Liberté Egalité Fraternité ou la Mort

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity or Death artist unknown, c.1793

The French Revolution was the violent reaction of the starving peasants and growing urban working class, alongside the bourgeoisie – stuck with an absolutist monarch increasing their tax burden, funding the aristocrats’ ridiculous lives of conspicuous debauchery.

The Revolution permanently shattered the divine right of kings, replacing it with the then radical notion that sovereignty belongs to the citizens. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaimed universal legal equality, freedom of speech, and the right to resist oppression as inherent human truths.

The Revolutionaries abolished feudal dues and serfdom, and swept away the arbitrary justice of the old regime, establishing a uniform legal code. It proved that ordinary citizens could create a new society, based on a dream of a future where the starving could be fed and the voiceless could speak.

To defend the Republic, revolutionary committees unleashed a ‘Reign of Terror’, guillotining over 40,000 people - many for mere dissent. The Revolution then betrayed its own universalism, denying citizenship to women and upholding slavery in its Caribbean colonies while preaching "Fraternity" at home.

The final failure of the Revolution came when Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor, replacing the people's sovereignty with a military dictatorship.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Workers and peasants worldwide confront shared struggles, primarily exploitation by capitalist forces. Internationalism is not just a choice but a fundamental necessity for any truly radical movement.

Capitalism operates on a global scale, with capitalists pitting populations against one another, shifting production to wherever costs are lowest. This system drives the super-exploitation of natural resources and people in poorer nations, exacerbating the devastating effects of climate change. As a result, millions are left with harrowing choices: face mass starvation or flee their homes in search of survival.

In the face of these challenges, international solidarity is essential. To inspire and unite, we have gathered a collection of radical posters from across the globe, reflecting the shared fight against oppression and inequality.