1. The Reign of Terror: The Radical phase of the French Revolution
Unit I: Rights and Revolution
History 112
Saunders

2. The Guillotine: An ethical death?
The execution of Louis XVI: beheaded by Guillotine on January 21st 1793
’The Guillotine’s First Cut” – 3 minutes – remember – this is a video!!

3. The Guillotine Used to behead those convicted of treason.
people were put to death this way by the end of 1799.
Often 60 people a day were guillotined in front of large crowds.
Beheading was considered the most humane method of execution.
But was it really?

4. The Old Way

5. The Execution of King Louis XVI (January 21, 1793, 10:22 am)

9. The Death of King Louis XVI
Rising threats from outside coalition of Austria, Prussia
Continued uprisings from the people in France
Creation of the Committee of public safety April 1793

10. Maximilien Robespierre Jacobin

11. SHEG Documents
The Reign of Terror
Handouts

12. The Law of suspects September 1793
The committee of public safety given broad powers to arrest and punish anyone who was suspected of treason (enemies to the republic) against the revolution
Significance: weakened individual freedoms and led to widespread paranoia

13. The Law of 22 Prairial June 1794 –
Worry of foreign powers casting shadows over France
Limits the ability of suspects to defend themselves
Virtually any criticism of the government became criminal
Executions accelerated – the terror truly began

14. Robespierre had more than 15, 000 killed between 1793-1794
By summer 1794, Robespierre’s had so much power that he was feared now by the people who did the killings…
Foreign invaders removed by French army – economy stabilizes
Robespierre no longer needed
He was arrested and executed by guillotine on July 27, 1794.

15. Thermidorian Reaction (thermidor – Greek thermos for heat - July)
A period of Government restructuring
More conservative
The Directory (5 member committee) was formed to control France from
Directory began to abuse its power – corruption -Military leaders began to grow power
Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the directory November 1799 – established a new government – the Consulate
He later crowns himself Emperor in 1804

16. Napoleon Bonaparte Dictator of France
His power grew – expanding his empire-War with Britain, Austria
Invades Russia in 1812 – lost most of his army to war, weather, starvation
Forced into exile, but escapes in 1815
Controlled Paris for a period called ‘Hundred Days’
Europe gathered armies – Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo June 1815
Forced into Exile on the island of Saint Helena
Dies May 1821

17. Outcome 1.3.1
Make connections to allow comparison of the French Revolution to other modern events in the context of rights and freedoms
Martin Luther King Jr. – the fight for civil rights
Text page 582

18. A modern day example of Revolution
The Civil Rights Movement – 4 minutes