Events that happen throughout history can greatly affect the future. Just one event can spark the beginning of another event which leads to another, and so on and so forth. It can have a domino effect that leads up to things that happen today. One big event that occurred during the 18th century was the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a series of events that would lead to the next. It started out with bread riots and eventually led to the death of the King and Queen. One event that happened during the French Revolution was called The Reign of Terror. This was a point in which Maximilien Robespierre and few other members of the Committee of Public Safety took over to rule France during the revolution. This time was called “The Reign of Terror” because they used terror to control the people. Using terror in a government system is going to lead to a lot of terrible things. The Reign of Terror had a big impact on Western Civilization, mostly France, because it was a time of equal rights, there was no Absolute Monarchy, and it lead to the ruling of better government.
Part II: Background Information
The Reign of Terror was part of an even bigger event, The French Revolution. Events that happened in the French Revolution lead up the Reign of Terror. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were the rulers at the time when the revolution started. The revolution started because the majority of people in France no longer wanted to have an Absolute Monarchy. The bread prices were terrible, there was an unfair estate system, and the taxes and economy were bad. Not too long after the revolution started, one political party called the Girondins took control and led the revolution.
The Moderates lasted about tw...
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...poleon was one of the greatest things that happened to France because his laws and codes that he made when he was the Emperor affected countries all around the world (Defronzo, 286). And while his laws did not consistently and continuously stay in France, some similar ideas came and went throughout the rest of the history of France.
All of these points come together to show how important and significant The Reign of Terror was. It was a big part of the French Revolution which was an even bigger part of European history because it involved so many other countries as well. It sets examples for other countries as well as the future people of France. The Reign of Terror was definitely one of the more important events to happen in France’s history because of establishing equality, getting rid of the monarchy and giving Napoleon the perfect time to rise to power.
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.
Outside threats from foreign countries did in no way justify the acts of the Reign of Terror. Foreign countries such as Austria and Prussia had reason to act. If they didn’t access the situation quickly, the revolution would spread to their countries and their people would also rebel. Austria itself was worried about the safety of Louis XVI’s wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, who was a daughter in the Austrian royal family (Doc. B). They had reason to
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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
The French Revolution was full of bloodshed and hurt. Even though many think that the French Revolution did nothing, there are many important events that took place. Much of what we have today is in place, because of how the French Revolution ended. As a new empire was rising up, a leader was called forth to unify the rebellious parties of the dissipating French Revolution. Many will argue that the acts of this man were at first of great benefit to his country, but then were made to feed his yearn for power and total dominance of Europe. This man was named Napoleon Bonaparte; however, he will later be known as Napoleon I Emperor of France. Napoleon; however, was not the first to be leader of the revolution, he was one of
Was the Terror of 1793/4 inherent from the revolutions outset or was it the product of exceptional circumstance?
Although, the Reign of Terror was seen as a way to let the revolution live and was well supported it was not justified. Because the internal threats propagated radicalism, the external threats raged and became stronger, and the methods became chaotic the Reign of Terror extended its stay in France until the death of the powerful leader Robespierre. The Reign of Terror was an outreach to gain rights but during this period they were taken away until the fateful day of Robespierre’s death ending the Terror.
Political factors, whilst somewhat significant in contributing to the causes of the French Revolution, cultural, social as well as economic factors were equally if not more crucial in causing the French Revolution. Whilst political factors highlighted the weaknesses of the French Monarch system and ultimately led to the establishment of the First Republic in France, it was only partially responsible for the overthrow of the monarchy. Conversely, cultural and social factors led to significant events such as the Storming of the Bastille, March upon Versailles, Flight to Varennes as well as the Reign of Terror. Moreover, economic factors such as France’s financial crisis and bankruptcy prompted significant events such as the meeting of the Estates
The first reason the Reign of Terror was not justified was because of the internal conflicts in France. The people
The French Revolution started in 1787 because the country was going through financial difficulties and there was unrest between the classes of citizens in the country. The differences between the lower class citizens and higher classes, being nobles and the monarchy were great. The citizens had heard of the revolution that went on in the colonies and they also wanted freedom and independence. The real start of the French Revolution was on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille. Between 1789 1793, a constitution was written, feudalism was abolished, war had broken out, and King Louis XVI was put to death. In late 1793 and early 1794, Maximilien Robespierre became the head of the Committee of Public Safety in France. This was the new governing body in France; it could be compared to the executive branch of a government. Robespierre was a great leader, he ins...
The French Revolution was caused by inherent problems within France like the social inequality, inefficient monarchy and the financial crisis and was fueled by the Enlightenment ideas. Perhaps it could have been entirely avoided if the monarchy worked harder to reform the country before it was too late or perhaps this would have just postponed the revolution. Either way, it is undeniable that the French Revolution had far-reaching effects. It inspired later revolutions and gave birth to a host of new ideas about an individual’s rights and a country’s obligations to its citizens.
They entered a war amongst each other because lower class was challenging the government, which concluded to many people fleeing France to go to Britain and Austria. The king of France, Louis XVI, was charged with treason and guillotined, causing the Reign of Terror, which took place when Maximilien de Robespierre tried to kill over 17000 men and women. As the country of France was declining in government and economy General Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor and fifteen years after the French Revolution, France was ruled under a dictatorship (“French Revolution”). The French Revolution was inspired by the Enlightenment and Declaration of Independence because just as the Americans, the French had been fighting for freedom from the monarchy for not supporting the country of France during a period of debt. The Revolution was based from the ideas of both the Enlightenment and the Declaration of Independence derived from John Locke’s ideals of government. This includes how the people should have a representative in the government and if they are unhappy with the government, they are able to break away to start a new one. In the end, the French had lost the Revolution by having a democratic government, which later transcended into a dictatorship (“Enlightenment
It is evident that these three reasons are the main causes that led to the French revolution and the downfall of the French monarchial system. The ineffectiveness of the King Louis and Marie Antoinette being the main reason since it was because of it that led to the dissatisfaction of the peasants, which led them to seeking better systems and laws in the Enlightenment. It was all these reasons combined together that ultimately led to the destruction of the old regime and the French Revolution.
As the Reign of Terror continued on, the gap between the right and wrong gradually began to widen. Those who stood for the revolution, particularly peasants, began to find themselves stretched between liberty and oppression. The Reign of Terror began by striking fear into the hearts of citizens and those who led it could find no other way to establish their reign. The revolution had continued on for long enough, and observers from the outside were waiting for France to mend the wounds that continued to fester.
The French Revolution had many causes. According to the historian, French people revolted because they were, “intelligent, free, and prosperous to be critical of the existing conditions.” In other words, this historian is saying that the people of France knew what was going on in their country. I agree with this historian and this quote. There were conditions that existed in France the people were aware of. The ideas of the Enlightenment, social classes, and tax system contributed to the French Revolution. The French Revolution was based mostly on the Third Estate’s desire to obtain liberty and equality.