Causes of Reign of Terror
Various factors beyond Robespierre’s policies influenced the Reign of Terror. These factors can be examined under different categories:
- Threats of Foreign Invasion: The Pillintz Declaration in August 1791 created a fear among the French.
- Declaration of War: The Jacobins and Girondins declared war against Austria and Prussia in 1792, leading to the War of the First Coalition.
- Jacobins: Radicals led by Maximilien Robespierre who believed that aristocracy and other counter-revolutionaries would be against the momentum of the revolution.
- Girondins: An informal alliance of the southwestern Gironde region that supported the revolution but opposed increasing violence and wanted a decentralized constitutional solution.
- Popular Pressure: The Sans-culottes, working-class revolutionaries, demanded the expulsion of 29 Girondins whom they considered too moderate. They exerted pressure on the National Convention for reforms to uplift the poor.
- Religious Conflict: The Civil Constitution of the Clergy in July 1790 rejected Catholicism, transforming priests into state-salaried civil servants.
- Enlightenment Influence: Robespierre believed that achieving the government’s duty towards the general public required eliminating those he deemed tyrants fighting against the virtues of the French Revolution and the government’s honor.
Reign of Terror – Origin, Causes, & Effects
The Reign of Terror was a period during the French Revolution that took place between September 1793 to July 1794. Extreme violence and mass executions were a part of Maximilien Marie Isidore de Robespierre’s strict policy of control and punishment. The reign of terror targeted perceived enemies of the revolution which involved various counter-revolutionaries and suspected traitors. All those considered enemies of the republic, members of other political parties, and even those of the same party who did not agree with Robespierre’s methods were charged. Thousands of aristocrats, clergymen, and ordinary citizens were executed by guillotine. This period ended with the fall of Robespierre and the Thermidorian reaction in July 1794.
Furthermore, let us dive into a detailed understanding of the Reign of Terror and the relevant figures involved in it.
Table of Content
- Origin of Reign of Terror
- Causes of Reign of Terror
- Major Tools of Terror
- Maximilien Robespierre
- End of Reign of Terror
- Aftermath of the Revolution
- Present-day Context
- Conclusion
- FAQs: Reign of Terror
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