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© Copyright 2005, Jim Loy
The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a fight for liberty, justice, and equality. But it was in trouble from the beginning, from within and from without.
France was surrounded by monarchs who felt threatened by the rise of liberty in France. This was not just paranoia about their own people imitating the French uprising. Several French leaders advocated war against these monarchies. In 1794, France invaded the Rhinelands, the Netherlands, and Savoy. They later invaded England and Spain. And Austria invaded France.
While the precarious fate of the Revolution was threatened from without, French leaders disagreed among themselves about many things. There were militants and pacifists. And there were bitter arguments over liberties and rights in a time of war. Every side saw their opponents as a threat to the Revolution. Everyone saw their opponents as traitors, deserving of death.
The two main parties were the Girondins and the Jacobins. In 1793, the Jacobins (led by Robespierre) seized control of the Committee of Public Safety, which essentially ran the country. Many of the Girondins were then executed as traitors. Robespierre led the country for three months, until he too was executed.
In the end, it is estimated that 40,000 people were executed, by guillotin and by mass drowning.
In 1799, Napoleon became dictator, and the Revolution died.
A few historians seem to think that the Reign of Terror was a necessary evil. But it was the opposite of the ideals of the Revolution. And I think that most of us consider it an ugly blight on the memory of the human race.