Revolution, Political

In political revolutions, it becomes evident that social change in modern societies is catalyzed by public communication. This can be observed in revolutionary Paris in 1789: In the period from February to May 1789 alone, even before the estates-general were convened, 450 clubs and more than 200 journals appeared, while the three traditional newspapers just simply disappeared. After the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, another surge of new publications in the form of hundreds of brochures, pamphlets, and illustrated leaflets followed. Apart from these print products, the communication events of the revolution manifested themselves in theatre, in literature, in songs, in revolutionary festivities, and in numerous other manifestations. Like a magnet, the fundamental conflict of the “(political) rule of progress” attracts all ...