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Name The Reign of Terror By Sharon Fabian Caption: Maximilien Robespierre, 1758-1794 The French Revolution, like the American Revolution, was a revolt by people who wanted to rule themselves. A few years into the Revolution, the revolutionaries did succeed in removing the king from power, but then a strange and unhappy turn of events occurred. France did not become a democracy. It did not become a country where people enjoyed more rights than before. In fact, just the opposite happened. A violent dictator took control of France, and for two years from 1793 to 1794, many French people lived in fear of their lives. It began in 1792 when a new National Convention was selected to become the legislative branch of the government. In 1793, a Constitution was adopted. So far, the Revolution was progressing well. Then, with the war still in full force, the National Convention decided to take over executive power as well. It appointed the Committee of Public Safety which became the executive branch of the government. Members of the Committee, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took wartime control of the country. Robespierre ruled with the power of a dictator. Robespierre had just one goal in mind - to win the war. He believed that there was only one way to do that. He put it bluntly: "Liberty cannot be secured unless criminals lose their heads." To some people, the problem might have been deciding who the criminals were, but Robespierre's committee didn't let that slow them down. Anyone who opposed Robespierre and his group of revolutionaries was considered a traitor. Members of the former ruling class were considered traitors. So were members of a rival revolutionary group. Their punishment was death. Day after day, wooden carts rolled through the town carrying "traitors" to their deaths. Crowds mocked the condemned men as they passed by. At the end of their short journey, there was the guillotine. The guillotine became the symbol of the "Reign of Terror", its flashing blade suspended high above a condemned man's head always at the ready. The goal of the French Revolution had been "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" or "Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood." Now, it looked as if the Revolution had veered far off course. The people of France had traded an absolute monarch for a deadly dictator. Day by day, the executions increased. No one knows for sure how many people died during the Reign of Terror. Estimates range from 18,000 to 40,000. As many as 200,000 people were arrested during that dark time. Then, as quickly as the Reign of Terror had started, the tide turned again. Robespierre was still ordering executions, but then he chose the wrong people to execute. The public turned against Robespierre. A rival group gained power. That same year, Robespierre met the same fate that he had inflicted on so many of his enemies. He was condemned to death and died by the guillotine. The Revolution itself continued for five more years. France eventually did become a modern nation whose citizens enjoy the rights and freedoms that can come with a stable, representative government. Today, France has a president, a prime minister, and a parliament. For France, it had been a long road to freedom with many twists and turns along the way. The Reign of Terror was one especially infamous turn along that road. Name The Reign of Terror Questions 1. The Reign of Terror lasted from ______ to ______. A. 1793, 1799 B. 1792, 1799 C. 1792, 1794 D. 1793, 1794 2. The French Revolution ended in the year ______. A. 1792 B. 1794 C. 1793 D. 1799 3. France never became a democratic nation. A. false B. true 4. Robespierre was the leader of the ______. A. National Convention B. king's cabinet C. Committee of Public Safety D. French Parliament 5. Robespierre and his group ruled as ______. A. royal monarchs B. legislators C. dictators D. democratically elected leaders 6. Robespierre's goal was to ______. A. get rich B. become king C. be elected president D. win the war 7. The guillotine was an instrument used to ______. A. bomb enemies B. execute people C. transport criminals to jail D. fight in battle 8. The Reign of Terror can be described as a ______ time in the history of France. A. prosperous B. peaceful C. violent D. democratic As the Reign of Terror took control of France, many French citizens must have wondered if their Revolution was really worth it. What do you think the average citizens of France might have been saying as they discussed events happening in their country? Write a short conversation between two citizens discussing the progress of the French Revolution. Name What do you think would happen if a leader like Robespierre took control of France or another country today? Do you think he would be able to get away with executing his enemies as Robespierre and his group did? Why or why not?