These revision notes cover the impact and development of the Terror in Paris and the provinces, the dechristianisation campaign, the removal of rival political factions and the Cult of the Supreme Being. It also covers the decline of the Terror with the fall of Robespierre and the Coup of Thermidor...
12: The Spread of the Terror
The Terror Between 1792 and 1794 there were around 40 000 victims of the Terror which was a
result of the fear and paranoia brought by the war and counter revolution. An
estimated 17 000 rebels (particularly in the Vendée) were guillotined. The guillotine was
transformed from being a symbol of progress as a humane method of execution to a
symbol of oppression. This reflected the disappearance of early revolutionary ideals,
being replaced by the chaos and paranoia of the war. In September 1793, the
Convention declared it must destroy its enemies or they would destroy the Republic.
After the Law of Suspects (17 September 1793) there was a rapid increase in those tried
by the revolutionary tribunal.
The Show Trials The sc desired blood - enthused by the execution of the king and the revolutionary
writings. In response there were a series of show trials in Paris from October. They
featured prominent people (mostly aristocrats) although only 9% of executions in this
period were nobles and 7% were clergy. Baily was executed as was Barnave - hero of
the Tennis Court Oath. Madame Roland was executed on 8 November. The trials
outcome was already determined - they were mainly just for show. They set an example
to others and made people live in fear. They sent a message to the sc that traitors were
being dealt with and it legitimised the mass executions by masking it as justice
Marie MA was tried on 14 October - accused of orgies, squandering government money,
Antoinette conspiracy, sharing intelligence with the enemy. She was guillotined on 16 Oct 1793.
Girondins On 24 Oct, the trial of the 21 expelled Girondins leaders began. The Girondins still had
some support and their trail lasted 5 days with an acquittal looking likely. Robespierre
intervened in the Convention to propose that after 3 days if a jury was convinced of
guilt then a guilty verdict could be passed straight away. The convention voted in
favour of this to speed up the trials. They were all condemned to death and went up to
the guillotine singing la Marseillaise. They were guillotined in the space of 36 minutes on
31 Oct (including the body of one who had killed himself after hearing the verdict). Most
of the remaining Girondins were captured and executed or they committed suicide
Phillippe On 6 Nov the duc d'Orléans was executed. Despite his support for the revolution, his
Égalité son's friendship with Dumouriez and his links with royalty put him under suspicion.
Effects of the Saint-Just made a speech on 10 October which stated that the government of France is
Terror on revolutionary until the peace. This justified an intense campaign across the
Ordinary départements. C-d-S monitored residents in every municipality. Armées révolutionaries
people roamed the countryside and clamped down on counter-revolutionary activity. The CGS
had many spies and agents. More than 100 r-e-m from the Convention pursued the
cause of 'revolutionary justice'. The CPS oversaw the activities, but officials and groups
frequently took the law into their own hands and some acted with indiscriminate
savagery. The Vendée and the areas associated with the Federalist Revolt were worse
affected. Inflation and supply problems still caused discontent in Paris despite Barére
introducing measures for poor relief, pensions and free medical care in May/June 1794
Terror in the Priests who celebrated holy days and Sundays were arrested. Popular societies were
provinces dissolved if they were deemed counter revolutionary. In some areas drunkards were
imprisoned to keep them from perverting the public welfare and so as not to deprive
soldiers of drink.
The Vendée REM was Jean-Baptise Carrier. 7873 were guillotined and many more were shot there.
Between November 1793 and January 1794, a further 2000 were executed in a mass
drowning on the River Loire near Nantes. Priests, monks and nuns were stripped naked
and bound together in 'marriage'.
Toulon Suppression of the city was directed by Paul Barras and Stanislas Féron. Approx. 700-800
prisoners were shot or slashed by bayonet in a massacre.
Lyon Barére suggested that old Lyons should be destroyed and become a 'liberated city'. He
proposed torching everything except the homes of the poor. A commission was sent
under Jean-Marie Callot and Joseph Fouché. In December, it carried out the
mitraillades, whereby the condemned were killed using cannons loaded with grape
shot which propelled them into mass graves. This was so brutal that the Convention
ordered that they cease by the end of the month. By the end of 1794 at least 2000
people were executed. 935 were shot with cannonballs, grapeshot and musket fire into
mass graves in December 1793.
De - Encouraged by Hérbert and Chaumette, the sc supported a move to close churches
Christianisation and destroy all religious signs and symbols. It was primarily centred in Paris but was
carried out in the provinces too. Fouché, the REM in Nièvre waged a continuous
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