The Question: Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the Terror as an instrument of the French Revolution.

The Question: Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the Terror as an instrument of

the French Revolution.

In the summer of 1793 France was going through major change. France was in the midst of a revolution and fighting broke out all over the place. Eventually, the National Convention took control of the government in France and tried to restore order. However, with the Prussian and Austrian armies to the north and east, the British navy threatening the coasts, and the country in economic turmoil, the new republic had many problems. Starting in August, the Committee of Public Safety started issuing new reforms in which to control the public and to restore order. During the year of 1793, the Committee of Public Safety instituted the Terror as an instrument in the French Revolution which enabled the government to try to squash the rebellions, but at the same time it caused much grief and anger at the new government.

The Terror was no doubt harsh. However, it accomplished the goal it was created for: to cause terror and discourage people from rebelling against the new government. In the time of the Terror over 14,000 people were killed all across France from the nobles to the peasants. Nearly 25% of the deaths in Paris were nobles while the clergy, middleclass, and peasants made up the other 75% (doc. 2). With these statistics, it shows that the government was not afraid to kill anyone, even nobles, to get what it wanted. This put terror in everyone and showed that no one is safe if they go against the government. The main reason for the executions was due to any number of acts of treason against the state, including conspiracy, counter revolution opinions, clergy who refused allegiance to the state, and corruption (doc. 3). Even talking about revolting against the state was cause for execution. This put fear into the people, and made sure no one would go against the state. General Ronsin supports the Terror especially when over 4,000 people where killed. It made an example to other departments with seeds of rebellion to show how futile it would be to imitate them (doc. 5). In documents of public opinion, some people were supporting the tribunal in its execution affairs. If the people were nobles they could understand going against the state, but to the middle class and peasants “the law is just” (doc. 12). Also, if the tribunal executed the guilty and let the innocent go free, then the public was satisfied with this (doc. 9).

On the other hand, the Terror was extremely disadvantageous. In some ways it caused more harm than good. In a report on public opinion, every area in Paris was dissatisfied with the revolutionary committee (doc. 13.) This is probably because so many people were killed by guillotines or firing squads. The citizens of France were not happy with the way the Committee of Public Safety was handling the reforms. The government became too oppressive and killed anyone who voiced counter revolutionary ideas. Many citizens were imprisoned and people complained about this, because in reality they were true patriots but expressed to much human passion and for this put in jail (doc. 10). Camille Desmoulins was a former ally of Robespierre. However, he had his disagreements and wondered how the government could kill all of its enemies by means of guillotine. With this course of action, for every person killed, it caused the state to have ten more enemies (doc. 6.)

All in all as long as the state is stronger than the citizens of the country, oppression like the Terror can succeed. However, if it isn’t than the government will topple. The Terror was advantageous in that it subdued the people and the government was still in power. However, it caused much dissent with the citizens and caused the state to have many enemies.