<P> The French Revolution had a major impact on Europe and the New World . Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history . In the short - term, France lost thousands of her countrymen in the form of émigrés, or emigrants who wished to escape political tensions and save their lives . A number of individuals settled in the neighboring countries (chiefly Great Britain, Germany, Austria, and Prussia), however quite a few also went to the United States . The displacement of these Frenchmen led to a spread of French culture, policies regulating immigration, and a safe haven for Royalists and other counterrevolutionaries to outlast the violence of the French Revolution . The long - term impact on France was profound, shaping politics, society, religion and ideas, and polarizing politics for more than a century . The closer other countries were, the greater and deeper was the French impact, bringing liberalism and the end of many feudal or traditional laws and practices . However, there was also a conservative counter-reaction that defeated Napoleon, reinstalled the Bourbon kings, and in some ways reversed the new reforms . </P> <P> Most of the new nations created by the French were abolished and returned to prewar owners in 1814 . However, Frederick Artz emphasizes the benefits the Italians gained from the French Revolution: </P>

What is the importance of french revolution in world history