Twelve Who Ruled – Why Tenacious Terror was Necessary

In the year 1793-94, the Reign of Terror invoked by the twelve members of Committee of Public Safety (CPS) was unavoidable and led the way for a metamorphosis to occur within France during the French Revolution. While the word terror is often associated with Halloween or stories meant to be frightening for fun, the word held a far more serious meaning to the people of France. The theme of fear allowed the CPS members to change the monarchy to a revolutionary government in hopes of eventually enacting the constitution already written (75).

A group of well-educated radical republicans known as the Jacobins developed the CPS in the fifth year of the French revolution and each of the twelve members dealt with a monthly election to continue governing France (72). During this time, France and its people required assistance. The monarchy that controlled France eight centuries earlier ignored and heavily taxed the lower/middle class inhabitants (the san-culottes) who ironically happened to be the majority and poorest. The purpose of the CPS was to establish the rights and privileges to the middle and lower class only the nobility and clergy relished. While the nobles endured the negative consequences of the revolution and wars from the previous years, most of the nation dealt with the affects much more severely. One of the major duties as the new revolutionary government included repairing the damage imbued by the monarchial previously in power. Other agendas included supervising the Revolutionary Armies, along with the generals of the real armies working to purge France of impending invaders and the distribution of food supplies and necessities to live (74). The CPS never intended a revolutionary government to be a permanent solution,...

... middle of paper ...

...bespierre predicted that it would create a gateway for another chapter to begin involving the French Revolution, military dictatorship (372). The steps for France to become an independent republic definitely were not easy, but without these transitions, the nation would have taken much longer to progress.

In society today, it is difficult to believe that violence and terror would be essential for anything other than entertainment. Unfortunately, in order to triumph as an independent nation, viciousness is often unavoidable and only used as the final resort. As discussed in class, other countries recently have been trying to or are obtaining the sovereignty so easy to take for granted. While the development may not be the same as the French Revolution, the terror produced by the Committee of Public Safety heeds a warning to the ones who seek revolutionary freedom.