Essay
Reasons for the cause and escalation of the Terror in France 1792.
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- PEARSON (PEARSON)
A level A* Grade essay achieving 17/20 marked by head of history on the causes and escalation of the Terror in France 1792
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How far do you agree with the view that the war with the foreignpowers was primarily responsible for the development and
escalation of the Terror in France 1792-1794
On the 1st of February France declared war on both the Dutch Republic
and Britain meaning France was now at war with 4 European countries.
The terror was a period of violence orchestrated by the Committee of
Public safety which is why we can’t say the terror developed until April
1793 with key infrastructure of surveillance committees and
representatives on mission in place. I also think that the main period of
the terror was July 1793 where we see the beginning of the most violent
stage of the terror as well as the key infrastructure needed already put in.
Also, we can judge the factors by how much they play a role in the
development as well as the escalation of the terror from December 1793. I
believe that the war with foreign powers was primarily responsible for the
development and escalation of the terror because of the continued threat
to France driving the political hysteria. However, there were other
important factors like internal uprisings justifying the need for the terror
as well as political discord causing uprisings against Paris and making way
for Jacobin led terror escalation.
The primary reason for the development and escalation of the terror was
the foreign war because the continued threat to France drove the political
disagreements as well as the measures taken for war provoking internal
revolts. The foreign war created the need for society and the whole of
France to be united behind the revolution as if France were to lose the war
then the revolution would fall and be for nothing so the way the CPS did it
was to introduce the terror to accomplish this unity. This can be seen with
key terror legislation like surveillance committees being established to put
to death any suspicious people found guilty by the tribunal leading to an
increase in arrests and violence which came just after the Austrian
counter-offensive defeats the French at Louvain threatening to cut the
Republican army off from its communications in France. These measures
were also caused by the Vendee revolt which in turn was caused by the
February levy of 300,000 which can be seen as the tipping point of unrest
in the vendee with the convention only managing to get 150,000
volunteers and the levy being introduced because of France declaring war
on Britain and the Dutch Republic on the 1st of February. We can also see
the foreign war affecting political disagreements with Girondins’ General
Dumouriez fleeing to the Austrians undermining confidence in the girondin
causing Marat to call for Girondin leaders to be executed. This is
significant as the reaction to this by the girondin was a failed
impeachment of Marat which then grew political anger at the Girondins so
much that 29 of them are expelled from the convention with the help of
almost 100,000 national guard which would have also only been that big
due to the foreign war. This expulsion of the Girondins is hugely
significant in the development of the terror as it allowed the Jacobin to be
the dominant political party and free to push ahead with the terror as well
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