The Reign of Terror was a brutal period of political repression and mass executions that took place in France from September 1793 to July 1794 during the French Revolution. It was initiated by the Committee of Public Safety, a radical Jacobin faction led by Maximilien Robespierre, to eliminate all threats to the revolution. The Reign of Terror was marked by widespread surveillance, arbitrary arrests, hasty trials, and public executions by guillotine.
Here are the key points regarding the Reign of Terror:
1. Background: The Reign of Terror emerged as a response to internal and external threats faced by the French Revolution. The French were engaged in wars against several European countries, and there was growing fear of counter-revolutionary activities and plots.
2. Committee of Public Safety: The Committee of Public Safety was established in April 1793 and gradually became the most powerful governing body in France. It was dominated by radical Jacobins, with Robespierre as the leading figure.
3. Methods of Repression: The Committee of Public Safety implemented various measures to suppress dissent and opposition. They created the Revolutionary Tribunal, which conducted summary trials without due process. The Law of Suspects allowed for the arrest of anyone considered suspicious, and the Law of Maximum punished economic crimes severely.
4. Number of Victims: The exact number of victims during the Reign of Terror is uncertain. Estimates range from around 16,000 to 40,000 people. The guillotine became a symbol of the terror, and executions were often public spectacles.
5. End of the Reign of Terror: The Reign of Terror came to an end on 9 Thermidor, Year II of the French Republican Calendar (July 27, 1794). A group of moderate revolutionaries within the Convention, known as the Thermidorians, feared that Robespierre had become a dictator and turned against him.
6. Robespierre's Downfall: On 9 Thermidor, Robespierre and his close associates were arrested and put on trial without due process. They were found guilty and executed by guillotine the next day, effectively ending the Reign of Terror.
7. Aftermath: The Thermidorian Reaction followed the fall of Robespierre, where the Jacobins were purged from power, and a more moderate government was established. The excesses and violence of the Reign of Terror led to a backlash and a shift towards a less radical phase of the revolution.