Author: Li Xinkai

In the race between the reform led by imperial power and the revolution brewed by the people, the reform was abandoned halfway and the revolution reached the end first. The tragic cause of the French Revolution is not so much the irrationality of revolutionaries as the failure of reformers to act early and reform. -Inscription

After reading The Old System and the Great Revolution, I was deeply touched. Tocqueville did not write a "History of the Great Revolution", but analyzed the background of the Great Revolution from the perspective of researchers: the old system, how the Great Revolution came into being, how it developed, and what impact it brought in the end.

Tocqueville's research made me understand that well-intentioned actions may not bring good results. The French Revolution is such a typical example. Although the French Revolution successfully overthrew the original feudal system, social unrest did not bring the expected results of the revolutionary party, and the revolution moved towards disorder, out of control and violence. The pursuit of democracy and freedom eventually brought about two monarchies restoration and two French revolutions, and the rulers and people were caught in a vicious circle of hatred and anti-hatred, autocracy and revolution.

One of the purposes of studying history is to serve the present and the future. The history of the French Revolution and the study of Tocqueville are of great significance to the development of China today. After nearly 35 years of development, China's reform has reached a critical period, and the fate of the country is at a critical crossroads. "If the reform is shattered, the revolution will inevitably happen." How to avoid revolution and persist in reform needs to learn from history and avoid repeating the same mistakes.