Analyze the events or factors that you believe were the most significant causes of the Reign of Terror.

The Reign of Terror seemed to be the only thing that could help achieve some sort of equality between the Three Estates. Before the Reign of Terror, the Third Estate was the most financially unstable out of all three estates. Despite this, they were the only one burdened with the mandatory payment of taxes. Due to Louis XVI’s constant spending and a horrible drought, food prices rose and the entire country was deep in debt, with the Third Estate struggling more and more at every occasion he carelessly gave out currency. With no other options, people decided to take up arms against the Revolution. Every riot or problem that revolutionaries caused was most likely justified in some way because their needs were never accounted for. The Reign of Terror was justified.

← Doyle, William. The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 2001

The Reign of Terror was not justified because it created internal threats.‘‘The levee en masse was a military draft imposed by the Revolutionary Government’’ On one occasion, a crucifix was even taken from

The extent of killing has not gone too far in order to achieve purposes in the government during the Reign of Terror. Whereas, absolute monarchies have ruled for years with little considerations for the people that they reign over since a change was necessary to switch the point of views of the higher estates, which were the noblemen, clergy, and royal men. The radical attempts began with Robespierre with calls for blood throughout the state to rid the enemies. Since the people were being ignored the Reign of Terror included accepted methods of terror by the Pro Revolutionary thinkers, the external and internal threats that pushed forth a needed defense for the government, and the ideals of the revolution that were the reasons why the revolution even began, thus the Reign of Terror is justified.

The French Revolution is arguably the bloodiest period in French history, with men such as Maximilien Robespierre leading the country into a situation of state sponsored terror. Originally being quite a liberal thinker inspired by the works of Rousseau, Robespierre quickly gained a reputation for being a radical throughout the course of the Revolution, especially during the Terror. Early on terror was justified as a means to root out foreign and domestic enemies of the Revolution, however; once the foreign threat had been taken care of it became increasingly difficult for Robespierre to rationalize his use of terror to bring about a supposed Republic of Virtue. In his speech, the “Justification of the use of Terror” which he presented to

Timothy Tackett’s book When the King Took Flight focuses on arguably the most consequential event in the French Revolution. King Louis XVI and his family’s attempt to escape France would influence an atmosphere of violence that would only continue to worsen. King Louis XVI regretted signing and accepting the Civil Constitution of the Clergy earlier in July 1790. Deciding to flee the country he assumed that through foreign intervention or negotiating he could change parts of the constitution he disagreed with. However he would be recognized and captured in Varennes. The king underestimated the true meaning and appeal of the revolution (87). His misunderstanding of the revolution led the way for the destruction of kingship and the monarchy itself. This decision had given power to the sans-culottes and the idea of a republic. While the kings flight to Varennes had many unintended consequences it serves as a crucial turning point for the revolution.

“Europe cannot conceive of life without Kings and nobles; and we cannot conceive of it with them. Europe is lavishing her blood to preserve her chains, whereas we are lavishing ours to destroy them”(Maximilien Robespierre). For centuries upon centuries, the monarchal system had dominated European life. The very nature of this method of rule incited rebellious feelings, as a definite imbalance of power was present. Understandably, people under this system had risen against authority. The glorious nation of France was no exception. The eighteenth century brought about a great deal of economic and social turmoil. By the end of this one hundred year period, rebellion had been talked about by many citizens for quite some time. However,

(Doc F) As all hell broke loose within France it was the cause of the Reign of Terror which overall, was not justified.

This book is divided into nine chapters, from the Ancien Regime to the Thermidor and the Director. There are essential maps with the years and the page number, such as France in 1789. France were divided between Pays D’états such Rennes or Toulouse and Pays d’élections such as Ile-de-France or Normandy. Also, there were seat of parlement all around the coast or borders. Neely gave us a list of important figures in the French Revolution such as the Jacobins Club or Robespierre.

When analyzing the French Revolution, the idea of political transformation and citizen involvement play a huge role in actually understanding how the revolution altered from enlightened conversations in salons to its completion, resulting from the French “voice” uniting to halt The Terror that Paris had become. Reflecting back on this event, historians still debate on the specific moment this aristocratic revolution of 1789 turned into the blood-bath radical revolution due to the momentum and contingency that each event has on the overall Revolution. The two authors, Jeremy Popkin, and Timothy Tackett, explain their historical opinion on this period of French history, in which both share a similar

The bloodiest revolution in history, the French Revolution, is distinguished in three parts. The final part: the reign of terror was from 1793-1794, beginning with the Girondins' fall of power and the Jacobins’ rise to power. The leader of the radical Jacobins was Maximilien Robespierre, an extremist who advocated for equality, liberty, and service to the country but ended up becoming a dictator and leading the reign of terror (Kekes). Robespierre had good ideas, he believed in equality for everyone and fought for slaves, but the ends do not justify the means. Maximilien Robespierre’s involvement in the French Revolution only resulted in extreme carnage and an unsuccessful revolution because of his obstinate decisions towards the guillotine

In this essay I shall try to find whether the Terror was inherent from the French revolutions outset or was it the product of exceptional circumstances. The French revolution is the dividing line between the Ancien Regime and the modern world. After France the hierarchy that societies of the time had been founded on began to change and they began to sweep away the intricate political structures of absolute monarchy, but however to achieve this was the Terror absolutely necessary? And was it planned/ or was it just the extraordinary circumstances, which the French had lead themselves into once they had deposed of Louis the

The French Revolution began in 1789 as an attempt, by the revolutionaries, to form a new government that would give the people more liberty, equality and value people’s rights. Between 1793 and 1794 the government used extreme ways to achieve their goals. This period of time, led by Robespierre, was called the reign of Terror because between 20,000-40,000 french people were killed by the government forces. The Reign of Terror was not justified for three reasons:The external and internal threat did not deserve it, they denied natural rights against people who opposed them and the methods of the Terror were too extreme.

From a timeline of the Reign of Terror, in 1789 the French country had an absolute monarchy. Then in 1792, the goal of having a Constitutional Republic was completed (Document B). From 843 AD to 1792 France had a monarchy and the move from a monarchy to a republic was a huge step in the right direction for France. The Reign of Terror was necessary to help the change become smoother because there was a strong revolutionary government and had a humane way of keeping the government alive by killing some of the enemy “citizens”. One of the leaders of this revolutionary government was Maximilien Robespierre, he believed that the most effective way of governing, comes from the people. In 1794, he made a Report of the Principles of Public Morality to the National Convention. His most powerful weapon, wasn’t the guillotine, but his words. He describes how one must finish fighting for liberty against tyranny to complete a revolution and to complete the goal of having a Constitutional Republic. He also reports that the only citizens in a republic, are republicans, so the conspirators are no longer citizens, but enemies (Document G). Some of these enemies are the nobility and the clergy, because they only wanted what was best for them and their social groups, not what was best for the Republic. The fight against tyranny was not over till there were only republicans in the republic. The government leaders and courts made sure of this by using the guillotine. By getting rid of their enemies, France had a Constitutional Republic after the Reign of Terror. This is justified because the Constitutional Republic’s leaders were making sure that they got rid of all the Republic’s enemies and keeping their government safe, just like countries want to do

The French Revolution began as an expression of rebellion against centuries of absolute rule in France. After an interim of experimental liberalism under the rule of Jacobins and Girondins and then the infamous reign of terror, the people of French were drawn to a man who promised them a return to stability, and  honor through the expansion of empire. France and it’s people had long yearned for this sens eof honour, it had seemed, and could finally sens eit in a lasting rpesence under the rule of their prodigious, unbeatable general, Napoleon Bonaparte. He would soon take the reigns of civil government as well and become yet another Absolutist ruler, yet this