Liam Stevenson, Mike Davis , To what extent was the ‘Reign of Terror’ in
France in the 1790s justifiable? Was Robespierre a misguided freedom
fighter?, 2507 Words, Harvard Referencing Format.
The Terror was not an easily justifiable event in the French Revolution as it involved
countless deaths of innocent civilians who were being portrayed as enemies of the state. The
transition from the feudal system and the Ancien Regime which oppressed the 3rd estate into
a republic during the terror, was a justifiable act resulting in permanent positive change. This
was due to Robespierre who as a misguided freedom fighter, transitioned from a nonviolent
politician who represented the 3rd estate, to a tyrant dictator trying to achieve a republic in his
power.
The Terror and the French Revolution would come to impact the world on large scale. France
was living in a Feudal system and was dictated by the 1st and 2nd estates which were the
clergy and monarchs, while the 3rd estate the commoners and lower-class clergy were
oppressed. Robespierre’s ideals were to gain equality amongst the 3
rd estate. These ideals created divisions amongst the country and alongside civil unrest. Robespierre came to power in September 5th, 1793 after years representing the 3rd estate. The pivotable event the “Reign of Terror” would occur between 1792 and 1794, which Robespierre would come to lead.
Robespierre both a law student and a representative of the 3rd estate would become the leader
and forefront of the atrocities during his reign of terror.
Robespierre was initially fighting for the freedom of the poor in France, he used his power
initially to help, not to harm. As a freedom fighter Robespierre was fighting for more equality
across the 1st estate the Clergy, 2nd estate the Nobility and 3rd estate the Commoners. The Ancien Regime of the time taxed the Commoners heavily and different laws and powers were held across the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd estates. The 3rd estate could not hunt on fields owned by the 1st and 2nd estate without permissions, tithes on the poor and no power. Robespierre representing the 3rd estate despite his qualification and privileged upbringing shows his commitment to equality amongst France. Robespierre was then asked to attend the Estate’s General as a member of the 3rd estate. This broken method of politics amongst the estates was flawed as the 1st estate held 300 votes, 2nd estate 300 and the 3rd estate 600 votes, resulting in the 1st and 2nd estates voting on the same agenda leading to a stalemate. Robespierre and the 3rd estate realised the corruption in the Estates General and left, developing the pivotal Tennis Court Oath held in 1789 and creating the National Assembly which would later gain power in France. The Jacobin club would then achieve power with Robespierre as their leader.
Robespierre due to the Monarch and Civil War, concluded that to achieve his goals,
Robespierre would have to execute King Louis and Marie Antionette. This execution would
lay way to the Terror on September 5th, 1793 and conclude on July 27th, 1794 with
Robespierre’s execution, after a total of 17,000 people were executed.
This timeline shows Robespierre’s change from a freedom fighter into a tyrant dictator terrorist with violent control over a country in civil war, volatile politics and fighting against the Prussians, to
achieve equality and a monarch-less country. Although Robespierre’s acts were terrible, they
could be seen as justifiable due to the Ancien Regime and Feudal system being abolished.
The French Revolution used excessive force to change political structure. The 3rd estate
which consisted of the disadvantaged groups in 18th century France, pushed for equality. The
revolution used “Coercive violence to impose policy” – (Law, RD, 2015 ‘The Routledge
History of Terrorism’pg.63), violence in the French Revolution was seen as “Ends Justified
the means, and that in order to defend the Revolution against those who would destroy it, the
shedding of blood was Justified” (Linton, M 2006, ‘Robespierre and the Terror’ pp.25, May
2021).
The current Ancien Regime consisted of a monarchy and strict rules and tithes for the 3rd
estate which consisted of 97% of the population. The Ancien Regime was a monarchy which
suppressed the common people. The Terror in the 1790’s, justified via equality for the
people, overthrew the Monarch, developing the National Assembly which represented the
people. King Louis XIV after being taken from Versailles to Paris attempted to escape to
Prussia in hopes to regain his monarch status through war and domination. There were
monarchists inside Paris and a treacherous King Louis XIV. Robespierre’s decision was to
send King Louis XIV to the guillotine to stop any further pro-Monarchists and relieve Paris
from enemies of Robespierre’s state. To maintain control of the country Robespierre lead the
“Committee of Public Safety” which involved executing any person who was against
Robespierre and the Jacobins control, which resulted in 17,000 deaths of both enemies and
suspected enemies which only amplified the paranoia.
Robespierre a privileged person became a “lawyer representing poor people” (Bouloiseau,
Marc. “Maximilien Robespierre”, May. 2021) after “He received a law degree in 1781 and
became a lawyer at Arras” (Bouloiseau, Marc. “Maximilien Robespierre”, May. 2021).
Through Robespierre’s speeches appealing to the people, “he had alarmed the privileged
classes by his protests against royal absolutism and arbitrary justice” (Bouloiseau, Marc.
“Maximilien Robespierre”, 2 May. 2021,). Although Robespierre would later become the
leader of the Jacobin’s and a tyrant dictator, initially Robespierre was against violence and he
would eventually concede to a “regime of oppression, censorship, persecution, and
executions” (David Auerbach, Robespierre, 14th May 2014). Robespierre’s dictatorship and
violent stance shifted due to multiple issues; a monarch who were attempting to escape, civil
war, Prussia invading and enemies of the Jacobin regime inside the city. Once there was
deliberation that the only way to cease these issues was to eliminate them. This resulted in
Robespierre’s now terrorist attributes, executing 17,000 people through the Committee of
Public Safety and its arbitrary executions of “suspects” often without any evidence of
treachery.
Although “One Man’s Terrorist Another Man’s Freedom Fighter” (Vilde Skorpen Wiken, Is
“One Man’s Terrorist Another Man’s Freedom Fighter, Nov 29 2018 ) there’s a
clear separation where “Freedom fighters do not need to terrorize a population into
submission,” (Ronald Reagan, 1986). Robespierre’s initial representation of the 3rd estate of
the poor and unequal members of the French society during the 18th century, his eventual
reign of power and execution was a result of terror through France. His initial anti-monarchist
regime and political structure fit for equality returned in a full circle through a political
structure under his dictation. Many deaths and persecution because of Robespierre only fit as
a terrorist and his justification although initially might be considered suitable for the
situation, ended in a paranoid control of a country which was not only sick of him but ready
to execute him.
During Robespierre’s early days as a lawyer, he represented the 3rd estate which were 97% of
the population which also lived under poverty and 1st and 2nd estate rule. Robespierre was a
freedom fighter during this period only fighting for the equality of the commoners. When he
left college on scholarship, although he could have worked in an upper class setting, he chose
to help the people who needed it most. This aspect of Robespierre as a voice for the poor
shows his initial non-violent stature, which would shift into violence to maintain control and
meet his shifting ideologies which would put France at risk. Throughout his early career, he
was renowned for his speeches, representation of the poor and his loyalty to the 3rd estate.
The Estates General which had not been implemented for over 100 years was called due to
civil unrest. The Estates General was effectively a means for the estates to communicate and
delegate new regulations. Robespierre was asked to be the spokesperson and leader for the 3rd
estate. Aiming for equality without violence was his premise, yet the power of the 1st and 2nd
estate was too strong to implement a new regime outside of the Ancien Regime and feudal
system with the Monarch still with power.
Robespierre then shifted into becoming a terrorist despite initially a freedom fighter. The
development of the National Assembly introduced Robespierre’s terrorist attributes and clear
tyrant dictatorship as Robespierre’s Jacobin party took control. King Louis XIV was executed
due to revolt, civil war and to eliminate the traitors inside Paris who supported the Monarch,
King Louis’s death was seen as a resolution to an ongoing matter.
John Keke’s states that “Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and Pol Pot are of the same mold” (John
Kekes, Why Robespierre Chose Terror, 2006”), these individual dictators all share a common
bond of violence to achieve power and domination over a country, but also all as a political
agenda. To develop a strong political agenda while in a volatile situation, these dictators
eliminate the opposing political forces, which creates a sole political party which can dictate
the countries citizens through a strong political structure, which leads to state terrorism and a
regime killing up to millions of people, this can include people who are against the regime or
even innocent civilians. Although Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot are concluded, the
French Revolution and Robespierre was the first political, nationwide terrorist regime which
although helped the public, had to kill people both innocent and enemies of the state.
Eliminating the Ancien Regime and feudalism, France still returned to a dictatorship under
Robespierre and later a pseudo-monarch under Napoleon.
Robespierre and the Jacobin’s believed that “once an opponent of the death penalty led the
way in claiming that Louis must die in order for the Revolution lo live” (Linton, M 2006,
‘Robespierre and the Terror’, pg.24). The French Revolution and the monarch were a crucial
moment in the direction of the revolution itself. France still had many people who believed in
a monarch like the many centuries before. While attempting to change political structure into
one that is beneficial to the commoners, the monarchists served a threat to Robespierre and
the Jacobin’s idea of who should rule. On 21st of January 1793 King Louis XIV was executed
on behalf of the revolution. This quote shows the moment where Robespierre had to turn his
attention away from a placid manner with King Louis XIV, into one that had to be morbid for
the revolution to continue to thrive.
Robespierre’s impact from 1781 to 1792 was only in the populations best interest,
representing the poor 3rd estate, working on equality. Despite this Robespierre’s development
in 1792 shows only his terrorist and violent nature to achieve his perception of equality
without the Ancien Regime, which had been exploiting the 3
rd estate. The Great Terror and its implementation of the Committee of Public Safety resulted in 17,000 people being executed which although put to trial, often didn’t have strong evidence of conspiring against Robespierre’s regime. These executions were built off paranoia and a flawed penal system.
Citizens who were suspected of conspiring against the Jacobin’s were often murdered often
with little evidence. Although Robespierre’s initial intentions were of a freedom fighter, his
radical change only disadvantaged and brought France to a volatile situation. The negative
opinion of Robespierre eventually followed into his execution. When Robespierre killed King
Louis and Maire Antionette, he effectively destroyed the monarch to achieve a republican
state. During this period Robespierre himself resembled a tyrant dictator who capitalised off
bloodshed. His terrorism was reverted, although he abolished the Ancien Regime and many
tithes on the 3rd estate, his attempt to maintain a republic free of a monarch changed into a
dictator, monarch resembling Napoleon era, where history repeats itself.
Robespierre can be seen as a misguided freedom fighter. His intentions initially were in place
of equality amongst the 3rd estate where he would follow to represent in front of the Estates
General. Robespierre and his colleagues would discover the inadequacies in the Estates
General which was effectively rigged. For change there was a necessity in voting, the 1st and
2nd estates both had 300 votes while the 3rd estate had 600. This resulted in a stalemate due to
the 1st and 2nd estates voting on the same topic, which does not lead to change. Robespierre
and his 3rd estate created the Tennis Court Oath, which would result in the new political
structure the National Assembly. Until this point Robespierre was trying to develop a more
equal and less oppressive situation for the commoners of France, dismissing or changing
tithes and taxes. The monarchy of King Louis and Marie Antionette was seen as weak and
there was much change needed with the monarch.
The extent of Robespierre’s reign of terror was almost completely in his hands as the leader
of the extremist Jacobin club and mascot of the French Revolution. Robespierre’s transition
from 1781 to 1793 were unparalleled and almost inconceivable that this would happen.
Robespierre’s attempt to cleanse France of its enemies both inside and out, killed many
innocent civilians in these mass executions via the guillotine. It could be argued that
Robespierre went insane, creating his own religion and calendar, alongside mass executions
which seem separate from Robespierre’s initial goals to abolish feudalism and bring equality
to the commoners of France. Although these acts of total violence, the Jacobin’s and
Robespierre saw these horrendous acts as a means to an end, impossible to change the
foundations without destroying them and starting again especially in a monarchist state with
such strong oppressive control over the commoners, the 3rd estate, 97% of the population.
Robespierre’s acts throughout the Terror between 1792 – 1793 have both a positive and
negative outcome, which can be justifiable in different ways. Throughout Robespierre’s rule
of France amongst the Jacobin’s the feudal system and many pro equality measures had been
met, which also destroyed the Monarch liberating many of the commoners in the 3rd estate
which was 97% of the population. Alongside these completely positive changes which would
also instigate and help change throughout other countries, were some terrible, atrocious acts
committed during 1792 – 1793 which would see Robespierre come to a tyrant dictatorship,
murdering, and executing 17,000 people while harming plenty more. Robespierre used these
acts as a means to an end to create a state free of enemies. Whilst Prussia moved in on
France, this was when the most executions via guillotine happened. The outcome after
Robespierre’s death and execution in 1794, the country had reverted to a monarch absolute
rule in the name of Napoleon. So, through Robespierre’s changed in the feudal system and
more equality amongst the 3rd estate, the country still reverted to a monarchist state which yet
again would be ruled by a dictator. Robespierre’s initial ideologies of creating equality and
abolishing feudalism created a heavy positive impact on France and also globally, and
although the atrocities of the Terror were terrible, Robespierre still helped France win the
France-Prussia war and create a country which allowed the 3rd estate to live in a more equal
manner to the clergy, if only considering these actions, Robespierre’s acts were justifiable.
“True, in the name of liberty, equality, and fraternity, it overthrew a corrupt regime” (John
Kekes, ‘Why Robespierre Chose Terror, 2006).
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