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Factors influencing the Terror 1793 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - The core problem was widespread food scarcity and inflation which the government sought to address through the economic terror
      - There was a general lack of food leading to rampant hoarding and black market sales in the countryside
        
        This resulted in high prices in rural areas while the government aimed to fix prices
      - The value of the assingnat was significantly declining, contributing to economic instability. Its value dropped from 25 percent in August 1793 to 48 percent in December 1793
      - The government, responding to popular pressure and the sans-culottes, had passed the Law of the General Maximum on 29 September 1793, which fixed prices for a wide range of goods and commodities, and also fixed wages. This law included harsh penalties for hoarding and selling above the maximum price, classifying hoarding as a capital offense.
    - - The convention created armées révolutionnaires (revolutionary armies), consisting of mainly sans-culottes
        
        These armies were specifically tasked with enforcing the Maximum law and collecting grain
      - Officials were granted authority to seize goods and impose fines on merchants selling above the maximum price
      - Their broader purpose involved ensuring food supplies for Paris and large provincial cities, rounding up hoarders, deserters, refractory priests, "fanatics", political suspects and royalist rebels
      - They were also responsible for mobilising the nation's resources for the war effort and establishing "revolutionary justice"
      - Around 25 departments had such armies operating within their territories
    - - these armies played a crucial role in supplying Paris with bread until the spring of 1794 demonstrating some localized effectiveness in urban areas
      - Their efforts however, did not always result in a profit
      - the heavy-handed methods employed by these armies particularly in their dealings with peasants caused considerable resentment
        
        Therefore, the success of the revolutionary armies in the context of the Economic Terror was mixed and limited
      - They were generally unpopular in the countryside and were eventually disbanded
      - Despite their enforcement efforts, the fundamental problems of the Economic Terror persisted, including rampant hoarding and black-market sales in rural areas, leading to continued high prices. The overall decline in the value of the assignat also continued
  - - - By the summer of 1793, the economic situation in France had significantly deteriorated
      - The value of the assignat, the revolutionary currency, had fallen sharply, being below a third of its face value by mid-August
      - A drought had severely reduced grain supplies, with Paris receiving only a quarter of its usual amount
      - This led to immense public unrest, particularly among the sans-culottes, due to food shortages and high prices
      - Figures like Jacques Roux, a spokesman for the Enragés, highlighted the suffering of the poor who were starving and felt the Revolution had brought them little material improvement
      - Popular pressure from Roux and the sans-culottes compelled the Convention to take drastic measures to control the economy and ensure access to vital supplies, seen as crucial for the Republic's survival
    - - The Convention passed the General Maximum law on 29 September 1793
      - This legislation was a significant economic concession to the sans-culottes
      - Its core provisions included:
        
        Imposing maximum prices for a wide range of goods and commodities
        
        Setting maximum wages
        
        Mandating the death penalty for hoarding food and other essential supplies and services
      - Enforcement often fell to the armée révolutionnaire, whose primary aim was to secure food supplies for the capital by requisitioning grain in major producing areas
      - Wealthy peasants, who controlled much of the harvest and served as municipal councillors, were expected to oversee these requisitioning efforts
      - However, the fixed maximum prices were frequently below the cost of production, causing farmers to stop growing crops
        
        This led to intensified conflict between town and country, as sans-culottes enforcing the maximum clashed with peasants
    - - In the short term, the General Maximum successfully ensured that towns and armies were fed
        
        The value of the assignat also saw a positive impact, rising to 48 percent by December 1793
      - However, the policy faced significant challenges and negative consequences:
        
        It was unpopular among farmers and producers because the set prices were often unprofitably low, which alienated them
        
        The policy effectively set common people against each other, as sans-culottes demanded low prices while farmers struggled with unprofitable production
        
        To address the concerns of farmers and other producers, the government was compelled to revise prices upwards in February 1794
        
        While intended to appease producers, this decision disgusted the sans-culottes, highlighting the policy's contradictory nature and its role in alienating different social groups
- - - - Dechristianisation was a deliberate attempt by the First republic between 1792 and 1794 to use the resources of the state to destroy Christianity as the dominant cultural form of French society.
        
        This movement was primarily aimed at undermining the authority of the church
        
        It was driven by a deep seated hatred of Catholicism, which was perceived to have betrayed the Revolution and created the cause of counter revolution
      - The motivation was also fuelled by a combination of official anticlericalism, the rise of the cult of Reason, and popular anticlericalism
      - The deputies themselves held strong anti-clerical sentiments
    - - Despite not being an official government policy the Convention came to view dechristianisation as a necessary component of the Terror
      - The implementation of these measures was primarily driven by revolutionary armies and representatives-on-mission
        
        These forces compelled local communities to abandon all forms of traditional worship
      - The attack on the church manifested in different forms
        
        Churches were systematically closed across the country starting in paris
        
        church bells and silver were removed, and roadside shrines and crosses were destroyed
        
        The Paris commune ceased paying clerical salaries in May 1793
        
        In November 1793 the Paris commune explicitly ordered the closure of all churches in Paris
        
        Notre Dame, Paris's cathedral, was famously transformed into a Temple of Reason
        
        Definition of a temple of reason: The Temple of Reason (French: Temple de la Raison) was established during the French Revolution as a state atheist temple to replace Christianity with the Cult of Reason, which emphasized ideals of reason, virtue, and liberty. It was notably associated with the transformation of significant religious sites, such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, into temples dedicated to this new belief system. The Cult of Reason was France's first state-sponsored atheistic religion, but it was short-lived, officially replaced by the Cult of the Supreme Being in 1794
        
        Other areas of France quickly followed suit, leading to the closure of most churches across the country by the spring of 1794
        
        On 7 November (17 Brumaire), the Paris Commune forbade the celebration of Mass
        
        On 10 November (20 Brumaire), the Convention organized the 'Festival of Reason' at Notre Dame, featuring an actress playing the Goddess of Reason
        
        By 10 December (20 Frimaire), the Convention formally approved the official closing of all Parisian churches
        
        The revolutionary calendar was introduced on 5 October 1793 (proclaimed on 24 November), effectively suppressing the old Christian calendar in an effort to erase the memory of the ancien régime
        
        The revolutionary calendar was introduced on 5 October 1793 (proclaimed on 24 November), effectively suppressing the old Christian calendar in an effort to erase the memory of the ancien régime
    - - In the short term, the campaign was successful in achieving widespread closures: 3,000 communes closed their churches across France
        
        A substantial number of clergy, 20,000 priests, renounced their vows
        
        The revolutionary calendar was successfully introduced and implemented as a new system of timekeeping
      - However there were mixed views by the populous with some hating it and some villages not putting up a fight
  - - - The implementation of the Revolutionary Calendar was part of a deliberate effort to erase the memory of the ancien régime.
      - It aimed to suppress the old Christian calendar and replace it with a secular version.
      - This was linked to a broader attempt by the First Republic to destroy Christianity as the dominant cultural form of French society.
      - The motivation for dechristianisation, which the calendar was part of, stemmed from a deep-seated hatred of Catholicism, seen as having "betrayed the Revolution and fomented the cause of the counter-revolution".
    - - The revolutionary calendar was introduced on 5 October 1793.
      - It was proclaimed on 24 November 1793.
      - The calendar effectively suppressed the old Christian calendar and replaced it with a secular version in which years were reckoned from the date of the proclamation of the Republic.
      - The year was divided into twelve months of 30 days, with five supplementary days (later called sans-culottides).
      - Each month was divided into three periods of ten days, with every tenth day being a day of rest.
      - Months were given names appropriate to their season, such as Vendémiaire (month of vintage) and Floreal (month of flowers).
      - Crucially, the new calendar ignored Sundays and festivals of the Church.
      - The period of the Terror roughly coincided with Year II, which commenced on 22 September 1793 under this new calendar.
    - - The revolutionary calendar was successfully introduced and implemented as a new system of timekeeping.
      - It served as a tool in the attempt to deny Christian revelation in favour of a state policy of atheism.
      - While not explicitly stated as a complete success in eliminating religious belief, its successful introduction and widespread implementation as the official system of timekeeping demonstrated its effectiveness as a means of secularizing society and attacking traditional religious structures.
- - - - The French revolution faced significant internal and external threats, including federal revolts and widespread counter revolutionary activity, which were seen as undermining the republic's survival
      - The Committee of Public Safety (CPS) aimed to maintain order and eliminate individuals or groups deemed "enemies of the Revolution" to safeguard the Republic
      - The authorities sought to demonstrate the state's power and resolve publicly to deter further dissent and rebellion
    - - Revolutionary tribunals were established to conduct trials and issue sentences. The Paris Tribunal for example, heard 240 cases and pronounced 66 death sentences. These show trials which began in September 1792, often resulted in the execution of prominent figures
      - The Guillotine became the abiding image of terror, being generally in use from 1792 as a primary tool for justice and repression. Robespierre called it the "blade of the law"
      - Public executions were carried out widely serving as a moral spectacle to demonstrate the states authority. Notable figures like Marie Antoinette, Philippe Égalité and Girondin deputies were all publicly executed. The execution of the King was widely publicized and became the first state-sanctioned execution of the Revolution
      - Summary justice and mass executions were implemented by revolutionary armies and representatives-on-mission, particularly in areas of federal revolt
        
        In Lyon, 1,600 prisoners were shot, and 282 were guillotined, with some revolutionary commissions executing hundreds of rebels.
        
        In Nantes, "mass drownings" (noyades) and shootings targeted Vendeans, refractory priests, and common criminals.
        
        Approximately 12,000 men were executed in the western and south-eastern regions of France.
      - The death penalty was extended to a wide range of individuals perceived as threats, including "hoarders" and "monopolizers". A decree on 17 October 1793 explicitly mandated the guillotine for "all those who were found to have committed acts of revolt"
    - - In the short term, the political terror was successful in suppressing federal revolts and counter - revolutionary activities therefore helping to safeguard the Republic's existence
      - It effectively instilled fear and control. The visible operation of the guillotine was intended to convey the invincibility of the revolutionary government to its enemies
      - The campaign resulted in a significant human cost, with an estimated 16,600 official executions (excluding deaths from imprisonment, starvation, or military action). Approximately 17,000 individuals were liable to be held in legal cells during this period
      - However, the extreme measures also led to widespread fear and alienation among the populace, and the brutal methods, even in "cool areas", ultimately contributed to internal conflicts, exemplified by the "human terror and fear" that led to Robespierre's own downfall and a "political purge"
  - - - The French Revolution faced widespread federal revolts and counter-revolutionary activity across various departments, seen as undermining the Republic's survival.
      - There was a deep-seated hatred of Catholicism, perceived to have "betrayed the Revolution and fomented the cause of the counter-revolution," contributing to overall political instability in regions where it was strong.
      - The Committee of Public Safety (CPS) sought to maintain order and eliminate individuals or groups deemed "enemies of the Revolution" to safeguard the Republic, especially in areas where rebellion was rampant.
      - Authorities aimed to demonstrate the state's power and resolve publicly to deter further dissent and rebellion in the provinces.
    - - The implementation of terror in regions was primarily driven by revolutionary armies and representatives-on-mission.
      - Summary justice and mass executions were widely implemented in areas of federal revolt
        
        In Lyon, following its recapture, the Committee of Public Safety and representatives-on-mission ordered the destruction of houses and the execution of rebels. Over 1,600 prisoners were shot, and 282 were guillotined. Some revolutionary commissions executed hundreds of rebels.
        
        In Nantes, led by Jean-Baptiste Carrier, "mass drownings" (noyades) and shootings targeted Vendeans, refractory priests, and common criminals. More than 2,000 men were executed by drowning.
        
        In the Vendée and the south-eastern regions of France, approximately 12,000 men were executed. In the Vendée, a British historian, John Johnson, estimates 80,000 deaths due to the war.
        
        Revolutionary armies were particularly effective in suppressing counter-revolution in the Vendée by supplying Paris with grain and enforcing the will of the Convention in the departments.
        
        A decree on 17 October 1793 mandated the guillotine for "all those who were found to have committed acts of revolt," which was applied regionally
      - All citizens of federal revolt were considered liable to be held in legal cells during this period. In December 1793, the Convention officially approved the closing of all Parisian churches, and other areas of France followed suit
    - - The regional political terror was successful in the short term in suppressing federal revolts and counter-revolutionary activities thereby helping to safeguard the Republic's existence. For example, the Vendéan rebellion was largely suppressed by the end of 1793
      - It effectively instilled fear and control in the targeted regions. The "moral spectacle" of public executions and the "invincibility" of the revolutionary government were meant to deter further opposition
        
        Despite the immediate suppression, the brutality of regional repression contributed to the overall negative perception of the Terror and ultimately fueled internal conflicts that led to the downfall of figures like Robespierre. The "brutal attempt to uproot centuries of Christian belief," a component of which was regional dechristianisation, "rarely resented in the villages," but for "many ordinary people outside the civil war zones, dechristianisation, which left large areas of France without priests, was the aspect of the Terror that most affected them"
      - The campaign resulted in a significant human cost, with an estimated 16,600 official executions nationwide, excluding deaths from imprisonment, starvation, or military action. Regional executions accounted for a large portion of this number, with 6,713 in the Area of the Vendée Rebellion, 1,296 in Lyon, and 599 in Nantes
      - However, the extreme measures also led to widespread fear and alienation among the populace, even in areas not directly involved in civil war
  - - - The French Revolution was facing significant internal and external threats, including widespread federal revolts and counter-revolutionary activity across various departments, which were seen as undermining the Republic's survival [conversation history].
      - There was an urgent need for the Committee of Public Safety (CPS) to maintain order and eliminate individuals or groups deemed "enemies of the Revolution" to safeguard the Republic [conversation history]. The Law of Suspects was introduced as a key tool in this broader effort.
    - - The Law of Suspects was passed in September 1793.
      - This law was pivotal because it delegated some of the government's powers to local revolutionary committees.
      - These local committees, empowered by the law, were notably "packed with fanatical Montagnards and their supporters".
      - While the sources do not explicitly define who qualified as a "suspect," the law essentially provided a legal basis for these committees to identify, arrest, and detain individuals considered threats to the Revolution, thus expanding the reach of the terror beyond Paris
    - - However, as an instrument of the political terror, its success can be inferred in its contribution to enabling the repression and control over perceived enemies of the Revolution
      - By delegating powers to local revolutionary committees, the law provided a crucial legal framework for the widespread arrests and detentions that characterized the Terror
      - This extension of state power to local bodies significantly expanded the reach of the terror across France, contributing to the suppression of federal revolts and counter-revolutionary activities
      - The Law of Suspects was, therefore, instrumental in the implementation of the "human terror and fear" that defined this period of the Revolution