The Reign Of Terror And Its Impact On The French Revolution

752 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Was the Reign of Terror justified

The Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror was a time of extreme savagery by the revolutionaries. “…17,000 people — counter-revolutionaries as well as dissident thinkers within the revolution — were executed by the guillotine. Tens of thousands more were killed without trial or died in jail…” (Walters, 2015, p.1). The dissatisfied state of the commoners led to an acute amount of violence and was the driving force of the revolution itself.
The Reign of Terror started with the revolutionary mindset in France. The main ideals of this movement are popular sovereignty and inalienable rights (History.com Staff, 2009). Robespierre, a popular politician, was the driving force behind this prominent movement. He emerged as a leader from the Jacobin …show more content…

The Reign of Terror did the opposite of what was intended. The goal was to eliminate the people who were either indifferent or against the revolution, but in turn also executed a large amount of those who were in favor of it. Along with the intense amount of annihilation, there was also a vast amount of property that was damaged or stolen. Edifices such prisons and castles were decimated by the carelessness of the revolutionaries (E. 2011). With major financial instability, the unstable political climate proved to be trivial for the commoners. With a rising inflation and unemployment rate, if they did not change something the financial status of the country would prove to me lethal (Llewellyn & Thompson, 2015). The new coalition combined with the urge to expand the revolutionary ideas helped bring France to war with its neighboring countries. This adds to the financial instability and violence that had already engulfed the country (Linton, …show more content…

Robespierre’s leadership made the movement more predominant, turning it into a nation-wide effort. The impacts on the economic and political status of the country were drastically changed and the revolution as a whole was renovated because of the Reign of Terror.

THE REIGN OF TERROR
References
E. (2011, July 28). Back in the Day: the end of the Reign of Terror. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.euronews.com/2011/07/28/back-in-the-day-the-end-of-the-reign-of-terror
History.com Staff. (2009). French Revolution. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/french-revolution
Linton, M. (2017). Robespierre and the Terror. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.historytoday.com/marisa-linton/robespierre-and-terror
Llewellyn, J., & Thompson, S. (2015, June 04). The Reign of Terror. Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/reign-of-terror/
McGasko, J. (2016, April 22). Wedded, Unbedded, and Beheaded: The Human Side of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/news/king-louis-xvi-and-marie-antoinette-execution-anniversary
Reign of Terror: 1793-1794. (2006, September 13). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from

Show More
Related

  • Reign Of Terror Dbq Essay

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1789, the French people began to stand up to their current monarchical government in order to obtain rights and laws that they felt they deserved. The Reign of Terror followed after the Revolution and seemed to stand for the complete opposite of what the people had previously stood up for. The Reign of Terror began in 1793 and ended in 1794 due to the decapitation of Maximilien Robespierre. The Reign of Terror can be explained as a time period in France when many counter revolutionaries were killed because of their traditional beliefs. Counter revolutionaries believed in preserving the ways of the monarchy, but since the majority of people thought otherwise, these opposing beliefs led to death. The French government did not have good reason to conduct such drastic measures against those who challenged the Revolution.

    Read More

  • Reign Of Terror DBQ

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    A. Then, the syllables are. Another reason as to why the Reign of Terror was not justified is due to the inside threat and how France responds to it. making laws that abolish christianity is insane and trying to control an individual’s religion is very unfair and controlling for the new french government to do. Abolishing Sunday worship, Christmas, and Easter is a horribly crude thing for a revolutionary to do.

    Read More

  • Reign Of Terror Dbq Analysis

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Aside from giving the guillotine a purpose, the Reign of Terror stands as a necessity in the story of French independence. It might not have been the proudest of times, but the Reign began on a strong premise: holding together a new government by purging the bad apples for the betterment of the whole cart. While the Reign of Terror developed into an overly excessive bloodshed, it was justified by the war stricken circumstances and necessity for the support of the ongoing revolution. Despite the extreme heights the Reign of Terror reached, it was necessary to maintain the fragile presence of the government and preserve the new liberty a majority of the population had been denied before. In a 1793 letter from Vendée —a major counterrevolutionary hub— local government was fending off on-going riots and rebellion while being invaded from the north by Prussia.

    Read More

  • How Did Robespierre Tried To Protect The Revolution

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    The horrendous acts of the Jacobin leaders during the Reign of Terror led to many unfortunate deads and crimes. Robespierre was a power hungry tyrant, he was unforgiving. He killed Louis and thousands of others because he had become paranoid. His proposal of Republic of Virtue left the people hungry and angry. He also tried to protect the revolution but the plan backfired. All together, these horrible acts prove that the tyrants were extremely power hungry and blood

    Read More

  • The Reign of Terror and the Salem Witch Trials: Reshaping Society

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    "French Revolution: The Reign of Terror — Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. — Infoplease.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. .

    Read More

  • Mobs Violence Leading up to the American Revolution

    1682 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mob violence was a persuasive feature of the Revolutionary War in every port city, particularly Boston. These mobs, which were often described as motley crews, were central to protests and ultimately played a dominant role in significant events leading up to the American Revolution. Throughout the years, leading up to the American Revolution, many Americans were growing tired of British rule and thus begun to want to break free from Britain and earn their own independence. Some of these Americans, out of anger, madness, and in defense of their rights, began terrorizing towns, sometimes even to the point of paralysis highlighting grievances and concerns that the common man couldn’t say with mere words. These groups would then be absorbed into a greater organization called the Sons of Liberty. With the use of violence and political strategy , these radicals defending their rights, struck terror into anyone opposing them but also carried out communal objectives ultimately pushing for change which was a central theme for the American Revolution. It will be proved that these men through their actions not only were the driving force behind resistance but also proved to be the men who steered America toward revolution.

    Read More

  • The Reign Of Terror Is Not Justified Dbq Essay

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first reason the Reign of Terror was not justified was because the inside/outside threats against the revolution didn’t warrant it. The Prussians and Australians were fighting against the revolution to keep their king and to not have the ideas of the revolutions (Doc C) so in turn Robespierre declared a military draft where all adult males would be forced by the Levee en Masse where the vendee region in france were totally against (Doc B). Rightfully so as well considering the fact that when Robespierre declared for the draft the threat had practically been stopped and so there was no real need for the draft and in turn no need for the Reign of Terror. It also proves the

    Read More

  • Was The Reign of Terror Justified?

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Reign of Terror is generally defined as a period of remorseless repression or bloodshed, but in particular, it is the period of the Terror during the French Revolution. Conservatives are people that hold to traditional attitudes and values and are cautious about change or innovation. Now that we can speak of our topic with more knowledge of terms typically used for this subject, we can address the pending question. Is The Reign of Terror justified? An outstanding number of people died for good and bad reasons.

    Read More

  • Terror in the French Revolution

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    Was the Terror of 1793/4 inherent from the revolutions outset or was it the product of exceptional circumstance?

    Read More

  • The Reign of Terror: Was it Justified?

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the Reign of Terror in France grew and invoked fear the internal threats became more radical and deadly. The French Revolution began in 1789 as an attempt to create a new and fair government. (Doc A) As year four of freedom lurched the thirst for power in Maximilien Robespierre stirred and the hunger for more blood provoked him urging him to create the Reign of Terror. 1793, the first year of the Reign of Terror, Robespierre grasped on to his new power and as the revolution spun out of control the Jacobins Club established a new way to “fight enemies” by constructing a Committee of Public Safety and a Tribunal Court. (Doc A) This new government was working swell it contained counterrevolutionaries in the Vendée Region, and it smothered and ferreted the internal threats. (Docs A, C, G) The counterrevolutionaries adopted a name that meant trouble – the rabble. (Doc D) In a letter written by a city official of the Town of Niort a...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The American Revolution And The French Revolution

    2174 Words  | 5 Pages

    To accomplish this task, he murdered close to 40,000 people, most by guillotine, and some sentenced to life in jail. The Reign of Terror was one of the most controversial, and terrifying phases of the Revolution. Some French colonists thought it to be a path to democracy; others thought it was just an attempt by Robespierre to assume dictatorship. The other great leader was Napoleon Bonaparte. He believed that the only way to have control in France was to put a limit on democracy.

    Read More

  • Exploring Reasons the French Revolution Turned to Terror

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are three important and distinct reasons for the French Revolution changing from being about the people to a revolution run by fear and terror. The first was the lack of tradition of a republican rule within France. The revolutionaries were simply not experienced enough in running and managing political parties. The second reason was the constantly growing power of the counter revolutionaries. The third reason was due to the ongoing wars with other countries. All these three reasons were the main contributors for making the revolutionaries go from prioritizing freedom, liberty and brotherhood to a state of total chaos and terror.

    Read More

  • Louis XIV: An Absolute Monarch

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frightfully stimulated as a child from a home intrusion by Parisians during an aristocratic revolt in 1651, Louis XIV realized his rule would be decisive, militant, and absolute (458). His lengthy reign as Frances’ king and how he ruled would be the example that many countries throughout Europe would model their own regimes under. With this great authority also came greater challenges of finance and colonization. In the 17th century, the era of absolute monarchs was the means to restore European life (458). Louis XIV exemplified absolutism, and his ruling set the example for other monarchs throughout Europe.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most other countries as well. On the other hand, Schama viewed the French Revolution as unproductive and excessively violent.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution Essay

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Society was cut in two: those who had nothing united in common envy; those who had anything united in common terror.” The French Revolution was a painful era that molded the lives of every citizen living in France and changed their ways of life forever. Beginning in 1789 and lasting ten years until 1799, the people of France lived in a monarch society under King Louis XVI’s rule. He was a very harsh ruler and had many restrictions placed on his people. They eventually overthrow him and become a monarch society. Among his deceptive ways, the people also experienced “The Reign of Terror,” which was a period where many lives were taken by the guillotine. Other revolutionary events included rebellions, constitutions, and groups. One of the popular groups that contributed greatly to the French Revolution were the Jacobins who were led by Maximilien Robespierre.

    Read More

More about The Reign Of Terror And Its Impact On The French Revolution

Open Document