Download The Reign of Terror

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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?