Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Preface, Chapter 1 & 2

Preface:

Barrington Moore combines outlines of how he will discuss the numerous political roles played by the upper classes and the peasantry in the process of changing from an agrarian society to that of a modern industrial one. Specifically, he will does so by analyzing the historic conditions that permitted these countries to go in the direction that they ultimately did. Moore frames his analysis into two parts. In Part I, he discusses the route to democracy and capitalism for three different case (England, France, United States). Conversely, Part II covers communism (China), fascism(Japan) and the Asiatic version of democracy(India). Through these cases, Moore will demonstrate the similarities and clear differences in a comparative sense. Notably, his study will concentrate on certain stages in a gradual/ prolonged social process that has worked itself out in many countries.

England:

The English case illustrates the significant part that the upper class in the country side and how Parliament played in the transformation from agrarian to industrial. The landed upper class in the country side were out of reach to the rule of feudal monarchs which naturally weaken said monarchs and in turn made this upper class powerful and independent . Since feudalism was dying out, the upper class transitioned from blood to propriety ( capital). This change in focus was aided by the growth of the wool trade in England. Ultimately, the importance of markets aboard was allowing for the rural transition from feudalism to capitalism. The concept of a market and property value became increasingly important and competitive. The landed upper class was not the only ones interested in these agrarian capitalist notions, they were joined by poor-middle class property owners called yeomen. The prospects of social mobility for property owning entrepreneur contributed to the rural transition and support for the emerging capitalism. Both the yeomen and the landed upper class were acquiring more power and profit by expanding their farms which yielded cheaper product and more of it. Naturally, this resulted in aggressive measures to secure more land, such as the processes of enclosure, replacement of leases and consolidation, which Parliament aided in. However, these concealed and legal methods from Parliament also purged the peasantry off farms since they were no longer competitive to the big land owner and large tenant farmer. The result is the disintegration of rural peasant life in the political and economic sphere as well as opposition to agrarian capitalists. The final step for the transition to capitalist democracy from feudalism was the civil war. It dissolved the power of the monarchy, centralized power to the Parliament, established an economically and politically active aristocratic landed class and muted the peasantry.This allowed the transition to peacefulness in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries since the peasantry was suppressed very early on, the landed upper class was well established economically and the Parliament was strong and independent.

France:

France is a great case to follow that of England's. Everything that England was, France was not essentially. While, Frances transition from agrarian to industrialization was different, it still became a capitalist democracy similar to England's. Frances monarchy contained more power on the entire country and markets while England's upper class had the room to become independent gradually and more peacefully. There was much more violence in the case of France since the leeway that England had for the shift to an independent noble class was not present in France. Additionally, France's monarchy while all encompassing heavily relied on revenues produced through the taxation of the peasantry. The agriculture of France was a wine crop that ultimately damaged the entire economy. So currently, we have a weak nobility, powerful yet parasitic monarchy to the peasantry and an extremely weak economy. Furthering the weakened economic growth was the government's hindrance of the enclosure movement that played a major factor in the case of England's transition into capitalism. This resulted in fewer opportunities for private economic growth in the nobility that would bring about capitalism and a power aristocratic class that was present in England for its capitalistic transition. The peasant majority exhibited the economic pressures of the crumble country. This created an environment for revolution and this peasant lead revolution ultimately allows for a capitalist democratic state. The revolution forcefully created the conditions that would allow for the growth of capitalism and democracy. Through the revolution, the controlling monarchy dissolved and a powerful peasantry and their demands took charge.