Events of the Terror September 1793

Question 1

When did manual workers spontaneously demonstrate?

Answer 1

September 4th

Question 2

Describe the events of September 4th

Answer 2

• Manual workers demonstration for higher wages and more bread
• Hebert persuades them to reassemble the next day
• Herbert and allies used their official powers to close all workplaces the next day

Question 3

When did the sans-culottes march on the Convention?

Answer 3

September 5th

Question 4

What 3 things did the sans-culottes demand?

Answer 4

• Higher wages
• Lower bread prices
• An attack on those oppressing the people

Question 5

What promise were the Convention forced to make in response to the S-C?

Answer 5

• Action against grain-hoarders and counter-revolutionaries

Question 6

Which two activists were allowed to join the CPS by the Convention?

Answer 6

Billaud-Varenne and d’Herbois

Question 7

When was the legislation introducing the revolutionary army introduced?

Answer 7

September 9th

Question 8

What did the S-C hope to use the armées revolutionaires for?

Answer 8

• Force farmers to surrender grain
• Attack hoarders
• To be raised in Paris and provinces
• Members paid, armed and placed under military command

Question 9

When was the Law of Suspects passed?

Answer 9

September 17th

Question 10

What was the Law of Suspects? Who could be arrested?

Answer 10

• Redefined “suspect”
• Anybody could be arrested who “either by their conduct, their contacts, their words or their writings, showed themselves to be supporters of tyranny, or federalism, or to be enemies of liberty”
• Former nobles “who have not constantly manifested their attachment to the revolution”
• Nobles, émigrés’ relatives, officials who had been removed from office, officers suspected of treason and hoarders
• Watch committees (est. March) had to draw up lists of suspects, issue warrants for arrest and give their list to the CGS

Question 11

When was the New Law of the General Maximum passed?

Answer 11

September 29th

Question 12

What was the General Maximum? Examples? What happened to those who breached this law?

Answer 12

• Replaced the law passed in May which hadn’t worked well
• Imposed a maximum price on a wide range of goods defined as of first necessity
• E.g. food, drink, fuel, clothing, tobacco, grain, meat, flour, onions, soap, firewood, leather and paper
• Also imposed wage regulations
• Those who sold above the maximum would be fined and placed on list of suspects

Question 13

What were the events leading up to September that spurred on the Terror?

Answer 13

• 1973 Summer had weeks of hot weather so although there was good harvest, watermills had drought so flour was scarce = no bread
• In August, all basic goods had risen in
  price since June; soap was up x3
• Constant rioting in capital due to grain shortages and unemployment
• July 13th Corday (moderate Girondin) murdered the radical journalist Marat = angered S-C

Question 14

When was the Committee of Public Safety (CPS) established?

Answer 14

1793 April 6th

Question 15

What was the CPS est. for?

Answer 15

• To defend the nation against its foreign and domestic enemies
• To oversee the already existing organs of executive government

Question 16

How were members of the CPS appointed?

Answer 16

Elected by National Convention for one month and were eligible for re-election

Question 17

How did events regarding CPS leading up to and during September contribute to the terror?

Answer 17

• April-July, CPS dominated by Danton and his followers whose policies were moderate and reconciliatory but failed to deal with the precarious military situation
• In July, more determined and radical men replaced them in defence of the Revolution like Robespierre
• From September onwards, CPS was composed of the same men (except for de Sechelles who was guillotines in April 1974) and controlled France; they dominated the National Convention and relied on the support of Jacobins