"The First Coalition 1793-1797." Questions and answers about the Reign of Terror. With the backing of the national guard, they persuaded the convention to arrest 29 Girondist leaders. [4] By then, 16,594 official death sentences had been dispensed throughout France since June 1793, of which 2,639 were in Paris alone;[2][5] and an additional 10,000 died in prison, without trial, or under both of these circumstances. [34][35] The radical revolutionaries and their supporters desired a cultural revolution that would rid the French state of all Christian influence. Even though they were vague laws, people accepted the terror because it helped to combat their feelings of alienation and paranoia in regards to all aspects of the revolution. A Cultural History of the French Revolution. However, for the most part, it destabilized the country, rather than solidifying the gains of the Revolution and leading to a virtuous and happy republic, as its authors had hoped. [9] 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: If the basis of popular government in peacetime is virtue, the basis of popular government during a revolution is both virtue and terror; virtue, without which terror is baneful; terror, without which virtue is powerless. [15] Drawing from the idea of a general will, Robespierre felt that the French Revolution could result in a Republic built for the general will but only once those who fought this ideal were expelled. "The Declaration of Pillnitz (1791)." "[30] The threat of defeat and foreign invasion may have helped spur the origins of the Terror, but the timely coincidence of the Terror with French victories added justification to its growth. Jeremy D. Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution, (London: Routledge, 2016), 64. as "The Great Terror" (French: la Grande Terreur). Discontent in the Vendée lasted – according to some accounts—until after the Terror. The fear of the guillotine and the mob justice led to self exile of several nobles and clergy. In, Leopold II, and Frederick William. Internet History Sourcebooks. ". By 1789 the French monarchy was nearly powerless and, for all intensive purposes, the National Assembly was the current government of France. Under the social contract, the government was required to act for the general will, which represented the interests of everyone rather than a few factions. On 27 August 1791, these foreign leaders made the Pillnitz Declaration, saying they would restore the French monarch if other European rulers joined. Many of the early battles were definitive losses for the French. Corrections? These criticisms were often used by revolutionary leaders as justification for their dechristianisation reforms. Plato’s Republic was a roadmap to justify the City-State. Yahoo Search. On September 5, 1793, the Convention decreed that “terror is the order of the day” and resolved that opposition to the Revolution needed to be crushed and eliminated so that the Revolution could succeed. There is disagreement among historians over when exactly "the Terror" began. [31] Once the Montagnards gained control of the National Convention, they began demanding radical measures. Émigrés (EHM•ih•GRAYZ), nobles and others who had fled France, hoped to undo the Revolution and restore the Old Regime. With the enactment of the law, the number of executions greatly increased, and the period from this time to the Thermidorian Reaction became known[by whom?] Many people tried to escape to England, Spain, Switzerland, or Germany… "Maximilien Robespierre, Master of the Terror." [40], On 23 August 1793 the National Convention decreed the levée en masse:[41], Les jeunes gens iront au combat ; les hommes mariés forgeront les armes et transporteront les subsistances ; les femmes feront des tentes et serviront dans les hôpitaux ; les enfants mettront le vieux linge en charpie ; les vieillards se feront porter sur les places publiques pour exciter le courage des guerriers, prêcher la haine des rois et l’unité de la République. Later laws suspended the rights of suspects to both legal assistance and public trials and mandated execution of all those who were found guilty. The device takes its name from Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French physician on whose suggestion it was introduced. In contrast, some Parisian workers and small shopkeepers wanted the Revolution "War and Terror in French Revolutionary Discourse (1792-1794).". 175–203 in, Jean-Clément Martin, La machine à fantasmes, Paris, Vendémiaire, 2014, 314 p p. (, Church, William F. 1964. The tension sparked by these conflicting objectives laid a foundation for the "justified" use of terror to achieve revolutionary ideals and rid France of the religiosity that revolutionaries believed was standing in the way. #6 Guillotine became known as “The National Razor” Invented by Antoine Louis, guillotine is a device to carry out executions by beheading.It consists of tall upright frame with a heavy blade which is dropped to sever the head of the victim. On 10 October the Convention decreed that "the provisional government shall be revolutionary until peace." In 1789, church lands were expropriated and priests killed or forced to leave France. ), Shusterman, Noah. No matter what the French may claim, if one chooses to open his eyes and read about this tragedy, they are most certainly welcome. A Web of English History. The Reign Of Terror: Was It Justified? On 17 September, the Law of Suspects was passed, which authorized the imprisonment of vaguely defined "suspects". "Thermidor" (2nd ed.). McLetchie, Scott. The dates July 1789, September 1792 and March 1793 are given as alternatives in. [citation needed], For a long time it was considered that the Terror ended on 9 Thermidor year II (27 July 1794) with the fall of Robespierre and his supporters and their execution the following day. Georges Danton was one of the foremost radical leaders during the French Revolution. Threatened from within by the movement for federalism and by the civil war in the Vendée in the northwest and threatened at the frontiers by…. Favourite answer. Toward the end of the Reign of Terror, Danton was accused of various financial misdeeds, as well as using his position within the Revolution for personal gain. [36] A Festival of Reason was held in the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was renamed "The Temple of Reason", and the old traditional calendar was replaced with a new revolutionary one. Merriman, John (2004). On 29 September, the Convention extended price fixing from grain and bread to other essential goods, and also fixed wages. They fled. New members were appointed the day after Robespierre's execution, and limits on terms of office were fixed (a quarter of the committee retired every three months). The great confusion that arose during the storming of the municipal Hall of Paris, where Robespierre and his friends had found refuge, makes it impossible to be sure of the wound's origin. "Robespierre and the French Revolution,", This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 09:28. The Committee's powers were gradually eroded. Jean-Clément Martin, La Terreur, part maudite de la Révolution, Découvertes/Gallimard, 2010, p. 14-15. "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."[6]. In any case, Robespierre was guillotined the next day, together with Saint-Just, Couthon and his brother Augustin Robespierre. The 'sans-culottes' saw popular violence as a political right they held. Marjorie Bloy. Today historians are more nuanced. 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The sans-culottes' violently demonstrated, pushing their demands and creating constant pressure for the Montagnards to enact reform. Madison – Plato – Robespierre all understood that the Despotism is the greatest threat from any government. Included in those who were executed were many Girondins and also Philippe Égalité, formerly the duke of Orléans, who had even voted for the death of Louis XVI, his first cousin. 224 Chapter 7 In addition, factions outside the Legislative Assembly wanted to influence the direction of the government too. During the Terror, the Committee of Public Safety (of which Maximilien de Robespierre was the most prominent member) exercised virtual dictatorial control over the French government. Terror is nothing more than speedy, severe and inflexible justice; it is thus an emanation of virtue; it is less a principle in itself, than a consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing needs of the patrie [homeland, fatherland]. The major Hébertists were tried before the Revolutionary Tribunal and executed on 24 March. [8] The members of the convention were determined to avoid street violence such as the September Massacres of 1792 by taking violence into their own hands as an instrument of government.[5]. Michel Biard et Hervé Leuwers, " Visages de la Terreur ", dans Michel Biard et Hervé Leuwers (dir. Maximilien Robespierre: Maximilien Robespierre was born May 6, 1758, in Arras, France, and died on July 28, 1794 at the guillotine. 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. The Reign of Terror (June 1793 – July 1794) was a period in the French Revolution characterized by brutal repression. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. On 24 June 1793 the Convention adopted the first republican constitution of France, the French Constitution of 1793. People suspected of anti- revolutionary activities were sent to the guillotine in where thousands were killed. As early as May 1793 the National Convention imposed price controls on grain and bread in an effort to ensure an adequate food supply. On 27 July 1793 Robespierre became part of the Committee of Public Safety. Configuración On 10 November (20 Brumaire Year II of the French Republican Calendar), the Hébertists organized a Festival of Reason. France was in steep debt with a … While the sans-culottes did not have direct power, the gathering appeared amid the fear of the significance of the relationship between political figures, and the subjects of the state. The Reign of Terror, or the Great Terror, was a massive culmination to the horror of the French Revolution, the gutters flowing with blood as the people of Paris watched with an ntertained eye. The result was a continual push towards Terror. On 22 Prairial (10 June), the National Convention passed a law proposed by Georges Couthon, known as the Law of 22 Prairial, which simplified the judicial process and greatly accelerated the work of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Reign of Terror, also called the Terror, French La Terreur, period of the French Revolution from September 5, 1793, to July 27, 1794 (9 Thermidor, year II). After the beginning of the French Revolution, the surrounding monarchies did not show great hostility towards the rebellion. On 24 October the French Republican Calendar was enacted. The Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror also called The Terror was the period of the French Revolution in where the revolutionary government (known as the Jacobin)decided to take strict measures against those being suspected enemies of the revolution. Between his arrest and his execution, Robespierre may have tried to commit suicide by shooting himself, although the bullet wound he sustained, whatever its origin, only shattered his jaw. The revolution itself was caused by a combination of factors the led to an economic and social crisis that left the French third class little choice but to revolt. Many long-held rights and powers were stripped from the church and given to the state. Voltaire. The tide would not turn from them until September 1792 when the French won a critical victory at Valmy preventing the Austro-Prussian invasion. When the State rules under a reign of terror, the citizens have a natural right to revolt. 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. "Modern History Sourcebook: Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws, 1748." Almost 17,000 people were killed by official executions during the Reign of Terror, with historians estimating hundreds of thousands more deaths as part of the revolts throughout France or as unrecorded murders. The Girondins were more conservative leaders of the National Convention, while the Montagnards supported radical violence and pressures of the lower classes. Document A: Decree Against Profiteers 1. It marked the first time that the lowest class in a country had overthrown the highest class. Power in this assembly was divided between the more moderate Girondins, who sought a constitutional monarchy and economic liberalism and favored spreading the Revolution throughout Europe by means of war, and the Montagnards, who preferred a policy of radical egalitarianism. [28] With so many similarities to the first days of the Revolutionary Wars for the French government, with threats on all sides, unification of the country became a top priority. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. A combination of food scarcity and rising prices led to the overthrow of the Girondins and increased the popular support of the Montagnards, who created the Committee of Public Safety to deal with the various crises. On 14 Frimaire (5 December 1793) the National Convention passed the Law of Frimaire, which gave the central government more control over the actions of the representatives on mission. Some consider it to have begun only in 1793, giving the date as either 5 September,[1] June[2] or March, when the Revolutionary Tribunal came into existence. The trial of the Girondins started on the same day, they were executed on 31 October. The French Revolution was an important movement in world history. In the provinces, representatives on mission and surveillance committees instituted local terrors. Anti-clerical sentiments increased during 1793 and a campaign of dechristianization occurred. [16][17] Those who resisted the government were deemed "tyrants" fighting against the virtue and honor of the general will. In July 1794 Robespierre was arrested and executed as were many of his fellow Jacobins, thereby ending the Reign of Terror, which was succeeded by the Thermidorian Reaction. In September 1793 price controls were extended to other staple consumer goods, and the armées révolutionnaireswere cre… These criticisms were often used by revolutionary leaders as justification for their dechristianisation reforms. Ozouf, Mona. [13], 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. [23] Though mostly ignored, Louis XVI was later able to find support in Leopold II of Austria (brother of Marie Antoinette) and Frederick William II of Prussia. (Yale University Press, 1989), 343. The excesses of the Reign of Terror combined with the decreased threat from other countries led to increased opposition to the Committee of Public Safety and to Robespierre himself. Updates? Prior to the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror (1793–94), France was governed by the National Convention. The National Convention was bitterly split between the Montagnards and the Girondins. Bloy, Marjorie. On 16 Pluviôse (4 February 1794), the National Convention decreed the abolition of slavery in all of France and in French colonies. About 300,000 people were arrested, and 17,000 of them were tried and executed. Accessed 23 October 2018. Maximilien Robespierre, president of the Jacobin Club, was also president of the National Convention and was the most prominent member of the Committee of Public Safety; many credited him with near dictatorial power. Yahoo Search Búsqueda en la Web. The Reign of Terror took place during the brief period of rule of the urban workers, or 'sans-culottes' , called the Jacobin government because of their alliance with the political Jacobin Club. "Introduction." From January 1793-July 1794, France was governed by the Committee of Public Safety, in which Danton and Robespierre were influential members. Accessed 23 October 2018. While this series of losses was eventually broken, the reality of what might have happened if they persisted hung over France. [citation needed] In his Philosophical Dictionary, Voltaire states, "we are all steeped in weakness and error; let us forgive each other our follies; that is the first law of nature" and "every individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of his opinion, is a monster."[22]. [27] While the French military had stabilized and was producing victories by the time the Reign of Terror officially began, the pressure to succeed in this international struggle acted as justification for the government to pursue its actions. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. These were the infamous September Massacres when Parisian mobs killed thousands of suspected royalists and set the scene for the events to come, when Madame La … On 8 and 13 Ventôse (26 February and 3 March 1794), Saint-Just proposed decrees to confiscate the property of exiles and opponents of the revolution, known as the Ventôse Decrees. The young men shall fight; the married man shall forge arms and transport provisions; the women shall make tents and clothes and shall serve in the hospitals; the children shall pick rags to lint [for bandages]; the old men shall betake themselves to the public square in order to arouse the courage of the warriors and preach hatred of kings and the unity of the Republic. Accessed 23 October 2018. [11] Others suggest there were additional causes, including ideological[12] and emotional. [32] The sans-culottes fed the frenzy of instability and chaos by utilizing popular pressure during the Revolution. Accessed 26 October 2018. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [26] This series of defeats, coupled with militant uprisings and protests within the borders of France, pushed the government to resort to drastic measures to ensure the loyalty of every citizen, not only to France but more importantly to the Revolution. By the end of 1793, two major factions had emerged, both threatening the Revolutionary Government: the Hébertists, who called for an intensification of the Terror and threatened insurrection, and the Dantonists, led by Georges Danton, who demanded moderation and clemency. Though some members of the Enlightenment greatly influenced revolutionary leaders, cautions from other Enlightenment thinkers were blatantly ignored. [33] The resulting instability caused problems that made forming the new Republic and achieving full political support critical. Baker, Keith M. François Furet, and Colin Lucas, eds. [42], The reign of the standing Committee of Public Safety was ended. [29] As the war continued and the Reign of Terror began, leaders saw a correlation between using terror and achieving victory. It ended on July 27, 1794 when Robespierre was removed from power and executed. French Revolution. In March rebellion broke out in the Vendée in response to mass conscription, which developed into a civil war. 27 August 1791. After their victory in expelling the Girondins, Parisian militants “regenerated” their own sectional assemblies by purging local moderates, while radicals such as Jacques-René Hébert and Pierre-Gaspard Chaumette tightened their grip on the Paris Commune. Moreover, the sans-culottes, the urban workers of France, agitated leaders to inflict punishments on those who opposed the interests of the poor. "[19][20] This was, in fact, the same virtue defined by Montesquieu almost 50 years prior. What Robespierre calls "terror" is the fear that the justice of exception shall inspire the enemies of the Republic. Bertrand Barère exclaimed on 5 September 1793 in the convention: "Let's make terror the order of the day! Still uncertain of its position, the committee obtained the Law of 22 Prairial, year II (June 10, 1794), which suspended a suspect’s right to public trial and to legal assistance and left the jury a choice only of acquittal or death. Government by terror was imposed in response to two perceived dangers: public panic and popular violence provoked by food shortages and rising prices; and the threat posed by traitors at a time when both war and civil war confronted the nation. 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). In response to what they viewed to be the meddling of foreign powers, France declared war on 20 April 1792. Leopold, II, and Frederick William. France began this war with a large series of defeats, which set a precedent of fear of invasion in the people that would last throughout the war. The Dantonists were arrested on 30 March, tried on 3 to 5 April and executed on 5 April. Omeka RSS. For other uses, see, Significant civil and political events by year. They advocated for arrests of those deemed to oppose reforms against those with privilege, and the more militant members would advocate pillage in order to achieve the desired equality. However, conscription raised a large army that turned the tide of the war in France’s favor. [citation needed], 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 regrouped and planned to attack France. On October 7th, in Rheims, the sacred oil of Clovis which was used to anoint French kings was smashed. Yahoo Search. 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. It is called the Reign of Terror because of Robespierre. The Committee of Public Safety took actions against both. Following the execution of Louis XVI, the more radical revolutionaries, the Jacobins, were concerned that foreign and domestic groups would threaten the continuing of the revolution. Laws were passed that defined those who should be arrested as counterrevolutionaries, and committees of surveillance were set up to identify suspects and issue arrest warrants. "Terror, Vengeance, and Martyrdom in the French Revolution: THE CASE OF THE SHADES - Oxford Scholarship", 2014, accessed 1 May 2018. The screams and spirits weeped inside the walls of Versaille while the queen herself, Marie Antoinette lays on her freshly washed out white covers in sorrow. For example, the sans-culottes sent letters and petitions to the Committee of Public Safety urging them to protect their interests and rights with measures such as taxation of foodstuffs that favored workers over the rich. This created a mass overflow in the prison systems. Other laws set up government control of prices, confiscated lands from those found guilty of failing to support the Revolution, and brought public assistance to the poor and disabled. According to French historian Jean-Clément Martin there was no "system of terror" instated by the Convention between 1793 and 1794, despite the pressure from some of its members and the sans-culottes. A Web of English History. The most damaging significance of the Terror is the sanguinary era that claimed lives of 35,000 people The way the system run, denounced persons, … "[21], Though some members of the Enlightenment greatly influenced revolutionary leaders, cautions from other Enlightenment thinkers were blatantly ignored. The Reign of Terror occurred from September of 1793 until July of 1794, and was a time period of extreme violence and paranoia during the French Revolution. By the spring of 1793, the war was going badly, and France found itself surrounded by hostile powers while counterrevolutionary insurrections were spreading outward from the Vendée. The Reign of Terror is a well-known component of the French Revolution, mostly due to the excessive use of the guillotine to preserve the Revolution. Omissions? The Reign of Terror instituted the conscripted army, which saved France from invasion by other countries and in that sense preserved the Revolution. This activity asks students to look beyond the “chopping block” to discover the political motivations of the man behind the Terror: Maximilien Robespierre. Massive reforms of military institutions, while very effective in the long run, presented the initial problems of inexperienced forces and leaders of questionable political loyalty. On 13 July 1793 the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat—a Jacobin leader and journalist—resulted in a further increase in Jacobin political influence. In Paris a wave of executions followed. New members were appointed the day after Robespierre's execution, and limits on terms of office were fixed (a quarter of the committee retired every three months). The Reign of Terror was characterized by a dramatic rejection of long-held religious authority, its hierarchical structure, and the corrupt and intolerant influence of the aristocracy and clergy. The French republican calendar was adopted as part of a program of de-Christianization. Its purpose was to purge France of enemies of the Revolution and protect the country from foreign invaders. On 9 September the convention established paramilitary forces, the "revolutionary armies", to force farmers to surrender grain demanded by the government. Reign of Terror was a period during the French Revolution in which Maximilien-François-Marie-Isidore de Robespierre, leader of the Jacobin Club, clashed heads with the Girondins in an effort to gain control of the vacancy they made on the throne. The Terror had an economic side embodied in the Maximum, a price-control measure demanded by the lower classes of Paris, and a religious side that was embodied in the program of de-Christianization pursued by the followers of Jacques Hébert. In Paris a wave of executions followed. In the spring of 1794, it eliminated its enemies to the left (the Hébertists) and to the right (the Indulgents, or followers of Georges Danton). Yahoo Search Búsqueda en la Web. 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