The Reign of Terror 11-2

The Reign of Terror   Committee of Public Safety took control of the government  In order to “protect” France, the Committee adopted policies, which led to the period being called the Reign of Terror

Crushing Rebellion  Revolutionary “courts” established Prosecuted counter-revolutionaries and terrorists 40,000 killed (many by guillotine)  Including: Marie Antoinette and Olympe de Gourges (a female writer in support of equal rights for women)  Most were in towns that rebelled against the Convention (west France and major provincial cities)

Crushing Rebellion (con’t)  Revolutionary armies took control of cities Committee of Public Safety killed 1,880 in Lyon  Guillotine too slow, so used grapeshot to execute people in open graves  Women, clergy, children all killed Nantes  people executed by loading them onto a barge and then sinking the barge in the river

Crushing Rebellion (con’t)  Victims 15% = Clergy and nobles 85% = Third Estate members  Committee of Public Safety says the violence is only temporary, and soon the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen will be implemented.

The Republic of Virtue  Republic of Virtue—democratic republic composed of “good” citizens  “citizen” and “citizeness” replaced “mister” and “madame”

Women  Involved in revolution, though no real power  Observed National Convention sessions  Wore long dresses like ancient Romans  (1793) Society for Revolutionary Republican women Wanted in military

Laws  Primary education for all (not really implemented)  No slavery (colonies)  Price controls on food, fuel, and clothing (didn’t work/unenforceable)

De-Christianization  Religion encouraged superstition, not Enlightenment reason  Saint removed from street names  Churches looted and closed  Priests encouraged to marry  Notre Dame (center of Catholicism) designated a “temple of reason” Worship reason

New Calendar  Years no longer numbered from the birth of Christ, but from Sept 22, 1792  the first day of the French Republic  12 months  10 day weeks  3 weeks per month  No Sundays  New names for months