Why Did the Terror Start & Why Did It End?
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Opposition to Robespierre grew as he turned on his former colleagues. Representatives•on•mission were shocked on their return to Paris at the level of the Terror. Robespierre & fellow Jacobins were arrested by other members of the Convention after Robespierre announced a new list of 'enemies' but wouldn't share the list leading to fears they were the 'enemies'. Robespierre's fall came in the revolutionary month of Thermidor so this was called the Why did the Terror end? coup of Thermidor. Jacobin club was shut down, moderate politicians were restored to power, emergency powers were ended. The 'White Terror' broke out in which those who'd carried out the Terror & benefited from it were themselves persecuted. 16% in Paris 17,000 official executions Remainder in areas of revolt He accused Hebert of wanting a military dictatorship approx. 15% were nobility & clergy In 1794 the Jacobins began to turn in because he'd opposed Robespierre's policies 50,000 • 60,000 victims died without trial / in prison on themselves with Robespierre ordering the death of fellow Jacobins & had Danton executed for saying the Terror Estimates Terror had gone far enough. approx. 28% peasants Victims? All enemies of the Revolution now had to approx. 31% urban workers be brought to Paris. Why did the 'Great Terror' start? Bear in mind that estimates of those killed in the Terror are unreliable • To ensure full control of the Terror The law of 22 Prairial was passed to speed up trials • some areas suffered huge losses whilst others were relatively unscathed. Robespierre centralised control in Paris liberty or death with no rights for defendants. In the summer of 1794 over a thousand a month were executed. Terror as a necessary evil • at least in the short term • to enable France’s revolution to survive in the face of the crisis of 1792 • 3 Representatives•on•mission chosen from amongst Convention deputies to speed up conscription in ensured the defeat of foreign invasion, federal revolt and internal the provinces & check up on army generals. counter•revolution through the Committees of Public Safety, General Benefits? Security et al., levée en masse, Revolutionary armies, Revolutionary Committee of Public Safety to co•ordinate war effort more effectively. Tribunals, Representatives on mission, de•christianisation Emergency measures needed to deal with compulsory loans imposed on the wealthy with emigres' property to be confiscated • the military crisis facing the republic subsided the Convention's war costs. the Maximum made sure prices didn't rise too high which then met the demands of the sans•culottes How important was the Terror for 1793 went badly for the French in the war with enemies invading on a the revolution to survive? number of fronts • 'suspect' army generals were blamed & executed violence & bloodshed radicalisation of the Revolution • the extremes of the Terror deepened the crisis • the Revolutionary Tribunal set up in Paris in March 1793 French Republic survived for other reasons • such as military success, lack of to deal with counter•revolutionaries. Why did the Terror start & Costs? cohesion/organisation amongst the Revolution's opposition Watch committees to look out for, arrest & execute (without jury / appeal) traitor. why did it end? de•Christianisation Emergency measures taken Committee of General Security • 12 man committee to root out counter•revolutionaries using March • May 1793 to deal with loss of foreign sympathy and moderate support an extensive spy network. It ran a secret revolutionary police force. counter•revolutionaries Revolutionary armies of Sans•culottes volunteers set up (from Sept) to seize grain, attack hoarders, help destroy counter•revolution. emigres to be executed if they returned to France. Begun because of the need to organise the Republic against internal and external threats to its survival. Earliest terror in the autumn of 1792 began with the Attack on the Tuileries & the September Massacres caused by concern over some pro•royalist feeling amongst the nobility there who were looked to as leaders by the peasants France's poor war performance (the capture of Verdun) & fear / anger over the Brunswick Manifesto. This stage ended with the French victory at Valmy & the establishment of the Convention as the Legislative's Republican successor. hatred of taxation paid which seemed to be more than under the ancien regime 1793 • 1794 • began with more French military losses & the overthrow of the Girondin by the hostility to the 'Civil Constition of the Clergy' owing to the Jacobins at a time when it was feared the Revolution would be overthrown. number of refractory priests in this strongly Catholic area Caused by: The Jacobins & the Plain saw the Girondins to be responsible for war failures • several ministers opposition to the sale of Church lands by those who'd not gained from this. were Girondins • this lead to the overthrow of the Girondins who were seen to be too moderate. Why did the Government opposition to the levy of 300,000 men of military service age follow such extreme Some politicians realised that popular demands would have to be met to gain the Civil war in the Vendee policies during the Terror? support of the people at a time of war against both internal & external enemies. Seen to be counter•revolution / civil war due to noble pro•monarchy leadership Why did the Terror begin? Plain felt themselves to be politically between the Jacobins & the Massacre of new local officials, constitutional priests & National Guards Girondins, but became increasingly drawn to more radical policies. Politics was becoming more radical in 1793. Situation viewed to be so serious that 30,000 troops had to be withdrawn from the frontline to deal with the rising. No government could rule by normal methods in a state of emergency. Rounding•up of suspects / rebels seen to be vital to ensure the Convention maintained control. Barere, a leader of the Plain told the The bourgeoisie must not isolate itself from 'the Overall this was more in opposition to the actions of the Revolution rather than through a desire to restore monarchy but Convention that: people' • their demands must be met. the government saw the Revolution to be under attack so the provinces needed to be brought under control. The bourgeoisie must remain in control of events so the Convention should take the lead in introducing the necessary measures. Allowed the Convention to deal with food shortages by punishing those who refused to sell grain because the assignat was losing its value. The Convention declared 'Terror is the order of the Day' to prevent unrest after a mob of sans culottes marched to the Convention in Sept 1793 to demand grain & economic improvement. Paris was suffering from grain shortages, starvation, unemployment. The Maximum law was introduced to fix maximum grain prices • helped to control To meet the economic demands of the sans culottes & to sans culottes action. retain the Convention's control over events. rationing cards to ensure fair food distribution of bread / meat. death penalty for grain hoarding. anti•Jacobin activity in provinces resentment of new central controls The Republic was facing a crisis which required extreme measures 3/4 of France's departments protested at the removal of the Girondins • serious conflict Federalist revolt broke out in 8 departments & some big cities e.g. Lyons & Marseilles. Troops had to be sent to crush opposition e.g. in Marseilles where the Jacobin officials had all been executed. Why did the Terror start & why did it end..mmap • 5/15/2008 •.