What caused the escalation of the Terror in 1793? In 1794?
Internal Threat (Vendee and Federalist)
Vendee Revolt
Catholic and Royalist Armies rebel in the Vendee due to
Resistance to the Levee en mass as it was a republican war
Not supportive of the Revolutionary reforms
Class divisions
Rural -> Reactionary
Urban -> enlightened
Political Divisions
CPS
Law of 14 Frimaire
Gave the CPS central control over France
Because Dechristianization had gotten
out of hand by the Representatives en Mission
CPS agents reported back to the CPS and CGS every 10 days - Police State established
Revolutionary armies abolished
Dechristianization
Was the
Purge of Catholics
Removal of Christian and Royal symbols
To be replaced by revolutionary icons
Churches were closed and repurposed as Temples of Knowledge
New religion established by Robespierre -> Cult of the Supreme Being (based on logic and reason
Total removal of a God would undermine the CPS
Too radical
Divides Jacobins and Robespierre
Happens organically
7 May 1794 It becomes official
Divisions between Girondins and Jacobins
2 June 1793: Purge of the Girondins
29 Deputies Arrested
Due to the Girondins resisting representative en mission posts
They step down and are arrested due to the pressure of 75,000 National Guardsmen
Grievances with how church land was bought by wealthy middle class
Religious grievances - revolt tries to restore influence of the church
Federalist Revolts
Major cities revolting against the Government
Criteria: What leads to law of 14 Frimaire
Normandy
Brittany
Lyon
Marseille
Toulon
Bordeaux
Last city to fall, suffers extreme retribution violence
Caused by
Against intensifying the war effort
Reaction to purging of the Girondins
Concern over strengthening of the Jacobin influence in Paris
What leads to the Purge of the Jacobins
Economic Pressures
Ports are blocked by English (Marseille and Toulon)
France has to fund the war of the First Coalition
December 7 1793
Both laws of General Maximum failed
Results in a black market for goods with very high prices
Bread Rationing
Again, resulted in a black market for bread
High prices cause unrest within the population