Chapter 12 - Robespierre & CPS Influence, Robespierre's Fall & Collapse Of The Terror

Question 1

What was the Law of 14 Frimaire?

Answer 1

December 1793
Gave CPS direct power & authorities would take orders from CPS
Armees revolutionnaires disbanded from March 1794
Popular societies & committees closed down

Question 2

What was the aim of the Law of 14 Frimaire?

Answer 2

Centralised chain of authority w/ CPS as supreme
Destruct sans-culotte influence by destroying channels of activity

Question 3

What were the 2 laws of Ventose?

Answer 3

Jan & March 1794
Promised needy patriots share of seized land from counter-revs
Hopes of creating egalitarian society
Carried out w/ little enthusiasm or ignored

Question 4

What was the rival faction of Hebert & his followers?

Answer 4

Hebert: radical leader, pamphleteer
Complained Robespierre setting up a dictatorship
Called sans-culottes to rise against oppressors

Question 5

Who were the Indulgents?

Answer 5

Rival faction to Robespierre
Danton, Desmoulins
Terror should be scaled back

Question 6

How did Robespierre respond to rival factions?

Answer 6

Argues self-sacrifice for Republic: good living, fashion, sensual pleasures (shown by Indulgents) incompatible w/ rev
Eliminate vices of Ancien Regime

Question 7

How were the Indulgents & Hebertists denounced?

Answer 7

March 1794
Saint-Just read report to Convention

Question 8

What happened to the Hebertists?

Answer 8

Rumours of plot to massacre NC members
Hebert & 18 associates arrested & executed in March 1794

Question 9

What happened to the Indulgents?

Answer 9

Arrested March 1794
Danton, Desmoulins, 13 others guillotined April 1794

Question 10

After the removal of the rival factions, what split formed in the Convention?

Answer 10

‘the Plain’ favoured Terror reduction but scared to speak out
Extreme revs & moderates alienated by Robespierre, Couthon & Saint-Just

Question 11

Who’s power had been broken that allowed Robespierre to further the Terror?
When?

Answer 11

Sans-culottes
Paris commune
Sectional societies
By march 1794

Question 12

How many were guillotined March - June 1794?
Who was targeted at this time?

Answer 12

1,000
people who failed to meet R moral standards
‘Refuse’ in prisons

Question 13

What is a ‘refuse’?

Answer 13

Refractory priests
Nobles

Question 14

What was the Cult of the Supreme Being?

Answer 14

Statue of Robespierre presenting him as supreme being & virtue symbol
Robespierre sees himself as this

Question 15

When was the festival of the Supreme Being?
What was made for the festival?

Answer 15

June 1794
Manmade mountain with statue of Robespierre atop

Question 16

What did Robespierre promote the Cult of the Supreme Being instead of?
Why?

Answer 16

De-Christianisation (by sans-culottes)
Felt uncomfortable with it
Believed religion could help Frenchmen lead virtuous lives

Question 17

What was the Law of 22 Prarial?

Answer 17

10 June 1794
Enemy of the people (could be anyone/class) could be tried & executed without witnesses or evidence
Abuse of power

Question 18

How did Robespierre aim to create a republic of virtue?
Why?
When?

Answer 18

Law of 22 Prairial
All potential critics executed & criticism stifled
10 June - 27 July 1794

Question 19

After the Law of 22 Prarial, what were the 2 outcomes of the Tribunal?
How many were sentenced to death in June & July 1794?

Answer 19

Acquittal or death
1,594

Question 20

What was the Great Terror?

Answer 20

10 June - 27 July 1794
Robespierre aiming to create republic of virtue
Law of 22 Prairial
1,594 executed

Question 21

What did the Law of 22 Prairial lead on from?

Answer 21

Law of Suspects: anyone deemed a danger arrested

Question 22

What were the 3 short term causes for Robespierre’s fall from power/coup of Thermidor?

Answer 22

Religious: unpopular Cult of Supreme Being
Economic: popularity amongst sans-culottes
Political: CPS & CGS feuds begin

Question 23

How did the creation of the Cult of the Supreme Being lead to Robespierre’s fall from power?

Answer 23

Unpopular with a wide range
Cath opp as ignored Cath doctrine
Anti-clerics opp as saw as attempt to reintroduce church (supreme ruler)

Question 24

How did the sans-culottes lead to Robespierre’s fall from power?

Answer 24

Popularity with s-c failing bc of execution of Hebertists & raising of maximum, causing inflation

Question 25

How did the CPS & CGS lead to Robespierre’s fall from power?

Answer 25

Began to fall out
Politicians felt threatened by R when CPS (led by R) set up own police bureau to prosecute dishonest officials

Question 26

What triggered Robespierre’s fall from power/coup of Thermidor?

Answer 26

Month away from public life (July 1794)
Addressed Convention in speech, accused unnamed colleagues of plotting against gov
Everyone felt threatened as could be talking about anyone & executed
Led directly to coup of Thermidor

Question 27

What was the coup of Thermidor?

Answer 27

Late July 1794
Overthrowing of Robespierre
Shot in jaw - couldn’t give a last speech; ironic

Question 28

When was Robespierre guillotined?

Answer 28

28 July 1794 (10 Thermidor)

Question 29

When was the Terror?

Answer 29

10 months
Sep 1793 - Late July 1794

Question 30

What were the positive outcomes of the Terror?

Answer 30

Dealt with:
Internal enemies
External war
Counter-revs
Federalist Revolt
Prevented economic chaos
Enables survival of rev & Republican values

Question 31

What were the negative outcomes of the Terror?

Answer 31

High death toll, oft unnecessary
Wasted resources at time of war unnecessarily
Economic development held back
Undemocratic
Caused more % than it healed

Question 32

How important was Robespierre in the development of the Terror in the years 1793 to 1794? (supp) 24 marker

Answer 32

Led Jacobins
Supp king execution
Supp Girondins overthrow
Supp by s-c
Most important member of CPS from July 1793 & encouraged it to take radical steps
Speeches
Law of 22 Prairial
Winds down after overthrow, suggesting R perpetuated it

Question 33

How important was Robespierre in the development of the Terror in the years 1793 to 1794? (opp) 24 marker

Answer 33

instruments of Terror emerged before R: Rev Tribunal & CPS
Need for Terror: centralisation, vigilance during war
Power of s-c could be considered as driving radical force: expulsion of Girondins