Considered one of the most powerful empires in the 17th and 18th century, France underwent massive changes in its social, political and economical structure. In early 18th century it was governed by an oppressive feudal system of land-holding between 3 estates, which resulted in an unequal and unfair distribution of privilege and wealth (2005, Calum Crosbie). The 1st estate of clergy and the 2nd estate of nobility owned the majority of lands, held privileges like tax exemption and presided over the 3rd estate which consisted of everyone else. This system had been stable for a long time, mainly due to the illiteracy of the 3rd estate, but the rise of the middle class educated bourgeoisie meant perceptions were changing. By the late 18th century …show more content…
In defense to this France's constituent government issued a formal declaration of war against Austria and Prussia on April 20, 1792 (2016, M Issit). However France suffered defeats and the war had an adverse effect on the economy, with the currency value falling, prices rising further and food becoming in short supply. During this time there were emerging radical groups, intent on further revolution. In particular the Jacobins, who were led by Robespierre, advocating universal manhood suffrage, education for all and a secular state (2005, Calum Crosbie). Unrest in the city mounted high and the main constituent power the Girondists began to crumble under the pressure to the Jacobins, when they couldn’t tackle the problems presented. The King was also found out to be a traitor to the revolution leading to his execution. In September 1793, the Reign of Terror began. (2016, M Issit) This terror was led by the Jacobins, who were quickly rising in power, who used the Committee of Public Safety to attack any suspected anti-revolutionists by tribunal and execution. The numbers of the executed (many without trial) went up to 30,000, and this became known as the ‘September Massacres’ (2005, Calum Crosbie). The population eventually turned against Robespierre and the radical measures of the French government were
During the 1700s, France’s government was run by a three system estate system. The First Estate was made up by the powerful clergy members, while the Second Estate was made with nobles. Peasants and working men made the Third Estate, also the largest estate. In this large estate there was a little class named the Bourgeoisie was a part of the Third Estate. Though the Bourgeoisie was highly educated and always had stable professions, they were not set aside from the peasants. The Third Estate was treated very poorly during the 1700s. Life was not suitable for the working class. The mistreatment and inequality led to the French Revolution. Inequality during this time period meant that things were not the same throughout each class. Unequal power between the estates, abuse of the Third Estate, and the taxes and price raises were the three reasons that outweighed the many political, social, and economic factors that led to the French Revolution.
In the 1700s, France had a social and political system that divided the people into three social classes: the first estate, the second estate, and the third estate. The first estate consisted of the Roman Catholic Church’s clergy and made up one percent of France’s population. The second estate was made up of rich nobles and represented two percent of France’s population. The remaining ninety-seven percent of France’s population fell under the third estate. The third estate was also divided into three categories: the bourgeoisie, the workers in France’s cities such as tradespeople, apprentices, or laborers, and the peasants. The peasants formed the largest category in the third estate and made up eighty percent of France’s entire
The Reign of Terror began by the public beheading by guillotine of Louis XVI, This event took place on the 21st of January. As evidenced by Document F, An attendee says “The king’s blood flowed and cries of joy from eighty thousand armed men struck my ears. I saw people pass by arm in arm laughing and chatting familiarly as if they were at a festival.” (Document F.) This depicts the graphical display put on by the executioners. which is an example of the French government implementing fear tactics to rule over their people. Shortly after his wife Marie Antoinette was guillotined to death publicly. The Reign of Terror lasted 18 months. During this period a man named Maximilian Robespierre led the government. He executed a large number of people who he thought could be enemies or somewhat threats to his new fragile form of government. It was rumored that he had spies everywhere who would turn others in, just for not being enthusiastic about the revolutionaries form of government. also if an individual complained or made a comment pertaining negatively to life in France after the revolution they would be executed. His Reign of Terror not only focused upon the citizens of his country but it also focused upon specific groups. For example his Reign of Terror also focused upon the catholic church. The catholic church had been in power for a very long time, and had a very large influence on modern society and culture.
Robespierre created the Committee of Public Safety. Anyone who was considered enemy of the revolution had the tendency to be arrested, thousands of people died, the period from 5 September 1793 to 28 July 1794 was denominated Reign of Terror, the whole nation was mobilized for war, any invading army was defeated, the citizens started feeling increasingly insecure. The Jacobins did not accept any criticism; they were isolated from society, lost the support of the sans-culottes and attracted the rage of the bourgeoisie and the marsh. It was considered
“The execution of Louis XVI marked the beginning of an 18- month period of the French Revolution that has come to be called “The Reign of Terror” (Background Essay: Was it justified). The French revolution lasted from 1789 until 1794. During this period of time, the most terrifying part was the Reign of Terror. Even though some of the intentions from the Reign of Terror were good, it was a very destructive and unnecessary time.
The Reign of Terror, led by Robespierre, was a frightening period during the French Revolution that occurred to bring liberty, property, and equality to the citizens of France so they could live in peace within the government. The Reign of Terror began after the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793 to late July 1794. Between those 18 long months, more than 20,000 french citizens were put to the death by the guillotine; a machine used for beheading people. The threats, methods, and ideals are the reasons for why the Reign of Terror was not justified.
Whereas, claimed, “Austria and Prussia were monarchies and both were afraid that the revolution might spread to their countries, hence sent a 80,000- man army into France.” (Doc. C). Furthermore, the outsiders wanted to destroy this revolution springing for rights of man and fairer treatment, thus the radical killings through the Pro-Revolutionary people helped push back the tides from the armies attempting to eradicate them. Additionally, a counterrevolution was arising just the same within the French borders since stated, “People here fiercely fought against the military draft called the levee en masse and against laws,” which made purpose of the keepers of the revolution to unite and briefly display an essence of
During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries wanted to make a new government that would give the citizens more freedom, liberty, and equality. The Reign of Terror, led by Robespierre, was a period of the French Revolution during which many people were ruthlessly executed by the new government. This period of murder and blood shed started from the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793 to late July 1794 called the Reign of Terror. During those eighteen months, more than 20,000 French people were put to death by guillotine. The behavior by the revolutionaries in the French government was not justified for these three reasons: internal and external threats were not serious, the manipulation of the Committee of Public Safety and Maximilien Robespierre wasn’t for the benefit of the all the French citizen, and the uses of the death machine, the guillotine, was inhumane.
The Reign of Terror was a period of violence that succeeded the beginning of the French Revolution; it was caused by conflict between two rival political parties, and tens of thousands were executed by guillotine on account of being ‘enemies of the revolution’. The French Revolution started with the storming of the Bastille, and since then the government had been in a state of constant turmoil. Civil war broke out in multiple regions and various foreign countries started attacking France on all sides; a man named Maximilien Robespierre, who belonged to a radical group known as the Jacobins, saw his chance and seized the government along with his fellow extremists. The Jacobins felt that “it was their duty to preserve the revolution, even if it meant violence and terror” which
The Reign of Terror, a gruesome period during the French Revolution, stands as a stark reminder of the extremes to which political ideologies can lead. Initiated by the Committee on Public Safety, led by figures like Maximilien Robespierre, the Reign of Terror saw thousands of individuals executed under the guise of protecting the revolution. Despite claims of necessity for the revolution's survival, evidence suggests that the Reign of Terror was not justifiable, as it led to widespread violence, undermined the revolution's principles, and ultimately failed to achieve its objectives. One of the most compelling arguments against the justifiability of the Reign of Terror is the widespread violence it unleashed upon French society.
Initially, the methods of the Terror became too extreme as Robespierre’s thirst for blood and power grew. In October 1793, the pro-revolutionaries decided to make an example of the counterrevolutionaries by setting their homes on fire and chopped off 12 heads within five minutes. (Doc C) As a way to protest and change the society that most French despised government officials changed holidays, events, and the calendar. In 1793, a revolutionary campaign against the Catholic Church Sundays were abolished, Christmas, Easter, every Christian
The radical turning point of the revolution, marked by the Reign of Terror, was an atmosphere of mass executions and imposed paranoia, with more than ten thousand “counterrevolutionaries” (vaguely defined, which at the end turned out to be anyone with dissent) sent to death under the Law of Suspects. Robespierre himself states that “Terror is nothing but prompt, severe, inflexible justice; it is therefore an emanation of virtue… The government of the revolution is the despotism of liberty against tyranny”. “Severe and inflexible”, as justified by Robespierre, the revolution needed a push in order to reach its goals. France under the committee's total control sent anyone with dissent to the guillotine because they were considered to be a threat to the new government, which ironically named itself “for the people”. An anonymous eyewitness during the reign commented on the Reign of Terror collection of authentic narratives that “It seemed as if their blind fury was particularly directed against the weakest and most amiable.The loveliest, the youngest, and the most interesting females, were dragged in crowds into this receptacle of misery, whence they were led, by dozens, to inundate the scaffold” (325). The sickening extent of human toll
Twenty thousand to forty thousand died; it is still unknown exactly how many people were lost through the blood drenching event of the Reign of Terror.[Footnote] Throughout the French revolution, specifically the eleven month, 1793-1794 Reign of Terror, revolutionary leaders, such as Maximilien Robespierre believed in enforcing fear to resolve the instability of France. “Terror is nothing else than swift, severe, indomitable justice; it flows, then, from virtue”-Maximilien Robespierre.[Footnote] This period in history signified great atrocities of massacres, and a time where fear was evoked within every French civilian. The National Convention of France was a great factor in encouraging the start of the Reign of Terror; they continued on
In June of 1793, the Committee of Public safety began the Reign of Terror, which would not end until July of 1794. As a result of the Terror, over 14,000 people were killed by the use guillotines, firing squads, and drowning. A large majority of these deaths occured in the French Departments of Lore, Lyon, and Vendee (Document 1). In Paris, most of those executed were nobles and upper middle class citizens, while throughout the rest of France, the majority of those executed were peasants and working class citizens. (Document 2). Over 10,000 of the people executed committed hostile acts against the French State (Document 3). The Reign of Terror was a chaotic time period in which France was warring against Austria and Prussia and in deep financial troubles. The revolutionaries used the terror to their advantage, eliminating all of those who were in opposition. The terror, however, was disadvantageous to the revolutionaries because it caused more chaos and civil unrest throughout all of France.
Steven George Gerrard, MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy as a central midfielder. He spent the majority of his career playing for Premier League club Liverpool, with most of that time as their captain.