The Reign of Terror (French: la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety The Committee of Public Safety, created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror, a stage of the French Revolution. The Committee of Public Safety succeeded the previ…Committee of Public Safety
What were the responsibility for the reign of Terror?
Thus to justify the establishment of the Reign of Terror we can say that it saved the country from decadence by punishing the foreign enemies, traitors of the country, corrupt officials and black marketers and profiteers, but before its terroristic activities, all the achievements of the Reign of Terror pale into insignificance.
What were the main causes of the reign of Terror?
What were the main causes of the Reign of Terror? Historians are divided about the onset and causes of the Terror, however, the revolutionary war, fears of foreign invasion, rumours about counter-revolutionary activity, assassination plots and zealots in the government were all contributing factors.
What were the reasons for the reign of Terror?
What was the main cause of the reign of terror? Historians are divided about the onset and causes of the Terror, however, the revolutionary war, fears of foreign invasion, rumours about counter-revolutionary activity, assassination plots and zealots in the government were all contributing factors.
How does Robespierre justify the reign of Terror?
Robespierre justified his beliefs by saying stuff like: “To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency; to forgive them is barbarity. ” So began what is now known as the Reign of terror. Robespierre strictly believed that “terror” would set the citizens in place; with this terror, the public along with the upper class could be controlled.
What was the reason for the Reign of Terror?
With civil war spreading from the Vendée and hostile armies surrounding France on all sides, the Revolutionary government decided to make “Terror” the order of the day (September 5 decree) and to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (nobles, priests, and hoarders).
What was the purpose of the Reign of Terror quizlet?
The Reign of Terror was the achievement of the Jacobin faction which created The Committee of Public Safety. The purpose of the Reign was to "purge France of enemies of the Revolution and protect the country from foreign invaders".
What impact did the Reign of Terror have?
What were the results of the Reign of Terror? A conscripted army, which saved France from invasion by other countries, was meant to solidify the gains of the Revolution and to create a stable republic. Instead, it destabilized the country.
What was the Reign of Terror and what were its goals?
The Reign of Terror, also called the Terror, was a period of state-sanctioned violence and mass executions during the French Revolution. Between Sept. 5, 1793, and July 27, 1794, France's revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people.
What were the main causes of the Reign of Terror quizlet?
Terms in this set (6)Great fear. The fear of the third estate that the first estate will send their army to come kill them and the first estate feared that the third estate was going to come kill them so it caused a great fear.Declaration of rights of man. ... Women's march. ... Louis runs. ... European monarchs. ... Jacobins.
Was the Reign of Terror a success or failure?
One of the most obvious failures of the French Revolution was the Reign of Terror from 1793-94. The Terror, which was orchestrated by Robespierre and his followers, was ostensibly a way to provide for the security of the Republic by exposing traitors to the people.
What was the Reign of Terror short summary?
The Reign of Terror (French: la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety.
Describe the range of privileges that the nobility experienced.
They were exempt from military conscription, and they did not have to pay the gabelle. They benefited from feudal dues (imposing duties upon peasan...
Why did the peasants from the Third Estate resent the monarchy?
The peasantry had to pay taxes, which made them utterly resentful. The peasants paid tithe to Church, feudal dues to their landlords, and taxes to...
What did the philosophers from the Enlightenment period criticise?
The philosophers attacked the Church and the government. They did not accept the literal interpretation of the Bible, as any miracle would be perce...
Give some short-term causes for the execution of Louis XVI.
1. France’s involvement in the American War of Independence. Many French soldiers who fought for the Independence of America were exposed to revolu...
What was Louis XVI accused of?
Louis XVI was accused of high treason (he refused to cede his power to the Revolutionary Government) and the crimes against the State.
What was the consequence of the Louis XVI execution?
After the death of Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror consumed the country in 1793. The Reign aimed to fight those who opposed the revolution and stop...
Define the storming of the Bastille of 1789.
The revolutionaries seized control of the political prison referred to as Bastille. Bastille was a sign of royal authority, but the revolutionaries...
What were the two causes of the War in the Vendee?
1. The Civil Constituent of the Clergy that subordinated the Church to the Revolutionary government and prohibited the Church to swear allegiance t...
What were the causes of the Reign of Terror?
Prior to the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror (1793–94), France was governed by the National Convention. Power in this assembly was divided betw...
What major events took place during the Reign of Terror?
Laws were passed that defined those who should be arrested as counterrevolutionaries, and committees of surveillance were set up to identify suspec...
How did the Reign of Terror end?
Maximilien Robespierre, president of the Jacobin Club, was also president of the National Convention and was the most prominent member of the Commi...
What were the results of the Reign of Terror?
The Reign of Terror instituted the conscripted army, which saved France from invasion by other countries and in that sense preserved the Revolution...
What was the reign of terror?
The Reign of Terror, commonly called The Terror (French: la Terreur ), was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, anticlerical sentiment, ...
What was the name of the committee that oversaw the reign of terror?
On 6 April 1793 the National Convention established the Committee of Public Safety, which gradually became the de facto war-time government of France. The Committee oversaw the Reign of Terror. "During the Reign of Terror, at least 300,000 suspects were arrested; 17,000 were officially executed, and perhaps 10,000 died in prison or without trial."
What does Robespierre call the fear of the justice of exception?
What Robespierre calls "terror" is the fear that the justice of exception shall inspire the enemies of the Republic. He opposes the idea of terror as the order of the day, defending instead "justice" as the order of the day. In February 1794 in a speech he explains why this "terror" is necessary as a form of exceptional justice in the context of the revolutionary government:
What does Robespierre call terror?
What Robespierre calls "terror" is the fear that the justice of exception shall inspire the enemies of the Republic. He opposes the idea of terror as the order of the day, defending instead "justice" as the order of the day.
What was the spirit of the laws of the Enlightenment?
Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws defines a core principle of a democratic government: virtue —described as "the love of laws and of our country." In Robespierre's speech to the National Convention on 5 February 1794, titled "Virtue & Terror", he regards virtue as being the "fundamental principle of popular or democratic government." This was, in fact, the same virtue defined by Montesquieu almost 50 years prior. Robespierre believed that the virtue needed for any democratic government was extremely lacking in the French people. As a result, he decided to weed out those he believed could never possess this virtue. The result was a continual push towards Terror. The Convention used this as justification for the course of action to "crush the enemies of the revolution…let the laws be executed…and let liberty be saved."
What happened in 1793?
On 10 March 1793 the National Convention set up the Revolutionary Tribunal. Among those charged by the tribunal, about half were acquitted (though the number dropped to about a quarter after the enactment of the Law of 22 Prairial on 10 June 1794). In March rebellion broke out in the Vendée in response to mass conscription, which developed into a civil war. Discontent in the Vendée lasted – according to some accounts—until after the Terror.
Who was the member of the Committee of Public Safety during the reign of terror?
Maximilien Robespierre, member of the Committee of Public Safety. During the Reign of Terror, the sans-culottes and the Hébertists put pressure on the National Convention delegates and contributed to the overall instability of France. The National Convention was bitterly split between the Montagnards and the Girondins.
Who was responsible for the reign of terror?
The Reign of Terror could only escalate or collapse – and so it escalated. The man most responsible for this was not Robespierre but one of his allies, Georges Couthon.
What is the reign of terror?
The Reign of Terror. A representation of guillotinings during the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror was a violent period of the French Revolution, beginning at some point in 1793 and continuing until the fall of Robespierre in mid-1794. Stories and images of the Reign of Terror have come to dominate our perceptions of the French Revolution.
Why the Terror?
For some historians, the Reign of Terror commenced with the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793. Others date it to the formation of the Revolutionary Tribunal (March 1793), the expulsion of Girondinist deputies from the National Convention (June 1793) or the murder of Jean-Paul Marat (July 1793).
How did the Law of 22 change the process of trial?
The Law of 22 Prairial changed the procedures of the Tribunals so that accused persons were left almost defenceless. Prior questioning or deposition of suspects was deemed “superfluous”, allowing accused persons to be sent straight to trial. The cross-examination of witnesses was banned and only the prosecution was permitted to tender evidence. In some cases, juries could suspend a trial and hand down a verdict, even before all the evidence had been heard.
How many people died in the reign of terror?
Whatever its causes, the Reign of Terror was certainly the most violent period of the French Revolution. Between the two summers of 1793 and 1794, more than 50,000 people were killed for suspected counter-revolutionary activity or so-called “crimes against liberty”.
What is the momentum of the reign of terror?
The momentum of Terror. Once started, the Reign of Terror developed its own momentum and became almost impossible to stop. Terror became the revolution, so opposing or criticising the Terror was itself a counter-revolutionary act. To speak negatively of the Terror was to volunteer oneself as a suspect.
What was the law of suspects?
The Law of Suspects called for the immediate detention of anyone in one of six categories.
Overview
The Reign of Terror (French: la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety.
"Terror" as the order of the day
There was a sense of emergency among leading politicians in France in the summer of 1793 between the widespread civil war and counter-revolution. Bertrand Barère exclaimed on 5 September 1793 in the convention: "Let's make terror the order of the day!" This quote has frequently been interpreted as the beginning of a supposed "system of Terror", an interpretation no longer retaine…
Influences
Enlightenment thought emphasized the importance of rational thinking and began challenging legal and moral foundations of society, providing the leaders of the Reign of Terror with new ideas about the role and structure of government.
Rousseau's Social Contract argued that each person was born with rights, and they would come together in forming a government that would then protect th…
Major events during the Terror
On 10 March 1793 the National Convention set up the Revolutionary Tribunal. Among those charged by the tribunal, about half were acquitted (though the number dropped to about a quarter after the enactment of the Law of 22 Prairial on 10 June 1794). In March, rebellion broke out in the Vendée in response to mass conscription, which developed into a civil war. Discontent in the Vendée lasted…
Thermidorian Reaction
The fall of Robespierre was brought about by a combination of those who wanted more power for the Committee of Public Safety (and a more radical policy than he was willing to allow) and the moderates who completely opposed the revolutionary government. They had, between them, made the Law of 22 Prairial one of the charges against him, so that, after his fall, to advocate terror …
See also
• Bals des victimes
• Infernal columns
• Tricoteuse
• Drownings at Nantes
• State terrorism
Further reading
• Cléry, Jean-Baptiste; Henry Essex Edgeworth (1961) [1798]. Sidney Scott (ed.). Journal of the Terror. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 3153946.
• Andress, David (2006). The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-27341-5.
• Andress, David; Popkin, Jeremy (2015). Revolution and Changing Identities in France, 1789-99. Oxford University Press.
External links
• "The Terror" from In Our Time (BBC Radio 4)