The spread of Terror Flashcards
How many victims of the terror were there and how many were guillotined ?
40,000 and 17,000
When was the popular Terror and how many cases were dealt with ?
Sept-Dec 1793
500,000 compared to 260 in March-Sept
Show Trials and percentage of victims the were the nobility ?
- 9%
- MA trail (accused or orgies, incest, squandering money etc) and executed 2 days after her trial (16th Oct 1793)
- 24th Oct : 21 Girondin ministers were put on trial and all executed within 36 mins
- Madam Roland (salonniere) was executed
How can it be argued that the deaths of ordinary citizens weren’t justified ?
- CPS oversaw their activities however many officials and groups frequently took law in to their own hands (particularly in the Vendee ,known as Nantes)
Death of ordinary citizens campaign methods
- Oct 1793 : Saint-Just “Government is revolutionary until there is peace”
- CPS introduced measures
- Local watch committees were set up
- 40,000 men made up revolutionary armies and roamed the countryside
- CGS sent spies and agents
Measures taken in Lyons
Lyons : by 1794 at least 2000 were executed (surrendered in Oct 1794) , killed using canons with grapeshot shooting them in to mass graves + was so brutal the convention ordered they ceased by the end of the months
Measures taken in the Vendee
Vendee : 7873 were guillotined, 2000 were downed in mass drownings
Measure taken in Toulon
Toulon : 700-800 prisoners were shot by Napoleon and his forces + recaptured on 19th Dec
Who encouraged the SC in their dechristianisation campaign ?
- Herbert and Chaumette (leader of Paris commune from 1792 but executed by Robespierre in 1794) supported the SC in Paris
- Fouche in Neveres waged a continuous campaign of religious terror from Sept 1793 (in the provinces)
Influence of the sans-culottes
- Brought about dechristianisation eg Oct 1793 Paris commune made it their official policy (figures of Notre dame were executed)
- Nov 1793 All remaining churches were closed
- Creation of the festival of reason and Notre Dame was transformed in to the temple of reason
Influence of Robespierre and the CPS (laws)
- Law of 14 Frimaire (4th Dec 1793)
CPS given direct powers over ministers and all authorities would take orders from the CPS
Additionally Popular societies were closed down and revolutionary armies were disbanded in 1794 - Law of 22 Prairial June 1794
Trials were to take no more than three days
Acquittal or death and all enemies were to be taken before the Parisian Revolutionary Tribunal
What happened to the Herbertists and indulgents ?
- March 1794 both Herbertists and Indulgents were denounced
Elimination of rival factions (indulgents) beliefs
- (Danton and Desmoulins) who wanted the Terror to be scaled back
- Robespierre claimed good-living, fashionable clothing and sensual pleasures (as exhibited by the indulgents) was at odds with the revolution
Elimination of rival factions (Herbert) beliefs
- Herbert, radical pamphleteer who claimed Robespierre was setting up a dictatorship so called for the SC to rise against those who oppress us
Cult of supreme being
Robespierre believed the SC dechristianisation campaigns and gone too far so announced a new series of festivals
Eg Festival of the supreme being where Robespierre gave a speech on virtue
Progress of the war in 1794
Successful eg French took Ypres but there was still inflation within Paris
The Great Terror
- June-July 1794
- Victims : 35% nobility, 25% clergy which made this part of the Terror more class based
- Rise in price of bread but in July a maximum wage was set
Weakening of Robespierre’s position
- CGS was becoming increasingly hostile as they weren’t consulted over 22 Prairial
- CPS tried to reduce the roles and powers of the CGS
- Deputies feared Robespierre was trining in to a dictator
- Local government was breaking down
- Catholic priests were angered by the cult of supreme being
the Coup of Thermidor (Day 1)
- 26th July 1794
- Robespierre gave his last speech and accused different committees for conspiring against public liberty and even attacked members of the CPS and CGS
- Claimed more purges were necessary to cleanse France of its impurities
- There was then a violent exchange
When was Robespierre executed ?
- 28th July : Robespierre and 22 were guillotined
How did the commune attempt to intervene with the Coup of Thermidor
- On the whole only 1/3 of the Paris sections responded for the commune’s request to defend Robespierre
- Commune forces managed to free Robespierre etc but they were recaptured after many had attempted to kill themselves
Who was arrested at the Coup of Thermidor ?
- Robespierre
- Saint-Just
- Couthan
- Les Bas
- Augustin
Coup of Thermidor Day 2
- 9th Thermidor (27th July)
- Saint-just arrived to give a speech which hadn’t been seen by the CPS
- Was interrupted and accusations were levied against Robespierre ‘down with the tyrant’
- Decree to arrest Robespierre
When did the Paris commune make dechristianisation their official policy ?
- Oct 1793
- Religious statues, street crosses and other religious ornamentation were removed or vandalised
What happened due to dechristianisation ?
- Royal tombs were desecrated + bones thrown in common graves
- Oil of Clovis was smashed (previously used to anoint kings)
- Christian names were changed to classical heroes
- statues at Notre dame were beheaded + replaced with busts were replaced with Marat
How did the Archbishop of Paris support dechristianisation ?
- 7th Nov 1793, Gobel sported a bonnet rouge and resigned for ‘his love of the people’ + other clergymen followed suit
What was held at the temple of reason in Nov 1793 ?
- The festival of reason which was organised by the commune and Herbert attended
Before the revolution how many clerics were in Paris and how many were by 1793 ?
- 6,000 before and only a few hundred following 1793 and the revolution
Why did Robespierre fear dechristianisation ?
- Believed faith could be a valuable ally in maintaining order and control
- Festival of reason wasn’t authorised by the convention but it helped them adopt to the new calendar
How many priests had to renounce their positions ?
- 20,000
When was there a MINOR revolt and what were its consequences ?
- December 1793 : Brie
- Peasants attacked a Jacobin club + Robespierre persuaded the convention to prohibit violent attacks on religion
What prohibited violent attacks on religion ?
- Dec 1793
- Decree of Liberty of cults : this reaffirmed religious toleration
By the end of 1793 what was improving ?
- Federalist revolt was under control
- The war situation was improving
- The economy also improved due good harvests
When was the power of the CPS and CGS increased ?
- End of 1793
Law of 22 Prairial
- 10th June 1794
- Trials were to take no more than three days + no witnesses or defence
- Acquittal or death and all enemies were to be taken before the Parisian Revolutionary Tribunal
- Convention’s deputies immunity from prosecution disappeared
Law of 14 Frimaire II
- 4th December 1793
- Gave CPS power over ministers, generals, local government etc
- Revolutionary armies were to be disbanded from March 1794 + popular societies were closed down
When were revolutionary armies disbanded from ?
- March 1794
What was the reason for the law 14 Frimaire ?
- Highly centralised structure and established the CPS as supreme
- Opened the way for the SC destruction of influence
What laws were passed in January and March 1794 ?
- 2 laws of Ventose which promised needy patriots a share of property and land seized from counter revolutionaries
When were the Indulgents and the herbertists denounced
- March 1794 both Herbertists and Indulgents were denounced 31 were executed
Why was Herbert arrested and executed ?
- Rumours of a plot to massacre the national convention
- 24th March 1794 Herbert + 18 associates were arrested and executed
When were the indulgents arrested ?
- 30th March 1794
- evidence of bribery
When were the indulgents executed ?
- 5th April : Danton, Desmoulins and 13 associates were executed
How many executed between March and June 1794 ?
- 1000 were guillotined
How did Robespierre in March 1794 alienate the other deputies ?
- There were growing splits following the execution of Indulgents and Herbertists
- Robespierre, Couthon and Saint-Just formed what was later called a ‘triumvirate’ (anyone who criticised them was in danger)
When was the Festival of the supreme being ?
- 8th June 1794
- Involved young girls paraded with baskets of flowers, men with oak branches and deputies with bouquets
What happened at Champ de mars with the Festival of the supreme being
- Artificial mountain erected with a statue of Hercules
What happened with the progress of the war 1794 ?
- French success at Fleurus (two weeks after the Festival of Reason) June 1794
- French regained the initiative
What did Barere introduce in 1794 ?
- poor relief, pensions and free medical treatment
When was the great terror ?
- 10th June - 26th July 1794
Positive results of the terror ?
- Measures successfully dealt with internal enemies and eliminated counter revolutionary activities
- The measures enabled external war to be prosecuted successfully and eliminated the federalist revolt
- Measures prevented economic chaos and helped ensure the survival of people at war
- The measures enabled the revolution to survive and helped established new Republican values eg help the poor
Negative results of the terror ?
- Time of violence, destruction, savagery and sadistic behaviour + unnecessary loss of life
- Wasted precious resources at a time of war
- SC were favoured at the expense of other groups and economic development was held back
- Undemocratic and caused more divisions than it healed
Who was Fouquier-Tinville ?
- Public prosecutor when the revolutionary tribunal was created (March 1793)
- Prosecuted more than 2400 counter-revolutionaries incl MA, Girondin and Desmoulins
When was the maximum wage set ?
- 23rd July 1794 (this infuriated the workers)
How did the actions of the deputies of the plain lead to Robespierre’s fall ?
- Feared he was turning in to a dictator
- Uneasy about the growing number of persecutions and knowing it could be anyone of them next
How did the actions of Catholics and Atheists lead to Robespierre’s fall ?
- Angered by the cult of the supreme being and feared for the future of Religion under Robespierre
How did the actions of local government lead to Robespierre’s fall ?
- Local government was breaking down because of the overload of work and atmosphere of fear
How did the dissatisfaction within the CPS lead to Robespierre’s fall ?
- Saint-Just argued with Carnot over military tactics used after the Battle of Fleurus
- Billaud-Veranne was angered as he wants involved in the drafting of the Law of 22 prairial and as the aspirations of the 2 men grew apart
How did the CGS lead to Robespierre’s fall ?
- Committee of general security was increasingly hostile towards the CPS
- Weren’t consulted over the law of 22 prairial and were dismayed by the cult of the supreme being
- Robespierre and Saint Just also infringed on the CGS’ powers through setting up separate surveillance and police network to hunt for counter-revolutionaries
When did Robespierre stop attending the CPS ?
- Start of July 1794
- Didn’t appear for 3 weeks claiming to needing time to think
- In this time tensions rose and no deputy dared venture out without a pistol with many employing body guards
Who tried to kill themselves following the coup of Thermidor ?
- A force was sent by the convention to retake the prisoners
- Augustin threw himself out of a window and book his leg
- Couthon hurled himself down the stairs but survived
- Robespierre tried to shoot himself in the jaw
- Le Bas shot himself in the head and died
- Only Saint-Just was taken without resistance
How many commune members lost their lives following the fall of Robespierre ?
- 87/95
- 92%
When was there a major speech by Saint-Just and what campaigns were justified through this ?
- 10th Oct 1793
- “the provisional government is revolutionary until there is peace”
1. Establishment of local watch committees
2. Revolutionary armies (made up of around 40,000 men)
3. Spies and agents from the CGS
4. More than 100 representatives en mission from the convention
