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Table of Contents
‘The Terror’, also known as the Reign of Terror or in French as La Terreur was a period in France following Louis’s execution. People who were suspected of anti-revolutionary activities were sent to the guillotine during the Reign of Terror in France.
See the fact file below for more information on Reign of Terror, or you can download our 29-page Reign of Terror worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
OVERVIEW OF THE EVENT
- Between September 5, 1973, and July 27, 1794, France’s revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people.
- The civil war was spreading from the Vendée, and France was surrounded by hostile armies, and the Revolutionary government decided to make “Terror” the order of the day (September 5 decree) and created harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (nobles, priests, and hoarders).
WHAT CAUSED THE REIGN OF TERROR?
- In January 1793, King Louis XVI was beheaded by the guillotine because he was found guilty by the National Convention of treason in 1792. The National Convention, a revolutionary government, was given the power to form the first French Republic. Not all areas in France favored the revolution; some opposed it and rebelled against the new government’s policies. Some of these areas were Normandy and Lyon.
- In March 1793, the counter-revolutionary army captured an armed revolt in the Vendée. Two hundred thousand (200,000) deaths were reported after the republic forces defeated the rebellion.
- The French army lost the Battle of Neerwinden on March 18, 1793.
- The said defeat caused further opposition to the rules implemented by the National Convention. Following this event, the new regime needed a new executive form to replace the monarchy.
- The Committee on Public Safety declared France “revolutionary until peace” on September 5, 1793. This meant that a state of emergency was in force and the government was prepared to use violence against its own citizens in order to bring stability to France. These incidents marked the beginning of the terror or Reign of Terror.
- Maximilien Robespierre was the leading figure in the Committee of Public Safety and said the committee was controlled by the Jacobins. It exercised virtual dictatorial control over the French government during the Reign of Terror.
- This control eliminated the Hébertists, enemies to the left in the spring of 1794, and the followers of Georges Danton, the Indulgents. The committee obtained the Law of 22 Prairial despite the uncertainty of its position.
- Civil liberties and promises under the Declaration of the Rights of Man were suspended and forgotten. There was an order from the National Convention declaring that if material or moral proof existed regarding repressions independent of the evidence of witnesses, the latter would not be heard.
- The Committee of Public Safety passed a decree in September 1793 known as the Law of Suspects. To prevent any criticism of or opposition to the National Convention, the Law of Suspects also authorized the arrest of anyone who “by their writings have shown themselves partisans of tyranny”. If there was a mere suspicion that they were “counter-revolutionaries”, people could be arrested, and many of them died on the guillotine. An estimated 500,000 people were accused of being counter-revolutionaries, while 17,000 to 40,000 people were executed as a result of the law.
VICTIMS OF THE TERROR
- Ordinary people were rounded up, not the aristocrats. An individual and some family members might be charged with a case and go to the guillotine for criticizing the revolutionary government. According to a decree stated in the Law of Suspects, the Watch Committees around the nation had to arrest the suspected individuals. These were the individuals who, either in their conduct, relationships, remarks, or even writing, showed that they were partisans of tyranny and federalism and enemies of liberty.
- A fear of traitors had grown in France following the revolution and war. With this, the Committee of Public Safety decided to take another measure that led to the creation of the Revolutionary Tribunals.
- Among the victims of the terror, one of the first to be executed was Marie Antoinette, the former Queen.
- People became tired of all the killings, so by mid-1794, the Reign of Terror eventually died out. Also, because of the decrease in the Austrian threat, there was a need for an emergency government. People looked for someone to blame for the Reign of Terror. Despite the support of the National Convention, Robespierre became the center of attention and was later arrested and locked up. He found himself facing the same tragedy as thousands of French people had, the guillotine.
OPPOSITION TO THE TERROR
- Georges Danton and his allies were arrested in March 1974 for a range of charges, including attempting to save King Louis XVI. Danton had made treacherous transactions with the Girondins and secret friendships with foreigners.
- Danton was sentenced to death on April 5, 1794, and no witnesses were allowed to give evidence at the trial. According to various primary and secondary sources, Danton stated that the executioner must show his head to the people because it was worth seeing as he was led to the guillotine.
HOW DID THE REIGN OF TERROR END?
- On February 4, 1794, slavery was abolished in all French colonies. Almost two months after this, from April to May, the military danger from external forces decreased.
- The Terror was re-enforced on June 10 of the same year. The judicial process for accused enemies was accelerated on this date, then the Reign of Terror was re-enforced.
- On July 23, the passing of another wage and price control law took place. After denouncing several members of the National Convention and refusing to give the names of the conspirators, the National Convention fully blamed Robespierre. The members of the Convention ordered his arrest and declared him and his allies outlaws.
- When Robespierre died on July 28, this signaled the end of the Reign of Terror. Together with his allies, Robespierre was charged with crimes against the Republic. They experienced the same terror that ordinary people felt while waiting their turn to be executed by the guillotine.
Reign of Terror Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets about the Reign of Terror, a period in France following Louis’s execution where people who were suspected of anti-revolutionary activities were sent to the guillotine.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Reign of Terror Facts
- Historical Marker
- Visual Vocabulary
- Reign of Terror Timeline Events
- Make a Stand!
- A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
- Pictures of the Reign of Terror
- Dear Diary…
- La Marseillaise
- S.P.A.W.N Writing
- Was the Terror Justified?
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Link will appear as Reign of Terror Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 6, 2022
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