The Reign of Terror GH2/Napp
Do Now:
Based on this chart, identify two political changes that occurred during the French Revolution.
(1)______
(2)______
- The Rise of Extremists
- By 1792, Prussia and Austria went to war with France to aid the royal family
- Jacobins
1-A powerful extremist group
2-Convinced the French that Louis XVI had plotted with Austria and Prussia
3-Forced the assembly to arrest the King and Queen
a)Monarchs were executed
4-Created a dictatorship
5-Fostered fear but encouraged patriotism
6-Executed “enemies” of the Revolution
- Maximilien Robespierre
- President of Jacobin Club
- Lawyer
- Stabilized economy
- Formation of a successful army
- In 1794, arrested and executed for making threats against his compatriots
- The Directory
- In 1795, another Constitution placed France under the control of the Directory
1-Corrupt and inefficient
- Replaced by Napoleon
Questions:
1-Why was France at war? ______
2-Who were the Jacobins? ______
3-Why were the King and Queen arrested and executed? ______
4-Describe life in France under Jacobin rule. ______
5-Who was Maximilien Robespierre? ______
6-Why is it ironic that Robespierre was executed? ______
7-What was the Directory? ______
8-What charismatic leader of history replaced the Directory? ______
Critical Thinking Question: Why did the revolution become more violent over time?
______
Primary Source: Excerpts from speech from Robespierre: On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy
“But as the essence of the republic or of democracy is equality, it follows that the love of country necessarily includes the love of equality…A nation is truly corrupted when, having by degrees lost its character and its liberty, it passes from democracy to aristocracy or to monarchy; that is the decrepitude and death of the body politic...
We must smother the internal and external enemies of the Republic or perish with it; now in this situation, the first maxim of your policy ought to be to lead the people by reason and the people's enemies by terror…Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our country's most urgent needs.”
~Source: Robespierre: On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy
Question:
- Who was Robespierre? ______
- Why was he executed? ______
- When did Robespierre believe that a nation was corrupted? ______
- Why did he believe that “terror” was necessary? ______
- Do you agree or disagree with Robespierre? Explain your answer. ______
Reading:
“In 1792, the new lawmakers faced threats from outside France. Prussia and Austria went to war with France to aid the royal family. Later, Britain, Spain, and the Netherlands joined the fight against France.
A powerful extremist group called the Jacobins convinced the French people that King Louis XVI had plotted with Austria and Prussia. Their aim was to overthrow the revolutionaries and restore the king’s rule. The Jacobins forced the Assembly to arrest the king and queen. (The queen was Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and the sister of Emperor Joseph II.) Then the Assembly called for new elections to choose representatives for a National Convention. (Almost all males over 21 were allowed to vote.) The Convention drew up a new constitution and created the First French Republic.
Although the Jacobins created a dictatorship and fostered great fear among the people, they did stimulate patriotism. The majority of people at last felt that the privileges of the aristocracy had ended. They were inspired by the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Pride was stirred by a song called “The Marseillaise,” which became the French national anthem. The people stood together to save France from its enemies. By 1795, French armies had not only defended the nation but had also conquered parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.”
Main Points of the Passage: