Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror, occurring from September 5, 1793, to July 27, 1794, was a tumultuous period during the French Revolution characterized by mass executions and arrests of those suspected of opposing the revolutionary government. Led by the Committee of Public Safety, under Maximilien de Robespierre, the government sought to eliminate perceived threats to the revolution, resulting in an estimated 17,000 official executions, with thousands more imprisoned and many dying in custody. The guillotine became a symbol of this violent phase, illustrating the extreme measures taken to enforce loyalty to revolutionary ideals.
The context for this upheaval stemmed from deep societal divisions in France, where the lower classes had long suffered under an absolute monarchy and feudal system. The revolution aimed to provide greater rights and representation for the Third Estate, which included peasants and the bourgeoisie. However, as the revolution progressed, fear and paranoia led to a breakdown of civil rights, with accusations of disloyalty resulting in swift and often fatal consequences.
The Reign of Terror ended with Robespierre's own execution, a reflection of the chaotic environment he helped create. The aftermath saw a significant loss of life among common citizens, contributing to economic turmoil and a pervasive sense of insecurity, highlighting the tragic irony that those meant to benefit from the revolution often became its primary victims. This period remains a complex and critical moment in the history of France, fostering discussions about justice, power, and the consequences of radical political movements.
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror, also known as "La Terrierre," was the purge of French citizens suspected of opposing the French Revolution. From September 5, 1793, until July 27, 1794, the revolutionary government in Paris organized the Committee of Public Safety to counter those against the revolution and dispose of them. Thus was unleashed unabated mayhem that for ten months saw many killed and jailed through a judiciary process that demanded exoneration or execution without any public trial or legal procedures other than a jury to decide the defendant’s fate. The situation rapidly deteriorated into chaotic violence with the guillotine playing a pivotal role in many executions. The number of official executions is believed to be approximately 17,000 with another 10,000 who died following imprisonment. Between 300,000 and 500,000 people were arrested and jailed during the Reign of Terror. King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, were among the first victims.
Background
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was the French people's reaction to the oppression and discrimination by the upper and ruling classes. For centuries the French were ruled by an absolute monarch, who was believed to have been entrusted with divine power. Baldus de Ubaldis, the fourteenth-century Italian lawyer, wrote of the king being God incarnate for the subjects of his kingdom, deserving obeisance on Earth as God is worshipped in heaven. This belief, called Rex Christianissimus, placed the king and the church above the common man who was considered far inferior. The poor were taxed heavily, so that the monarch would have the ability to live a lavish lifestyle. Prior to the revolution, the lower classes, which consisted of the peasants and bourgeoisie (also known as the Third Estate), had almost no representation in government and had abided by the feudal system that had the lower classes owning land as vassals for noblemen in exchange for military service. Even though many of the laws that made up the feudal system were abolished by the eve of the revolution, the social rift between the classes still lingered in what has been called a "feudal society." This discrepancy created tension among the French that led to the lower classes storming the Bastille fortress to procure weapons and gunpowder and start the popular revolt. One of the main objectives of the revolutionaries was to draft a constitution limiting the power of the king. To this end, the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) was formed and lasted from June 17, 1789, until July 9 of that same year. An attempt was made to make a commonly accepted constitution that would grant the peasants and the lower classes more rights and equal representation in the formation of national laws. The nobles watched the proceedings warily and realized that if they were to stay in France, their lives and property would not be spared. The Great Fear (la Grande Peur) ensued, hastening the emigration of the French elite.
Impact
Eventually, a constitution was drafted, albeit not to the liking of the extreme revolutionaries. They were followers of Maximilien de Robespierre and his rationalist approach that placed patriotism above all else. He had declared "Louis (XVI, the king of France) must die for the revolution to live." Robespierre and his followers had decided that bloodshed was unavoidable, and that there were no other means to effectively achieve the goals of the revolt. They took this philosophy a step further and determined that anyone who did not actively support the rebels was, by his silence, supporting the king and deserving death. Thus began the reign of terror as Robespierre took to the streets of Paris to search for members of the clergy and nobles and their supposed supporters. King Louis the XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were convicted of treason and executed by the guillotine, a device in which a weighted blade is dropped on the victim's neck, causing immediate death by beheading. Many times there was a wicker basket on the other side of the device in which to catch the head. The Committee of Public Safety, with Robespierre as its chief, terrified the nobles, priests, and common man, as all were game to be accused of not possessing enough fervor in support of the revolt. The reign of terror came to an abrupt end ten months after its inception with the trial and execution of Robespierre himself, after the French public had had enough of his excessive condemnations that led to the executions of his closest friends and political cronies. On July 28, 1794, Maximilien de Robespierre was guillotined.
The aftermath of the reign of terror was particularly devastating because those who were trusted to be the leaders of the revolution were now dead and gone. The reign of terror was meant to purge France of the nobles and to elevate the everyman, but tragically, 80 percent of those executed were of the Third Estate, the lowest social standing. Many of those executed were not openly for or against the revolution but were killed because of their silence, exacerbating the fear in the street. The decimation of the commoners contributed to a growing fiscal crisis. Many of those murdered were farmers and merchants who traded in the local market, and the dearth of agricultural goods led to rising prices and a scarcity of food.
Another effect of the rabid violence was that the general public became aware that its own safety was in jeopardy, no matter which side of the revolution one was on. For the remainder of the war, the prime concern of the people was the protection of their physical well-being, even when it came into conflict with following the newly minted constitution and its democratic principles. The people's fear of anarchy led to authoritarian actions that seemed at odds with people's right to fair trial. In repressing looting, riots, and even public gatherings, excessive military force was used due to paranoia of another round of terror. This fear did not abate until the end of the revolution and the rise of the dictatorship and relative safety under Napoleon Bonaparte.
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