The French Revolution and Reign
of Terror
Agenda
• Bell Ringer: How does Louis XVI react to the Storming
of the Bastille?
1. Lecture: Radical Phase of the Revolution
2. Robespierre Video, French Revolution
3. Declaration of the Rights of Man
4. Phases of the Revolution
5. Was Revolt the only way? Discussion
6. Test Results and Objectives
HW: Finish Vocabulary, will be checked next class in
notebook.
Moderate Phase
• After the Tennis Court Oath,
National Assembly controls
France.
• Declaration of Rights of
Man adopted.
• National Assembly takes
land from the Catholic
Church to pay debts for
France.
– Now the Church was part of
the State.
– Peasants opposed it, and
opposed further Revolution.
Limited Monarchy and Division
• Louis XVI attempts to
escape in 1791, but his face
is recognized from currency.
• NA creates limited
monarchy, and give most
power to the Legislature.
– Louis XVI forced to agree to
new Constitution.
• Factions divide the
Legislative Assembly into
three groups.
– Radicals, Conservatives, and
Moderates
Legislative Assembly
Radicals- opposed King and
Monarchy
Common people have full
power in Republic.
Moderates- Centrist thinkers
Conservatives- Upheld the
idea of a limited monarchy,
few changes in government
War and Execution
• Other countries (Austria
and Prussia) want the Old
Regime in power.
– Fear losing their absolute
power.
– Threaten to destroy Paris
• Citizens in Paris attack the
Royal guard, and imprison
the Louis XVI family.
• French forces are weak, and
riots are common in the
cities.
• National Convention takes
power in 1791.
Jacobin Club
• Leaders of mobs have more
power than government
assembly.
• Jacobin Club was the most
violent.
– Promoted murder to
eliminate enemies of
Revolution.
• Radical Jacobins vote to
execute Louis XVI, and his
wife.
• Create a citizen army to
defend against Prussia and
Austria.
Reign of Terror
• France has many internal
conflicts.
• Robespierre attempts to rid
France of anything relating
to Monarchy.
• Religion is abolished, and
Sundays are removed from
Calendar
• Committee of Public Safety
– Decided who were enemies
of the Republic
– He felt that it enabled Citizens
to remain true to the
Revolution.
End of Robespierre
• Even leaders of the Revolution
were put to death, because
they weren’t radical enough.
• A shopkeeper for selling sour
wine…
• Anyone going against
Robespierre. Nobody was safe.
• 3,000 executed in Paris alone.
• Reign of Terror ends with the
death of Robespierre.
– He attempts suicide by
shooting himself in the head,
and lives… He is taken to the
guillotine with a shattered jaw,
bleeding.