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Factors Influencing the Terror 1794 - Coggle Diagram
Factors Influencing the Terror 1794
LOA:
In 1794, the nature of the Terror shifted from a functional tool of national defence into an ideological instrument for moral purification, known as the "Republic of Virtue". While military success at Fleurus removed the original justification for emergency government, the Terror actually intensified due to the
law of 22 Prarial
, which inaugurated the "Great Terror". The most important was
Robespierre's ideological obsession,
which created a climate of universal fear that eventually united disparate enemies against him.
Military Success and the "Revolutionary Until Peace" Doctrine
Why Important:
The Terror was justified by the decree that the government would be "revolutionary until the peace". By the spring of 1794, French armies had driven all foreign troops from French soil and recaptured lost territories in Belgium. This led many to question if the extremes of the Terror were still necessary for survival
Why Not Important:
Instead of winding down after military victories, the Terror became more intense in Paris, with execution rates rising significantly in June and July 1794
Factor LOA
: Military success was the delegitimising factor; it did not end the Terror, but it stripped away its logical defense, making Robespierre’s continued use of the guillotine appear to be personal tyranny
Robespierre’s Ideology (The Republic of Virtue)
Why important:
By 1794, Robespierre sought to eliminate the "vices" of the Ancien Régime—corruption, extravagance, and excess—to create a society based on "Virtue". This led to the execution of "factions" like the Indulgents (Danton/Desmoulins) who wanted to scale back the Terror
Why Not Important:
His attempts to manifest this ideology, such as the
Festival of the Supreme Being
, made him a figure of ridicule and were seen by some as a step toward reintroducing Catholicism
Factor LOA:
This was the driving motivation of 1794; it transformed the Terror from a reactive emergency measure into a proactive "cleansing" of the French people
The Law of 22 Prairial and Judicial Escalation
Why Important
: This law simplified the judicial process, removed the need for witnesses, and gave the Revolutionary Tribunal only two options: acquittal or death. Crucially, it removed the immunity of Convention deputies from prosecution, meaning any deputy could be sent to the guillotine without the Convention's consent.
Why Not Important:
Some argue the law was a reaction to attempted assassinations of Robespierre and Collot d’Herbois, making it a defensive measure rather than a new policy
Factor LOA:
This was the primary radicalising factor; it created the "Great Terror" and instilled a state of permanent fear among the deputies, which was the immediate catalyst for the Coup of Thermidor
Centralisation and Institutional Friction (The Law of 14 Frimaire)
Why Important
: This law (passed Dec 1793 but dominant in 1794) created a highly centralised dictatorship with the CPS at the top
. It effectively ended the "anarchic" phase of the Terror by disbanding the armées révolutionnaires and closing popular societies
Why Not Important:
While it gave Robespierre power, it also created a rift between the Committee of Public Safety (CPS) and the Committee of General Security (CGS) after the CPS established its own police bureau, which the CGS saw as an infringement on their authority
Factor LOA
: Centralisation provided the structural mechanism for the 1794 Terror, but the resulting institutional rivalries ensured that the security apparatus would eventually turn on Robespierre
Alienation of the Sans-Culottes
Why Important:
In 1794, the government alienated its most militant supporters by ending direct democracy in the sections and, crucially, imposing a Maximum on wages in July. This led to a fall in wages by as much as half while inflation continued to rise
Why Not Important
: The sans-culottes had already been weakened as a political force by the Law of 14 Frimaire; their role in 1794 was one of passive disillusionment rather than active resistance
Factor LOA:
Economic mismanagement was the undermining factor; it did not "cause" the 1794 Terror, but it ensured that when Robespierre was arrested, the Parisian masses felt no loyalty to rise up and save him