The French Revolution, a period of radical social and political upheaval, is often associated with the ideals of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity," yet whether the actions of the French people during this time upheld or betrayed these principles remains a complex and contested question. The French Revolution, a pivotal moment in European history, began in 1789 and lasted until the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte in the late 1790s. It was characterized by the dismantling of traditional institutions such as the absolute monarchy and the feudal system. It was inspired by Enlightenment ideals such as popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. The Revolution's motto of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" encapsulated its guiding principles. However, …show more content…
Maximilien Robespierre was a key figure in the Reign of Terror and the leader of the Committee of Public Safety. He justified the use of terror by arguing that it was necessary to "weed out" those who threatened the Revolution and the principles of equality and democracy. According to Robespierre, the use of terror was a necessary means of achieving the revolutionary goals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. However, the use of terror to achieve these goals directly contradicts the principle of Liberty, which was one of the central ideals of the French Revolution. Liberty was supposed to guarantee individual freedoms and rights, including the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The use of terror, which involved the arbitrary detention, trial, and execution of individuals without evidence or due process, was a clear violation of these principles. The Reign of Terror was a period of extreme violence and repression in France, during which thousands of people were executed for supposed crimes against the Revolution. Many of these people were innocent and had no connection to counter-revolutionary activity. The use of terror in this way revealed a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the revolutionary movement. The pursuit of revolutionary ideals, including Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, could come at the cost of individual rights and freedoms. Document 2 provides further evidence of the suppression of individual rights and freedoms
Robespierre led the French Revolution known as “The Reign of Terror”. The new government would execute large numbers of individuals whom they believed to be enemies of the revolution. So, the Reign of Terror was unjustified, for it not only violated the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen in multiple cases, specifically articles two and ten, but also caused the death of thousands. Although the Committee of Public Safety had good intentions, it ended up doing more harm than good as they invaded people’s lives and disregarded their rights as human beings.
While in reality, it was used by Robespierre as a way to build upon and strengthen his power. Instead of working on the democratic ideals of liberty and equality that he spoke of in public, Robespierre used the Terror to execute or imprison thousands of people who he viewed as a threat. “Robespierre's Justification Source B: Maximilien Robespierre, speech to the National Convention, “On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy” After Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo, he was exiled from France. So now with France without a leader, the Congress of Vienna is seeking to put a king back in power in France, and resume the
Later in time, Maximilian Robspere came to power and started the reign of terror. Under his leadership and his Committee of Public Safety, tens of thousands deemed enemies of the revolution lost their lives on the guillotine. Shortly after, Robespierre himself was arrested and guillotined, accused of leading France into tyranny and dictatorship. The French Revolution was inspired by the right to change a non beneficial leader and resist
The main goal for the “Reign of Terror” was to get rid of Frances enemies of the war that was happening and protect the country from foreign invaders. There was another name for the “Reign of Terror” it was “The Terror.” This happened during the “French Revolution” between the ninth month of later seventeen hundred and the seventh month of the later seventeenth hundred. The Government decided to make the “Terror” the order of the day on September fifth. This was against those suspected of being enemies or against them.
Birthed from a multitude of causes including the execution of the king, the momentum and arbitrariness of the Revolution, and fear of counter-revolution, Terror itself, became synonymous with the Revolution. Questioning of the Terror thus was equivalent to questioning the Revolution- a crime which carried life sanctions. The Reign of Terror’s pervasive and tyrannic movement infiltrated the nation and claimed over 50,000 lives of conceived counter-revolutionaries, inclusive of Source B’s orator, Antoine Barnavare. Jean Paul-Marat’s emotive speech reinstates the New Order “crush us in the name of justice, they load us with irons in the name of liberty”, perpetuating the development of the Revolution from moral to tyrannical. With the guidance of both Source A and Source B, the first having addressed feudal and monarchical injustices’ committed against the people, and the second- the people's retaliation, to growing extremes, the development of the French Revolution can be traced efficaciously.
The Reign of Terror in France was not justified. This claim can be supported by looking at three areas: external threat, the internal threat, and the methods. The external threat was not enough to justify the Reign of Terror. One example of this is that “churches are soon closed by revolutionary government” which is wrong, because people should be able to choose what they believe in (Document A). Another example is that the “Government denies legal counsel to accused enemies of the revolution” (Document A).
France, a country of rich history, culture and beauty. Although France has not always been the poised country, its culture and public perception has shaped our perception of France into a world apart from our own. Outsiders sometimes seem to forget what France really was 300 years ago, but the story stays alive in the hearts of French natives. The “Reign Of Terror” is one of France’s most significant events because it corrupted Frances rights and shaped France into the strong nation it is today. Constant debate floats around in classrooms with the question “Is the “Reign Of Terror” justified?”
The Reign of Terror was a climatic event of violence that insured the death of many people. The Reign of Terror was one of the most historical events during the French Revolution because it helped save France from invasion by other countries, and in that sense preserved the Revolution. During this time, there were many public executions and mass killings of suspects in September 1793 through July 1794. In total 300,00 people were arrested, 17,000 were executed, and 10,000 presumably died in prison. The Reign of Terror was also organized by the twelve-man committee of safety.
The Reign of Terror In September 1793 to July 1794, the Reign of Terror killed over 40,000 people in France using the guillotine a machine that made it a simple way to execute a mass amount of people. The Reign of Terror was led by no other than , Robespierre. He was trying to form a new government but instead caused thousands of people to be massacred. Ultimately, The Reign of Terror in France was not justified because the threats did not require it, the methods were too extreme and It did not support the ideals of the revolution.
The Reign of Terror was ultimately unjust because the promises for a democracy were put to the side due to a desire for power. It was inhumane to murder a colossal amount of people based on accusations and from being blinded from greediness. The Reign of Terror stripped the people of humanity for they were killed ruthlessly and thrown out of the people’s lives without thought. “[The king’s] blood flowed and cries of joy from eighty thousand armed men struck my ears… I saw
The use of terror during the French Revolution, from the years 1793 to 1794, marked a period in which the revolution moved to political extremes. Exactly when the Reign of Terror began is still a matter of historical debate. Some historians trace the Reign of Terror to the execution of King Louis XVI in January of 1793, while some tie it to the establishment of the Revolutionary Tribunal in March of 1793, or the forced removal of the Girondinists from the National Convention in June of 1793. Still other historians believe the murder of Jean-Paul Marat by a Girondin in July of 1793 was the key incident. While all of these events strongly influenced the use of terror, if the Reign of Terror could be traced to a defining moment, it might be
The Reign of Terror was led by Maximilien Robespierre, he violently suppressed counter-revolutionary forces within and outside the country. Did the French government have good reason to conduct a violent campaign to uphold the ideals of the French Revolution? The Reign of Terror was justified because of three reasons: the revolutionary
This is why it was called the terror. During the terror, the committee of public safety rose and it was held by Robespierre. Also in this year, about 40,000 people were killed and 85% were from the third
The French Revolution was undoubtedly influenced by the political theorists of the Enlightenment. The ideas of two French political theorists in particular are easily seen throughout the French Revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron Montesquieu. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts and texts, such as the Social Contract, instilled the entitlement of basic human rights to all men. Rousseau’s concepts on rights combined with Baron Montesquieu’s ideas on government provided the backbone of a radical movement in the French Revolution known as the Terror. When one delves into the beginnings of the French Revolution, the motives and actions of the National Assembly, and the Terror of the French Revolution, one can obviously see the influence of two Enlightenment political theorists, Rousseau and Montesquieu.