3 X What was the Reign of Terror? Why did Robespierre initiate it? Objective: Describe the reasons for the Reign of Terror. March 1793: Robespierre leads Committee of Public Safety and the Reign of Terror begins What was the Committee of Public Safety? The Committee of Public Safety was set up on April 6, 1793, during one of the crises of the Revolution, when France was burdened with foreign and civil war. The new committee was to provide for the defense of the nation against its enemies, foreign and domestic, and to oversee the already existing organs of executive government. From April to July 10, 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was dominated by Georges Danton and his followers, who pursued a policy of moderation and reconciliation but who failed to deal adequately with the precarious military situation. These men were replaced in July by men more determined and more radical in the defense of the Revolution, among them Maximilien Robespierre. Source: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Committee-of-Public-Safety 1. What was the purpose of the Committee of Public Safety? 2. Which more radical leader took control of the Committee of Public Safety? 3. Given what you know about the September massacre and the execution of Louis XVI, what predictions can you make about what the revolutionaries were willing to do to meet the Committee's goals? What was the Reign of Terror? The Reign of Terror (June 1793 - July 1794) was a period in the French Revolution characterized by brutal repression. The Terror originated with the Committee of Public Safety that suspended most of the democratic achievements of the revolution, and intended to pursue the revolution on social matters. Its stated aim was to destroy internal enemies and conspirators and to chase the external enemies from French territory. The Terror as such started on September 5, 1793 and, as the Reign of Terror, lasted until the summer of 1794, taking the lives of anywhere between 18,000 to 40,000 people (estimates vary widely). Thousands would die by means of the guillotine. In the single month before it ended, 1,300 executions took place. Source: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Reign of Terror 4. The Reign of Terror is said to be "characterized by brutal repression". What does the word "repression" mean? 5. According to this excerpt, what was the aim of the Reign of Terror? A 6

3 X What was the Reign of Terror? Why did Robespierre initiate it? Objective: Describe the reasons for the Reign of Terror. March 1793: Robespierre leads Committee of Public Safety and the Reign of Terror begins What was the Committee of Public Safety? The Committee of Public Safety was set up on April 6, 1793, during one of the crises of the Revolution, when France was burdened with foreign and civil war. The new committee was to provide for the defense of the nation against its enemies, foreign and domestic, and to oversee the already existing organs of executive government. From April to July 10, 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was dominated by Georges Danton and his followers, who pursued a policy of moderation and reconciliation but who failed to deal adequately with the precarious military situation. These men were replaced in July by men more determined and more radical in the defense of the Revolution, among them Maximilien Robespierre. Source: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Committee-of-Public-Safety 1. What was the purpose of the Committee of Public Safety? 2. Which more radical leader took control of the Committee of Public Safety? 3. Given what you know about the September massacre and the execution of Louis XVI, what predictions can you make about what the revolutionaries were willing to do to meet the Committee's goals? What was the Reign of Terror? The Reign of Terror (June 1793 - July 1794) was a period in the French Revolution characterized by brutal repression. The Terror originated with the Committee of Public Safety that suspended most of the democratic achievements of the revolution, and intended to pursue the revolution on social matters. Its stated aim was to destroy internal enemies and conspirators and to chase the external enemies from French territory. The Terror as such started on September 5, 1793 and, as the Reign of Terror, lasted until the summer of 1794, taking the lives of anywhere between 18,000 to 40,000 people (estimates vary widely). Thousands would die by means of the guillotine. In the single month before it ended, 1,300 executions took place. Source: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Reign of Terror 4. The Reign of Terror is said to be "characterized by brutal repression". What does the word "repression" mean? 5. According to this excerpt, what was the aim of the Reign of Terror? A 6