French+Revolution+Project

 __ THE REIGN OF TERROR  __

A year and a month after the French Revolution began, a period of violence occurred, known as the Reign of Terror. It lasted from June, 27 1793 ﻿ to July 27, 1794, and consisted of series of accusations, trials, and executions. The violence was incited by rival political factions known as the Girondins and the Jacobins, who were apart of France’s National Convention. After the National Convention created the Committee of Public Safety, the Jacobins, who later renamed themselves the Mountain, took over it with Maximillien Robespierre as their leader. Being very much in support of the French Revolution, they feared that a possible counterrevolution would make them lose power. They wanted to eliminate any resistance to the revolution. Anyone who resisted the revolution, or was believed to be resisting the revolution was sentenced to death by guillotine. Before being executed, the accused were sent on trial through the Revolutionary Tribunal, the court that sentenced them to death, where they were given few rights and were not allowed to defend themselves. Thus, the court eventually became one of the most powerful engines of the Reign of Terror, because through themedia type="custom" key="7211485" align="right" Law of Suspects, it charged the accused with “crimes against liberty”. Thousands of people fell victim to the blade of the guillotine. These included Marie Antoinette who was the archduchess of Austria, the Girondins, and later on, Robespierre himself. Among the killed, 8 percent were aristocrats, 6 percent were the clergy, 14 percent were middle class, and 72 percent were workers and peasants. Furthermore, dechristianization was waged against all forms of Christianity. It included the deportation and execution of the clergy,the closing of churches, the destruction of religious monuments,and the banning of any form ofreligious worship or education. Any suspected priests and all who were associated withthem were sentenced to death. Finally, on June 9th of that same year, Robespierre was overthrown by a conspiracy of certain members of the National Convention, after the country’s military victory over Austria in the battle of Fleurus. Robespierre tried committing suicide by shooting himself, but failed and was guillotined the next day. The Committee of Public Safety members were removed and new ones were elected. Term limits were imposed, as a quarter of the committee retired every three months, and the committee’s powers were reduced. This marked an end to the Reign of Terror.

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