Maximilien Robespierre

The Reign of Terror was a brutal time period during the French Revolution. It involved countless unnecessary deaths made by the officials. The executioners used the guillotine, or a beheading machine, to kill anyone who seemed suspicious, without being accused of anything. “Historians estimate that more than 80,000 French people on both sides died…” (Doc. C) The government officials during this time period promoted the opposite of safety. A number of deaths that occurred were beyond unnecessary…

people’s trust towards the government at a low point, Robespierre was able to come in and assure the population of the government’s democratic intentions. Throughout the Terror, Robespierre emphasized punishing tyrants in order to strengthen the nation. In 1792 he said, “It is not thirst for a vengeance unworthy of the nation; it is the need to strengthen public liberty and tranquillity [sic] through the punishment of a tyrant.” Robespierre continued with that theme and in 1794 said, “All those…

Maximillien Robespierre was born in May 1758 in Arras in north-western France. He soon became a gifted student lawyer and received a scholarship to the best grammar school in Paris. Throughout, his political life he gained the reputation for helping the poorer people by being elected as a representative to the Third Estate in Versailles in 1788. As a result, he developed to become an influential and key role for the duration of the Reign of Terror. In May 1790, Robespierre became the President…

Did France benefit from Louis XVI execution, or was it just a recipe for disaster? I would argue the effect of Louis XVI, who was the king of France from 1774-1793, ended catastrophically and lead to the downfall of France. Even though one can argue Louis XVI was a traitor to his country, his execution only lead to corruption. The people were lost without a king to follow, and those who were not, were far too radical to lead an entire country successfully. Almost immediately after Louis XVI…

since the changes in society (reforms) were not happening fast enough to assist the poor, this becomes one of the key features of the new society due to suffering from bread prices, food shortages and lack of action all whilst living in Paris which was under threat from foreign powers. When it became dangerous to be associated with anything counter revolutionary, people including even upper-middle class backgrounds adopted the clothing and label of the Sans Culottes, as a demonstration of the…

The term '”terrorism” was first used in English during the French Revolution, when the Jacobins, rulers of the revolutionary state, employed violence, including mass executions by guillotine, to intimidate regime enemies. Back then, the definition of a “terrorist” was: “an adherent or supporter of the Jacobins, who advocated and practiced methods of partisan repression and bloodshed in the propagation of the principles of democracy and equality” (oxforddictionaries.com). It was in this context,…

The Estates-General, consisting of three chambers of society, met at Versailles on May 5th, 1789. The clergy, nobility, and the “Third Estate,” representing the common people, each had their grievances to the throne. Pouring in from the provinces, grievances of the people all had the common theme of political and social reform, most definitely for matching the new outlook on religion and government that the French adopted from the Enlightenment. The hopes of the bourgeoisie, represented in…

The Causes The Enlightenment: The most apparent cause of the enlightenment was the Thirty Years War. This destructive war, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, compelled German writers to pen harsh criticisms regarding the ideas of nationalism and warfare. These authors were some of the first enlightenment minds to go against tradition and propose better solutions. During the same time, European thinkers exposed Europe to other cultures and philosophies. Finally, centuries of mistreatment at the…

Invented in the late 1700s, the guillotine was a gruesome, yet humane method of execution. As you can imagine, designing a guillotine, which would work effectively on all ages, heights, and weights was difficult at first. Originally, beheadings were done with an axe. Some early forms of guillotines were created using an axe. However, those designs never caught on. Finally, a perfected guillotine was created, and took its place “ahead” of the competition. Measuring in at about 4 meters tall…

people. Some were counterrevolutionaires, against the new government, some were pro-revolution, for the new government. The two sides did not get along so the government turned to Terror. With the new invention of the Guillotine, and the power of Robespierre, the man behind the Reign of Terror, this time became brutal and violent. Although the counterrevolutionaries were becoming slightly out of control, the Reign of Terror was not justified because it violated the inalienable rights of…