How Did The Committee Of Public Safety Prevent The French Revolution

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Although it may have been true that the Committee of Public Safety took measures to protect the revolution from its enemies, their use of violence to force citizens into submission and their attempt to destroy and replace part of French history suggests that their main goal was instead to gain absolute power over France.

The Committee of Public Safety’s use of violence in order to exert control over French citizens seemed to reflect a power-hungry nature and an attempt to impose a strict government. On September 5, 1793, the Committee declared that terror was “the Order of the Day,” allowing them to use force against citizens in order to carry on the revolution (Timeline). During this time, constant uprisings, such as protests in Vendée on …show more content…

Shortly after Robespierre rose to power, any remains of the old government and the feudal system were quickly destroyed. Families named Leroy, meaning “the king” in French, changed their last names to be less politically oriented, and symbols of the monarchy such as kings, queens, and jacks on decks of cards were changed (Textbook). Furthermore, from October to December of 1793, the Committee of Public Safety organized a “dechristianization campaign” to destroy and remove any symbols of the Christian Church. They established a new revolutionary calendar that contained no Sundays and renamed months to follow the weather instead of religious icons (Timeline). Because there were no Sundays in the calendar, citizens could not practice their religion and the authority of the Church may have decreased. Furthermore, the complete removal of the monarchy from French culture meant that that new leadership was firmly established and present. The Committee of Public Safety’s adamancy on the destruction of “old France” indicates that they were attempting to diminish the influence of other institutions in order to maintain a position of

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