The French Revolution occurred between the years 1789 and 1799 and it was characterized by a period of radical political and social upheaval, the impacts of which were made felt both in France and throughout the European continent. Groups such as political activists, rural peasants, and the masses in the streets continually led a sustained attack on what had become the aristocratic and religious privileges orchestrated by the ruling monarchy. Some argue that the French Revolution introduced the world to new concepts of nation and freedom (Baker, Boyer, and Kirshner 303). Nationalism The French Revolution was an event whose consequences were the generation of an idea of ​​nationalism. Nationalism can be defined as the total affection for the interest or even the culture of a specific society. This has two effects, one with the potential to unify people and the other to sow chaos through actions such as ethnic cleansing and exaggerated patriotism. Before the revolution in France, the only common denominator among the populations was the service rendered to the king. When the revolution ended around the 18th century, a new sense of belonging and ownership emerged among the French people. People no longer saw themselves as subjects living to serve the king but as citizens of France; it was a product of nationalism. Before the French Revolution, there were only three states, to which everyone belonged. With the exception of the clergy and the aristocracy, all others were represented in the Third Estate. However, during the revolution, the third state declared itself the "National Assembly". Consequently the deputies of the three orders were required to sit... middle of paper... from France. Liberty, fraternity and equality were very deep motivating forces that also served as slogans against aristocratic rule. It is important to note that before the revolution, the nobility and the rest of the population had extremely different social lives (Hess 87). Works Cited Baker, Keith Michael, John W. Boyer, and Julius Kirshner. The Ancien Régime and the French Revolution, Volume 7. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.Censer, Jack Richard and Lynn Avery Hunt. Liberty, equality, fraternity: discovering the French Revolution. New York: Penn State University Press, 2001. Print. Hess, John E. Interviews and Interrogations for Law Enforcement. San Diego: Elsevier, 2010. Print. Murrin, John M et al. Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Volume 1: Circa 1877. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.