What was the Reign of Terror and why was it significant?

The Reign of Terror was a period of state-sanctioned violence during the French Revolution, in which citizens suspected of 'counter-revolutionary' activity were arrested, tried, and often executed; over 2,000 people were guillotined in Paris alone during this period, although the total death toll across France could be as high as 50,000.

What caused the Reign of Terror?

The Reign of Terror was caused by a constant paranoia that enemies were working from within France to destroy the French Revolution and take away the people's liberties.

Who started the Reign of Terror and why?

The Reign of Terror was presided over by Maximilien Robespierre and his colleagues on the Committee of Public Safety, who used the Terror to consolidate their own power, destroy their political rivals, and weed out suspected 'counter-revolutionary' enemies who they feared would corrupt the body politic of the new French Republic.

How did the Reign of Terror end?

The Reign of Terror ended with the arrests and executions of Maximilien Robespierre and his supporters on 28 July 1794. This led into the period of the Thermidorian Reaction which tried to reverse much of the damage done by the Terror.

Reign of Terror Timeline

Definition

The Reign of Terror, or simply the Terror (la Terreur), was a climactic period of state-sanctioned violence during the French Revolution (1789-99), which saw the public executions and mass killings of thousands of counter-revolutionary 'suspects' between September 1793 and July 1794. The Terror was organized by the twelve-man Committee of Public Safety, which exercised almost dictatorial control over France.

More about: Reign of Terror

Timeline

c. 19 Jul 1789 - c. 6 Aug 1789
The Great Fear sweeps across the French countryside, as peasants attack the feudal estates of the nobility.
22 Jul 1789
Fear and paranoia drive Paris mobs to murder royal minister Joseph Foullon and his son-in-law, Berthier de Sauvignay.
25 Jul 1792
The Brunswick Manifesto is issued by a Prussian army, threatening to burn the city of Paris to the ground and punish all traitors.
2 Sep 1792 - 7 Sep 1792
Between 1,100-1,400 prisoners, or half of Paris' total prison population, are killed in the September Massacres.
21 Sep 1792
The First French Republic is established.
21 Jan 1793
King Louis XVI of France, now known as Citizen Louis Capet, is executed by guillotine.
10 Mar 1793
The Revolutionary Tribunal is established in Paris.
6 Apr 1793
The Committee of Public Safety is set up by the National Convention.
2 Jun 1793
Fall of the Girondins leaves revolutionary politics firmly under Jacobin control; beginning of the Federalist Revolts against Jacobin rule.
13 Jul 1793
French revolutionary activist Jean-Paul Marat is assassinated in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday.
27 Jul 1793
Maximilien Robespierre elected to the Committee of Public Safety; the National Convention institutes death penalty for hoarders of goods.
5 Sep 1793
Terror is declared to be "the order of the day".
17 Sep 1793
Enactment of the Law of Suspects, allowing for the arrest and trial of anyone suspected of being counter-revolutionary.
9 Oct 1793 - 9 Dec 1793
Mass executions of around 2,000 federalist rebels after the end of the Siege of Lyon.
10 Oct 1793
A proposal by Louis-Antoine Saint-Just puts the new constitution on hold; the government shall remain "revolutionary until the peace".
16 Oct 1793
Marie Antoinette is executed by guillotine at the Place de la Révolution.
31 Oct 1793
21 leading Girondins, including Vergniaud and Brissot, are executed.
Nov 1793 - Feb 1794
Drownings at Nantes; between 1,100 and 4,000 Vendean rebels and Catholic clerics are drowned in the Loire River by French Republican soldiers.
Nov 1793
Executions of the Feuillants.
10 Nov 1793
Cathedral of Notre-Dame is rededicated as the Temple of Reason.
Jan 1794 - Mar 1794
The French Republic's 'infernal columns' wreak havoc, death, and destruction to the rebellious Vendée region; some 50,000 people are slaughtered.
24 Mar 1794
Execution of the Hébertists.
5 Apr 1794
Execution of the Dantonists, including Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Hérault de Séchelles, & Fabre d'Eglantine.
8 May 1794
The esteemed chemist Antoine Lavoisier is executed, alongside 26 other former members of the Farmers-General.
10 May 1794
Execution of Madame Elizabeth, sister of King Louis XVI of France.
8 Jun 1794
Festival of the Supreme Being held on the Champ de Mars.
10 Jun 1794
Law of 22 Prairial intensifies the Reign of Terror, accelerating the trial phase and leading to more executions.
10 Jun 1794
Law of 22 Prairial speeds up trials of those accused; beginning of the 'Great Terror'.
27 Jul 1794
Robespierre and his followers are denounced by the National Convention and declared to be outlaws.
28 Jul 1794
Execution of Robespierre, Saint-Just, and Couthon; end to the Terror, beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction.
1 Aug 1794
The Thermidorians repeal the Law of Suspects and the Law of 22 Prairial, removing the justifications of the Reign of Terror.