Reign of Terror Essays

Reign of Terror Essays Reign of Terror Essay Reign of Terror Essay The Reign of Terror: Was It Justified? The Reign of Terror started in 1789 and was a time when supporters of the French Revolution ran wild and started killing non-supporters or counterrevolutionaries. The French held a ceremony if you will, in Paris for the execution of King Louis XVI on January 21, 1793. This was because Louis was having financial, and harvest issues. In June of 1789 King Louis called the Estates Meeting to discuss taxes and money problems. Then some men disliked what Louis was talking about so they stormed out and filed into a tennis court, and vowed not to leave until they created a new onstitution. On August 26 The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen was signed and put into action. Not everyone was in favor of this new constitution though. Neighboring countries and the catholic church disliked it because they feared a spread of a revolution and they lost power/property. To deal with their opposition of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen they wanted to become more radical. They were led by chief-prosecutor Robespierre, who found King Louis XVI guilty of crimes against state/treason, and was executed (Doc A), therefore connecting all of hese events. Although it helped the government by getting rid of Louis WI, The Reign of Terror was unjustified because it took away freedom of speech, religion, and killed thousands of people. The Reign of Terror completely took away your freedom of speech if you werent for Robespierre and the French Revolution. When Robespierre took over and created the Committee of Public Safety, he laid down the law, and hard. Robespierre and the National Convention created watch committees in every neighborhood to expel any foreigners suspected of counterrevolutionary activities (Doc E). The whole purpose of this was to protect the public safety when really even if they were counterrevolutionaries they probably wouldnt speak out because they would get their head chopped off anyway. So if you were suspected, whether you were guilty or innocent, your head was violently chopped off in the town square. All of this happened because people opposed the new French Constitution and they wanted to be more radical. Since King Louis XVI and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette had their heads chopped off, there wasnt anybody to rule the country of France anyway (Doc F). The National Convention was so strict they killed 35,000 to 40,000 people (Doc E). These were people who spoke out or suspected of not being for the revolution. This was a completely different view than the French Constitution. The French Constitution wasnt radical in anyway and believed in natural right and law. During the Reign of Terror in 1793 a revolutionary campaign was set to launch against the Catholic Church. Sunday Worship, Christmas, and Easter were abolished (Doc C). They sent government officials in Auxerre, France to the Catholic church and take things away from it (Doc C). During this when the government officials took it out on a cart they ottered tor passers-by to spit on it. In this time peri od the ruler Robespierre was a pro-atheist. He enforced this the same way he did with anything else; with an iron fist and strict consequences if you didnt oblige. This contradicts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and especially John Locke an English philosopher who believed in natural law and the right to defend life, health, and liberty. Locke believed in religious tolerance and Robespierre believes in being an atheist and if you didnt follow him, you dont deserve to live. This right that Robespierre took away struck the loudest uproar of anything else by far. People in the Vend? ©e region revolted against a military called lev? ©e en masse that sought to abolish Christianity in France (Doc C). An estimated 80,000 to 500,000 French people died on both sides (Doc C). Robespierre was responsible for all of these deaths by taking away the right of religion which is the right that most people demand and cant live without. The radical views of Robespierre cost thousands of peoples lives. He ordered the death of 45,000 to 50,000 throughout all of the Reign of Terror. Nothing compared to the lev? ©e en masse deaths by people Just fghting for their right to worship God. In October 1793, Revolutionaries decided to reenact an example of counterrevolutionaries in Lyons. One day, revolutionaries destroyed 1600 homes and chopped off 12 heads Just in 5 minutes. Robespierre is sending his revolutionary followers basically Just to torture people and take away their rights. The people the revolutionaries were members of the aristocracy, priests, farmers, and townspeople especially. He killed them because he thought they werent in support of the French Revolution, they didnt support him, or they supported the Catholic Church. By August of 1793, people were fed up of Robespierre and his radical ways so they started revolting against him. 3,000 national guardsman were sent to establish order and peace in Niort, France (Doc D). Even this wasnt enough as a government official had to ask the National Convention for more troops and assistance in calming down the fired up counterrevolutionaries (Doc D). Finally in July of 1794 the French counterrevolutionaries got what they had wanted for over a year; Robespierre is xecuted, his policies are demolished, and the Reign of Terror ends (Doc A). Although it helped the government by getting rid of Louis WI, The Reign of Terror was unjustified because it took away freedom of speech, religion, and killed thousands of people. The Reign of Terror completely took away your freedom of speech if you werent for Robespierre and the French Revolution. If you spoke out as a counterrevolutionary or were merely suspected, well you no longer had a head. During the time under Robespierre the revolutionaries set out to launch an attack against the Catholic Church. They demolished Sunday Worship, Christmas, and Easter. If you supported Christianity you were guillotined. Government official came into churches and took their things and allowed people passing by to spit on them. Also the radical views of Robespierre took away many peoples lives. Innocent people, and people Just fghting for their natural rights such as religion, and liberty. He was responsible for at least 100,000 deaths whether they were directly or indirectly. The Reign of Terror isnt Justified in any way when it causes many people to revolt and get killed for fighting for natural rights.