Robespierre and the Reign of Terror

Question 1

What were the Girondins and Jacobins?

Answer 1

• The moderates (Girondins, sat in the middle of the political spectrum) were happy with the result of the National Assembly; however the radicals (Jacobins, far left bc they want change, progress and are willing to get violent to get it. Opposite are the reactionaries, far right, they want to go back to the “golden age” and are willing to get violent to get it, they focus on the status quo) didn’t get enough
  For the Jacobins, any traces of the monarchy needed to be eliminated for the revolution to continue

Question 2

What is Ultranationalism?

Answer 2

Ultranationalism: Extreme form of nationalism in which one is often fanatically loyal to their own nation at the expense of (and often hostility toward) another nation
Ex. Robespierre and the Reign of Terror
Ex. Hitler and the Holocaust

Question 3

France Leading to War and Louis’ Escape

Answer 3

France Leading to War:

• The King had been relegated to a “figure-head” under the new gov of the National Assembly
  He was unhappy with this
• Continued to conspire with the Emigres (nobles who had fled France) and the Austrian emperor to assist him in overthrowing the Revolution

Louis’ Escape:

• After 2 years of supporting the aims and reforms of the National Assembly, Louis XVI tries to escape and get support from foreign lands (the Netherlands or Austria)
• He is caught near the French border
• The family is returned to Paris
• A new constitution is put in place, severely limiting the King’s power

Question 4

How does the seating of the Legislative Assembly reflect their political beliefs?

Answer 4

• The seating reflected the political beliefs of the members
  On the left were the radical Jacobins and Girondins who favored a Republic (liberals)
  In the center were moderates who favored a limited monarchy
  On the right were the royalists (conservatives)

Question 5

What was Louis’ Plot?

Answer 5

• Once back in Paris, Louis and his family act like they are supporting the Revolution
• Marie was sending letters to Austria
• War breaks out between France and Austria
  Austrian and Prussian emperors were conspiring with the French monarchy to restore Louis back to the throne
  French suffered early defeats at the hands of the enemy
• Louis and Marie are seen as traitors
• Louis is stripped of all remaining power and the family is put into jail
• French mobs attack the King in jail
  1000 people die

Question 6

What did Radicals (Jacobins) do to Assert Control?

Answer 6

• Jacobins remove the King and establish a republic
• Dissolved the Legislative Assembly
• The new gov in France is now called the National Convention led by Maximilien Robespierre
• The National Convention does 3 things:
  Abolish the monarchy
  Tries Louis XVI
  Finds Louis XVI guilty
  King Louis was executed by guillotine on January 1793

Question 7

What was the Reign of Terror (Radical Phase 1793-1794)?

Answer 7

• Robespierre was able to raise an army of 800 000 citizen soldiers utilizing levee en masse
  The largest army ever assembled in Europe
• Marie Antionette was executed on October 1793
• The Jacobins form the Committee of Public Safety led by Maximilien Robespierre
• Their Objective: wipe out France’s monarchy both present and past
• How?
  Execute the “unpatriotic”
  Remove monarchy from playing cards (literally playing cards, no more king, queen, jack, etc)
  Standardized clothing
  Removed Sundays from the calendar
  Closed Churches on Sundays
  Trial and execution on the same day
  85% killed were common peasants who supposedly benefitted from the Revolution
• In a nutshell – any citizen suspected of treason could be executed
• As time passed, any person who was simply indifferent to (didn’t care for) the revolution could be executed
• Danton was executed for suggesting that Terror should end
• The Jacobins tried to erase all traces of the Old Regime by introducing the Republic of Virtue
• “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible” - Robespierre
• The Revolutionary Tribunal of Paris alone executed 2 639 victims in 15 months
• Total number of victims nationwide was over 20 000
• The last guillotine execution in France was in 1977

The Reign of Terror – Who was Executed

31% - working class 28% - peasants and farmers 25% - middle class
8% - nobility 8% - clergy

Question 8

How did the Reign of Terror end?

Answer 8

• People were angry at rising food prices and Robespierre’s new ideas/changes
• Fellow radical Jacobins began to fear for their own lives
• Turned on Robespierre and killed him
• This led the moderate leaders of the National Convention to draft a new gov
• This was France’s third gov in 6 years
• Thermidorean Reaction: a coup d’état within the French Revolution against the Jacobins and the Committee of Public Safety
  Abolished the Committee of Public Safety and tried to moderate the Revolution
  People were tired of the incessant death by guillotine

Question 9

What was the Constitution of 1795?

Answer 9

• A new Constitution was written, creating a new gov call the Directory
  Consisted of the Council of 500, The Council of Elders and 5 Directors
  Would return control of the Revolution to the wealthy Bourgeoisie
  Characterized by rampant (high) inflation and economic chaos (again)