The Reign of Terror

War with Europe

Because of these wars, there was an immediate need to protect the revolution from enemies across the political and social life. It was considered very important to protect the revolution and silence dissent. These actions became known as the Reign of Terror.

The public defend

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1. The Committee of Public Safety


1. The Convention established a Committee of Public Safety that executed the duties of the government
2. They saw their task as saving the revolution from mortal enemies both foreign and domestic
3. Enjoyed working a political relationship with sans-culottes of Paris, but this was an alliance of expediency for the committee

Levee en Masse

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1. Lazare Carnot, on the Committee of Public Safety called the “levee en masse” which was a mass gathering of resources for the military 
2. Conscripted males in the military and the economy was organized to support the needs of the military

The “Republic of Virtue” and Robespierre's Justification of terror

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1. Wanted to push out any old views/systems of the government
2. Citizens would sacrifice their own self interests for the good of the republic (Rousseau's social contract and general will)
3. Robespeirre wanted to completely eliminate the enemies of the republic because if someone is an enemy of the republic then they are an enemy of virtue


1. The policies associated with terror in name of republican virtue included the exclusion of women from active political life, the de-Christianization of France and the use of revolutionary tribunals to dispense justice to alleged enemies of the republic

Repression of the Society of Revolutionary Republican Women

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1. a group of women led by Pauline Leon and Claire Lacombe advocated for fighting, political discussions (Society of Revolutionary Republican Women)
2. Initially, the Jacobins welcomed the organization
3. Eventually, the Committee of Public safety, Jacobins and Robespeirre became threatened by the the women and banned all women’s clubs and societies
4. They relied on Rousseau's theory for this, as be believed that women should be wives and weather only 

De-Christianization

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1. This was an outright attack upon the Christian Church  (Cult of the Supreme Being)
2. Proclaimed a new calendar so Christians would not be able to know when Easter, Christmas  or even Sundays were
3. This eliminated any connection to the Old Regime

Revolutionary Tribunals

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1. The Committee of Public Safety created laws to consider who were the enemies of the revelation 


1. Law of Suspects 


1. Considered enemy if:
2. They promote tyranny, are a former noble or have not constantly manifested their loyalty to the revolution
2. Revolutionary Tribunals: criminal courts used to consider the guilt or innocence of counterrevolutionaries


1. The constant executions creates a State of Terror

3 branches of the gov.

Executive branch: Execute laws, make laws happen

Legislative branch (N.A): Make the laws, decide what laws the country needs.

Judishal branch: Interpret the law, decide what the proper view of the law is. Constitution controls how ppl are supposed to act during elections.

The two phases of the French Revolution

Moderate stage: significant changes made, but these changes aren’t surprising. Still old things working within the system. Louis still executes laws

Radical stage: The reign of terror, Radical phase of revolution gets rid of monarchy. Movements towards change, DRASTIC change.