THE TERROR 1793-1794 Flashcards
(66 cards)
what happened on the 7th may 1794
- rob introduces the idea of a ‘supreme being’ and virtue to reform state religion
- it established a festival of supreme being, which supported a deist approach to religion to make the revolution more inclusive
- was also used as an excuse to reinstall patriotism - and flags to reinvigorate the nation to support republicanism and its ideals
- establishment of the idea of virtue
- ROB APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF THE CONVENTION
how was the terror justified from 1793-1794
- as a NECESSARY mechanism used to eradicate foreign and internal threats, allowing the republic to be one and indivisible, and pursue original revolutionary aims
describe the law of 22 prarial and its impact
- established on the 10th June 1794
- the government was able to prosecute people with not enough revolutionary excitement / enemies of the revolution
- allowed for faster trials, with no witnesses / evidence and death as the only punishment
- allowed for citizen involvement in the judicial process - increases foreign paranoia and induces fear
- over 1500 people were executed due to the law
- it removed politician immunity from prosecution - induce political fear
IMPACT:
- eradicated the potential for having a fair trial
- turns civilians against one another and increased paranoia
- however, it does amplify the voice that robespierre is becoming tyrannical
- lower reliance on revolutionary tribunals, justice was not administered properly
describe, give stats and explain the significance of the Federalist Revolts
DESCRIPTION:
- a series of revolts against radical Parisian revolutionaries, which were termed by the Jacobins as revolts (to be a piece of propaganda) to present such movements as anti-revolutionary
- on the 29th May, Jacobin leaders were forced out of these anti-revolutionary hotspots
- key example of reliance on the representatives on mission to enforce law and order
STATS / NAMES:
1. Lyons - unemployment of silk workers - mass unemployment at 50%
- conducted mass executions of 2000 people under FOUCHE (NAPOLEON MINISTER OF POLICE****)
2. Bordeaux
3. Marseille
4. Nantes region of the Vendee
- 50% of the population was slaughtered
- 2000-5000 people died in widespread slaughter and drownings under TURREAU
- army of 100,000 used by National Convention on the 6th September, after the Convention decreed a destruction of the Vendee
– 60/83 departments were in civil unrest - 8 in serious unrest
– representatives
- TOULON
- Toulon appeals to help from the First Coalition and supported a monarchy
- Convention hurridly sends a seige to the city to combat British presence, given that over 1/3 (26) of the French Navy was there - Nap takes in Dec 1793
SIGNIFICANCE:
- displayed widespread discontent and divisions in France, beyond local areas - much more amplified and contagious anti-government sentiment
- displayed the lack of overarching power of the government
- how foreign success would not distract from a desperate internal economy
- displays the level of polarization and lack of cohesion in French society, and the discontent at the purge of the Girondins - their support and how the republic was now divisible because of different political orientations
when did the terror shift from being an ORGANIC TERROR to being an ANARCHIC TERROR
- from the introduction of the law of suspects on the 17th september 1793
THIS IS BECAUSE…
- the terror became more chaotic and less strategic
- paranoia was induced within citizens themselves
- the CPS was sponsoring these bills and was expanding the powers of the key institutions of the terror (including tribunals, armies etc)
when was a maximum wage introduced in 1794 which angered the sans culottes
23rd july 1794
when were revolutionary armies disbanded
March 1794
examples of an improving war situation from september - december 1793, and their dates (external and internal war)
5 for external and 2 for internal
external:
- French victory at the Battle of Hondschoote in September 1793
- the Seige of Dunkirk is lifted in September 1793 by the British and Austrians
- French victory at Wattignies in 15th - 16th October 1793
- Napoleon drives the British out of Toulon - idea of their biggest enemy being driven out, installs confidence and pride
- the French defeat austrian rebels at Wörth in December 1793
internal:
1. French army of 18,000 win at the Battle of Savenay against the Catholic army of 6000 in the Vendee region (le mans) in December
2. defeat of rebels in the Vendee at Cholet
describe dechristianisation campaigns
- dechristianisation was declared an official policy in october 1793 and any religious imagery was removed to completely disassociate the revolution from its monarchist origins
- 17th nov = festival of liberty
- 23rd november = festival of reason
give statistics of the GREAT TERROR (4) and how it started
- over 85% of those executed were members of the third estate - original revolutionaries are now turning against the revolution, 40% of the bourgeoisie were accused of not being enthusiastic for the revolution - class based terror
- only 270 people were acquitted, compared to 1200 being killed
- 300-400 people were killed per day from june - july 1794
origins:
- the law of 22 prairial (june 10th 1794) decreased the threshold for what was an enemy of the revolution, and expanded the definition of a suspect - increasing power to rev tribunal and streamline justice procedure
what post did Danton hold before being executed
- minister for justice - idea of extreme revolutionary loyalty
why did Robespierre decide to purge the Girondin deputies from the 31st May - 2nd June 1793
- they opposed the execution of the King, instead supporting extradition
- supported a structure of federalism, which contradicts the wants of the sans culottes and jacobins who want more centralised power
- deemed as counter-revolutionaries (due to Dumouriez and the attempted indictment of Marat)
- hostile to price controls - they thought this would violate liberty and the free economy
- Marat’s newspaper - I’ami du People publishes that the Girondins only represent rich businessmen
how did the ambition and rivalry of politicians drive the terror in spring 1793 (6)
- the Duke of Orleans is arrested on April 6th
- the National Convention (especially girondins) vote to impeach Marat, claiming he called for violent insurrection – April 14th
—– the Revolutionary Tribunal acquit Marat (3/5 judges decide of his innocence) – April 24th
- this leaves the Sans Culottes happy
- the Girondins are presented as enemies of liberty - May 18th - Girondins establish the Commission of 12 to investigate anti-government activity - want to reinstall credibility — the commission is abolished on May 26th by Jacobins
- May 24th - Hebert is arrested by the Commission of 12 - released by pressure from the sans culottes
- establishment of the CPS on the 6th April 1793 – 12 men commission who work in secret, and have power over budgeting (around 100,000 livres a year)
how did the war accelerate the terror in winter 1793
- Austro-Prussian army push the french onto the river Rhine in October
- republican supporters recapture marseilles in October
- NOVEMBER = French are defeated by prussian’s in the Rhineland
how did political rivalry increase the terror from December 1793 - July 1794, with dates and statistics (6)
- 8th June 1794 - introduction of the cult of supreme being at the festival of supreme being, which advocated for republican virtue
- June 1794 - Robespierre gives a speech advocating for republican virtue, which gains significant traction among supporters and drowns out opposition by creating unity
- Law of 22 Prairal - convictions were made easier by simplifying the judicial process and eliminating potential enemies
- May 1794 - closure of provincial revolutionary tribunals, which were originally established on the 10th march 1793
- establishment of the GREAT TERROR
- 26th July 1794 - Robespierre gives a speech claiming to be rid of any impurities because people were conspiring against liberties
impact of the execution of the indulgents and hebertists
- growing political splits, as many members of the convention advocated for a moderation and reduction in the terror, yet they feared speaking out
- the expansive power of rob, couthon and saint just grew, which alienated the sans culottes in the CPS and more right wing figures (moderates)
- rob uses this power to launch massive de-corruption campaigns, in which 1000 are guillotined between march and june 1794
describe the downfall of Robespierre using dates
26th July - robespierre addresses the convention after being absent for weeks and having no input in the convention
- later on the 27th July, Saint-Just makes a speech listing the enemies of the revolution, during which Taillion interrupts and attacks Rob as conspiring against the revolution - similar to a speech he made in march 1794 in which he declares the indulgents and hebertists to be enemies
- the convention chants ‘down with the tyrant’ and rob is arrested, along with Saint Just
28th July - Robespierre is executed after a failed suicide attempt
when was the Coup of Thermidor
27th-28th July 1794
impact of the vendee uprisings and federalist revolts
- created a sense of urgency among the sans culottes
- exemplified the stark divides between and within french society - encouraged royalists to be more outspoken
- the sans culottes then pressurised the government (saint just and carnot) to legislate the levee on masse so people could rise up against their enemies (ie those participating in such events)
- levee of 300,000 men in march 1793
- convention send 30,000 men to pacify
- rebels seize loire, angers and head to le mans
- army of 100,000 arrive in september in nantes
how did a fear of counter revolution drive the terror from december 1793 to july 1794 and give the dates for these events (4)
- introduction of the law of 14 Frimaire on the 4th December 1793
- establishment of national agents who were used to promote pure revolutionary ideas on the 4th December
- introduction of the law of ventôse on the 26th feb which would take the land of counter-revolutionaries and promise old church land to patriots
- over 1000 people were killed from march to june 1794 in an attempt for the government to remove corruption and install purity
how did a fear of counter revolution drive the terror in summer 1793 (2)
- vendee uprising in march continues into the federalist revolts of the summer - in areas including Lyons, Marseille, Bordeaux etc - created a cycle of different departments expressing their opposition to the government, which increases revolutionary division – legitimised violence
- purge of the girondins of may/june 1793 - fearful that the revolution would become less radicalised, and they branded the girondins as the enemies of liberty – felt that any more power to the Girondins would erode liberty, threaten the momentum of the revolution and would inhibit the priorities of the Jacobins
how did economic problems drive the terror in spring 1793 (2)
- the value of the assignats declined further, leading to shortage of grain and flour – shortages lead to extreme hoarding — inflation occurs, as food prices increase by 90%
— the Convention is forced to appoint 82 Representatives on Mission on March 10th to deal with these threats - on the 3rd May, 8000 Sans Culottes surround the Convention and demand price controls on bread which led to price controls
—– May 4th 1793 - introduction of the first law of maximum (under pressure from the sans culottes) which introduced fixed grain prices
- example of radical economic measures being introduced to prevent hoarding
- political alignment between Jacobins and Sans Culottes
name the 2 sans culottes members added to the convention
- Billaud-Varennes
- d’Herbois
(note that Rob was added on 27th July 1793)
significance of political rivalry in accelerating the terror
- such differences in values between the Montagnards and the Girondins accelerates divisions and polarizes France
- each party becomes more willing to rely on violence to further their point and expand their power
- this also decreases freedom of expression