Chapter 12: The spread of the Terror Flashcards
How many victims were there of the terror between 1792-94?
40,000 - 50,000 killed.
What was the most popular method of execution during the terror?
Guillotine.
How many suspects were brought in front of the rev tribunal during September - December 1793?
500,000 (compared to 260 between march and September).
When did show trials start?
October 1793.
Name 4 people who were given show trials.
- Marie-Antoinette.
- 21 Girondins leaders.
- Duc d’Orleans.
- Madame Roland.
When and who was the first person to be given a show trial and what were they accused of?
Marie-Antoinette.
tried on 14th October, guillotined 16th.
Orgies, conspiracy against the state, sharing info with the enemy, incest.
What was involved in the CPS’s campaign of killing ordinary people during the Terror?
- Comitès de surveillance to monitor residents.
- Armèes rèvolutionaires in the countryside.
- Spies from CGS.
- Reprèsentants-en-mission pursuing the cause of ‘revolutionary justice’.
Who recaptured Toulon in December?
Napoleon.
When was dechristianisation made official and by who?
October 1793 by the Paris Commune.
Who was a popular replacement of religious objects during dechristianisation?
Marat.
During dechristianisation, what was church property stolen and used for?
Mock ceremonies.
Why were many street names changed during the terror?
Had religious links - so changed during dechristianisation.
Briefly describe some of the events of dechristianisation.
- Statues replaced by statues of Marat.
- Street names changed.
- Church property stolen for mock ceremonies.
- Royal bones dug up and thrown into common graves.
- Archbishop resigned out of ‘love for the people’.
When and where was the Festival of Reason held and by who?
November 1793.
Notre Dame Cathedral.
Hèbert and the Paris Commune.
What were Robespierre’s views on dechristianisation?
Didn’t like it.
- Thought faith could help maintain control.
- Encouraged convention to decree the ‘liberty of cults’ so religion was tolerated again.
What was the Law of 14 Frimaire II?
Centralised power and gave sans-culottes less influence.
- CPS has power over ministers, reprèsentants-en-mission, local gov etc.
- Dèpartements only role is tax collection and public works.
- Armèes rèvolutionaires were disbanded.
Who were CPS’s main 2 French enemies in 1794?
- Followers of Hèbert - sans-culottes not happy with Robespierre’s dictatorship.
- Indulgents - Danton, Desmoulins and co wanting to scale back the terror
Why was Hèbert executed in march 1794?
Saint-Just denounced him in the convention, saying he was plotting to massacre members.
Why were the indulgents (Danton, Desmoulins etc) guillotined in April?
Apparent financial deals using bribery.
Who were the ‘triumvirate’s in the Convention?
Robespierre.
Couthon.
Saint-Just.
When was the decree accepting Robespierre’s Cult of Supreme Being announced?
7th May 1794.
What did the Festival of the Supreme Being involve?
- Speech about republic from Robespierre.
- Parade of Paris sections and Convention groups.
- Statue of atheism set alight.
- Mountain with liberty tree erected on Champ de Mars.
What was the Law of 22 Prairial?
- Provincial rev tribunals shut down - just Paris one left.
- Proposed by Couthon to make convictions easier.
- No witnesses or defence - just jury, accusation and accused.
- Rev tribunal had 2 verdicts: acquittal or death.
- Convention no longer immune from prosecution.
What happened during the 2 month Great Terror?
- 1284 death sentences v 278 acquittals.
- Victims 35% nobles, 25% clergy and 40% bourgeoise.
- Paris Commune leader close w Robespierre so no more dechristianisation.
- Bread prices rose.
- maximum wage introduced.
How did Robespierre’s power weaken?
- CGS (many atheists) angry about Cult of Supreme Being.
- CGS mad not consulted about Law of 22 Prairial.
- CGS mad Robespierre set up separate surveillance system.
- Saint-Just and Couthon falling out over war.
- the plain in convention feared Robespierre becoming dictator.
What were the events leading up to Robespierre’s execution?
- Robespierre didn’t turn up to CPS meetings for 3 weeks.
- Robespierre’s last convention speech condemning CGS, CPS, military organisation etc.
- ‘Down with the Tyrant’ chants next day in Convention.
- Coup of Thermidor - decrees to arrest Robespierre, Saint-Just, Couthon, Le Bas and Robespierres brother Augustin.
- Convention burst in on group - Le Bas shot himself, Augustin jumped out window (broke leg), Couthon chucked himself down stairs (but survived), Robespierre tried, but failed to kill himself, Saint-Just didn’t resist.
- All guillotined 10th Thermidor.
What does the Coup of Thermidor mean?
Decrees to arrest Robespierre, Saint-Just, Couthon, Le Bas and Robespierres brother Augustin.
Who were the enrages?
Extreme, radical group of sans-culottes.
What percentage of the victims of the terror were nobles?
7% - proves terror wasn’t about class.
What does a federalist believe?
Pro-rev but counter centralisation.
Who was morealess Marat’s replacement once he died?
Herbert (a revolutionary writer).
What was the Notre Dame Cathedral turned into during the terror?
The Temple of Reason - the host of the Festival of Reason.
What is iconoclasm? When in the terror was it used?
Destruction of icons, statues or monuments - shown during dechristianisation.
