Terror and the French Revolution

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Essay: Terror and the French Revolution

“Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death, - the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!”

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

On the evening of the 14th of July 1989 1.5 million people from 17 different countries gathered along the Champs-Elysees to celebrate Bastilles Day , the anniversary of the French Revolution which had occurred two hundred years before. But what were the French celebrating, the capture of Bastille and the deaths of ninety eight people through a violent uprising ? It has been long debated the significance of the capture of Bastille and will continue to do so but the shockwaves it left in the France at that time can be still felt today. One thing is certain and without debate, the capture of Bastilles marked the downfall of King Louis XVI and marked the beginning of a new era in France’s history. One not sprinkled in glorious battles and momentous triumphs as will be seen in the Napoleonic era but one filled with senseless executions by the blade of the Guillotine and a new and brief period of ‘terror’ with the influence of Maximilien Robespierre.

To denounce Maximilien Robespierre as the perpetrator of terror and as the ‘villain’ in the aftermath of the revolution would be unwise. Robespierre merely represented the thoughts and feelings of a majority(or minority, depending on which perspective one takes) of the French public. His actions reflected the judgement of the people and whilst his actions led to the death of roughly sixteen thousand people, it must be noted (to remain unbiased) that at that time France was in turmoil, the atmosphere in Paris reflected the atmosphere in Russia during the late 1930’s .The purges were com...

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...evolution Voices from a momentous speech 1789-1795. Singapore, Guild Publishing.

Websites

1. Good reads (author not mentioned), G.R. (2012), Quotes about the French Revolution,[Good Reads], (Website: www.goodreads.com), (URL: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?id=french-revolution), 6/5/12

2. Victor Hugo, V.H (unknown) The French revolution the Terror, [The French revolution]. (Website: www.mtholyoke.edu),

(URL: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/kat_anna/lesmis1.html) 14/5/12

3. T. G. Pearson, (2011) The Popular Movement during the French Revolution: A Note on Recent Work, [Labour History], (Website: www.jstor.com), (URL:http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/27507758?uid=3737536&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=50221840154377 ) 17/5/12

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