The French Revolution and the Terror DBQ

Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the Terror as an instrument of the French Revolution


      In 1793, the event known as the Terror began in Europe. The Jacobins political party in France allied with another party, the Mountain, to try and revolt against the Gerodins. During this time thousands of people were killed on many different accounts, ranging from conspiracy to revolting against the state. Reforms were made by the Commission of Public Safety to attempt to combat the crises that the Terror had caused. The Terror was essential to the French Revolution because it brought about much change all across France, especially in the peasantry, and had lasting effects but it also hindered France's ability to continue on with the revolution because there was so much bloodshed and deceit within France.

       The Terror was like the spark that started the French Revolution. It prompted much change to go about in Europe to cope with all of the revolutionary views. Robespierre said, "…because [the government] is compelled to deploy, swiftly and incessantly, new resources to meet new and pressing dangers" (Doc. 7). He says that the government is constantly changing, and the Terror made it change rapidly, which was the original intention of the Jacobins. The peasantry of France was effected the most by the Terror. It was written in a report: "If they were nobles or rich people it would not be strange, their being counterrevolutionists, but in that class we should expect all to be patriots" (Doc. 12). The people of France had their places in society, and they were expected to view the world in the same was as other members of their class. The Terror makes this untrue, as peasants, instead of going along with the Terror, are becoming counter-revolutionists.

       The Terror was an effective method used to make the French Revolution stronger because the reforms that were laid down at the time were not abolished. Ronsin said " It is necessary that the flames from their devastated dens proclaim tar and wide the punishment that is destined for those who try to imitate them" (Doc. 5). The revolutionary army was laying waste to everything that was against reform. These events left imprints on people's minds, and they knew that the Terror was not something to oppose for a long while afterwards. William Pitt provides a counterargument for the stay of the Terror's doings: "what can be the dependence on the steadiness of their operations, or what rational prospect can there be of the permanence of their exertions?" (Doc. 8). Since the people of the Terror had mostly been acting out of fear on both sides, once people calm down, everything will return to normality once again.

       The Terror was not useful in helping the French Revolution because it caused too many deaths, and caused too many parts of France to turn against each other. The public's actions are brought into question about how they deal with getting rid of people against the revolution: "That they acquit the innocent and punish the guilty, although murmurs are heard among the public at their judgments” (Doc. 9). Innocent people had been killed, and it would be impossible to keep the Revolution going if everyone who had been for it had been killed off. Document 10 says, "Bitter complaints already expressed numberless times, were repeated today of the arrest and imprisonment of citizens who are good patriots and are victims of ambition." Not everyone who was killed during the Terror was against revolution. This it not the way to bring about change. Also, "What a pity that a people [the French] capable of such Incredible energy, should he guilty or rather be governed by those who are guilty of such unheard of crimes and cruelties" (Doc. 4). France had been driven to turmoil, and it became impossible to bring about revolution.

       In some ways, the Terror did bring about the revolutionary ideas that the Jacobin had wanted in the first place. In other ways, though, it did nothing to France as a whole. Even though deaths had occurred, people had only been scared into succumbing to the powers of the Terror. It was not an effective method for the French Revolution.