The structure of the Terror locally and nationally

Résumé du document

The terror is often depicted as the most violent period of the French Revolution, and maybe of the French history. The terror is a regime set up by Robespierre and the Committee of public safety in the aftermath of the fall of the Girondins on the 2nd of June 1793. The committee of public safety was very powerful, and could give orders to the National Assembly and to the different ministries. It was created in April 1793 in order to “provide more effective action and greater coordination between executive and legislative branches of the government”. Indeed, between September 1793 and the fall of Robespierre, the Committee has been the government of France, since it had a say on most important decisions. Moreover, the power of the committee stemmed from the popularity of its members; Robespierre was the symbol of the French Revolution and of the fight against the Ancien Régime. He was backed by Saint Just, a young and ambitious man whose influence had been growing and growing over the period. Other members were also very popular, such as Couthon, Hérault de Séchelles and Lazare Carnot.

Extraits

[...] But the 9th Thermidor, i.e. the fall of Robespierre, have been a turning point, since it put an end to the dictatorship of the Jacobins. Nevertheless, their influence has not disappeared, and some historians state that they have inspired some leftist parties . [...]

[...] The terror is due to the fall of the Girondins in June 1793. The Jacobins have set up a dictatorship by creating specific institutions in order to “control” the public life; for instance, watch committees and the revolutionary tribunal had been created by the Jacobins in order to purchase their enemies. It seems to me that circumstances have played a major role in the institution of the terror; the war, the lack of arms and foodstuff has, with no doubt, helped the Jacobins to justify their dictatorship. [...]

[...] Thousands of people were murdered under the order of Collot d'Herbois and Fouché, houses were destroyed A celebration was organize to the city and a party celebrated Charlier. A tribunal of the seven was set up with a view to try all the insurgents. Executions have been numerous and very violent; on December 4th, sixty prisoner were massacred in Brouteaux. Saint Just and Le Bas were sent to Strasbourg in order to organize the city and the Region of Alsace which was subject to the influence of partisans of Austria, Prussia and Condé. [...]

[...] Needless to say that the law of maximum has raised more problems that it solved, since it was very costly For all these reasons, the terror is often depicted as the dictatorship of Robespierre. The power of the committee of public safety is justified by the need of eradicating tyranny. In October 10th, saint Just pronounced the declaration of Revolutionary Government, which states that provisional government of France is revolutionary until the peace”. The Terror is not only a Parisian phenomenon, since the Convention sent deputies in France to re-establish the order and to implement the regulations of the Convention. [...]

[...] After the decrees of Ventôse and the fall of Hébert, the committee of public safety was not jeopardized by Parisian sections and clubs. It was the first time since the beginning of the revolution that sections had been dominated by the central power. Until 1794, France had been governed by rump parliaments: for instance, on the 5th of September 1793, deputies has been obliged to respect the will of the mobs, once members and partisans of Parisian sections had invaded the Convention. [...]