the war-torn state of the country and the long-term abuse of lower classes. While the Enlightenment was a major 'event' of the time, none of the philosophes, the European group of …showed first 75 words of 1477 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1477 total…term socio-economic and political issues with the exception of the harsh winter of 1788 and the American Revolution. The February Russian Revolution can be attributed directly to World War I and the incapability of the monarchy to effectively run the country. In neither case do ideas play a role in causing the revolution, they are a solution which the countries turn to after abolishing the monarchy. The History Guide, lecture 11, Steven Kries, accessed 21/3/2006, www.historyguide.org