5
Negative effects
1.
The reign of terror led to massive loss of life. About 17,000 people
were guillotined and these included high level persons like King Louis
xvi, Queen Marie Antoinette, Danton, Marat, Robespierre to mention but
the most important ones. Several other people were butchered by the mob.
Most of these victims were nobles and clergy although some suspected
traitors were also executed.
2. Besides, there was
destruction of property and infrastructure. These included
Hotel-De-Ville and the Bastilles, which were destroyed by the mob.
Several castles and mansions including property were attacked and
destroyed by the revolutionaries.
3. There was a
general economic decline that arose from the unstable political
atmosphere. Inflation, unemployment, famine and starvation reached their
highest level during the reign of terror. This was because of total
breakdown of law and order, industries and economy.
4.
The reign of terror brought war between France and her neighbours.
Countries like Britain and Russia formed a coalition in 1793 and invaded
France. This was because they were scared by the massive loss of life
and property, including the barbaric execution of King Louis xvi and his
wife. Their fear was that the Frenchmen were teaching their subjects a
lesson to behead them, the way they did to King Louis xvi.
5.
There was displacement and exile due to the reign of terror. The fear
of the guillotine and mob injustice led to the self-exile of several
nobles and clergy. They fled to neighbouring states like Austria,
Prussia and Russia from where they become known as the émigrés. They
regrouped and joined the allied powers in the first coalition against
revolutionary France.
6. The downfall of political
patties and political pluralism in France was also due to the reign of
terror. Before the reign of terror, there were political parities such
as the Jacobins, Girondins, Cordilliers and Feuvillants. But the terror
machinery killed the leaders of all these political parties and clubs.
Such were men like Danton, Marat, Herbert and Robespierre. The execution
of these leaders and their burial led to the "death and burial "of
their political patties as well.
7. Outside France,
the reign of terror made conservative kings more conservative and
autocratic. For instance, despotic kings of Austria, Prussia and Russia
became more oppressive and repressive to safeguard themselves from the
terrorist acts of the Frenchmen. Even Pit, the Prime Minister of Britain
expelled all suspicious characters and passed the Act of treason in
which it was treasonable to say or do anything against the state.
8. The rise of Napoleon to power was
also due to the reign of terror. Before the reign of terror. Napoleon
was an inexperienced and insignificant artillery officer. But during the
reign of terror, he gained experience and significance especially when
he suppressed the royalist uprising at port Taulon in 1793 besides, the
reign of terror led to the disappearance of senior army officers and
politicians, which opened the military and political space for the rise
of Napoleon to power.
9. The directory government
was a product of the reign of terror. The socio-economic and political
destructions caused by the reign of terror paved way for the rise of the
directory government. It was instituted in1795 as a final full stop to
the reign of terror and to end dictatorship in France.
10.
The reign of terror restored order in France and helped to fight the
first coalition. It was used by diehard revolutionaries to suppress
internal resistance which restored peace. It also helped the
revolutionaries to deal with traitors and cowards which made them
succeed in 'defeating the first coalition. It must be stressed that the
reign of terror made it easy to conscript and mobilize the French men to
fight the first coalition.
11. Lastly, the reign
of terror strengthened the spirit of republicanism and led to the
setting up of a republican government in France in 1792. The violence
speeded up the collapse of the Bourbon monarchy and the execution of
King Louis was the last event. It was the political instability created
by the reign of terror that gave the diehard republicans the chance to
make France a Republic.
The 7 weeks reign of Robespierre
made him very unpopular and the Frenchmen decided to guillotine the
guillotiner on 28th July 1794. His terror was so much that everybody in
France decided to risk his or her head by joining the opposition. He was
first imprisoned by the convention government but was forcefully
released by his close followers. However, he was re-arrested and
guillotined as a criminal.
With the death of
Robespierre, the leadership of France passed in the hands of moderates
who ended the reign of terror. They enacted measures that promptly ended
the reign of terror. For instance, the revolutionary tribunal was
re-organized on August 10th 1794 to be in harmony with the ordinary
French law. The committee of public safety although continued to exist
was no longer independent. The committee of general security as well as
the Jacobins club was abolished. Most political prisoners were also
released. Finally the convention government enacted a new constitution
and voted for a new government, which came to be known as the directory
government (1795 - 1799).
Attachments
No attachments
Wow the reign of terror was pretty funny, they should make a comedy about it
ReplyDelete