Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Robespierre and the Reign of Terror




The French Revolution was a huge change that brought together liberty and equality. Lower classes finally had more power and equality. Kings and higher classes lost most of there power .As a result the Reign of Terror occurred. It was a period of violence with the enemies of the Revolution. A limited Monarchy was set up. A legislative Assembly was set up to work with and share power with the King. The kings didn’t like this at all because they wanted to have absolute power over everything. King Louis XIV wanted to do anything to get his power back. While France was figuring out was to do, a new gang called the Jacobins took over. Who ever disagreed with there opinions would get there head chopped off. The guillotine was the machine that they used to cut off people heads. Anybody that disagreed with them or went against them would have there head chopped off.

After the Jacobins cut King Louis XIV head off people were shocked and afraid of France. As time passed by and leaders struggled to get power Maximilien Robespierre gathered control and was later ruling France. Kings, queens, and jacks were removed for faces of revolutionaries, the calendar was changed, and church’s in Paris were closed. His rule was called the Reign of Terror. It was named like this because people were executed, and scared. They didn’t want to have there head chopped off. Even people who worked with the government were scared of Maximilien. During the Terror, approximately 3,000 people were executed in Paris. People were tired of being scared so they organized a conspiracy towards him and he was executed. He was killed by having his head chopped off and finally the Reign of Terror was over.


The Terror was designed to fight the enemies of the revolution. The French Revolution promised democracy, but it did not happen immediately. The region of terror represented something horrible in the lives of many people. This ruler killed many people. After his death the Tower was still used but not as much as before.

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