Question

base your answer to the following question on the passage and on your knowledge of social studies.
...if the strength of popular government in peacetime is virtue, the strength of popular government in revolution is both virtue and terror; terror without virtue is disastrous, virtue without terror is powerless. terror is nothing but prompt, severe, inflexible justice; it is thus an emanation root of virtue; it is less a particular principle than a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to the most urgent needs of the fatherland. it is said that terror is the strength of despotic government. does ours then resemble despotism? yes, as the sword that shines in the hands of the heroes of liberty resemble the one with which the satellites of tyranny are armed. let the despot govern his brutalized subjects through terror, he is right as a despot. subdue the enemies of liberty through terror and you will be right as founders of the republic. the government of revolution is the despotism of liberty against tyranny... - maximilien robespierre, virtue and terror: speech to the convention, 1794
according to robespierre, during a revolution essential for a government to rule by using
a) terror to control its subjects
b) liberty to ensure its citizens rights
c) justice to promote peace
d) censorship to control the media
base your answer to the question on the following chart and on your knowledge of social studies.
victims during the reign of terror
peasants: 28% 3,961
working class: 31% 4,389
upper middle class: 14% 1,964
lower middle class: 11% 1,488
nobility: 8% 1,158
clergy: 7% 920
status: 1%
source: dennis sherman et al., eds., world civilizations: sources, images, and interpretations, mcgraw - hill (adapted)
which statement is best supported by information found in this chart?
a) the reign of terror affected all classes equally.
b) clergy were spared from the reign of terror.
c) peasants were the most frequent victims of the reign of terror.
d) the reign of terror crossed social and economic boundaries.

Explanation:

For the first question, the pie - chart shows victims of the Reign of Terror from different social and economic classes (peasants, working class, clergy, nobility, etc.), indicating it crossed social and economic boundaries. For the second question, Robespierre states that during a revolution, a government should use both virtue and terror, and terror is necessary to fight against enemies of liberty, which means using terror to control subjects.

Answer:

1. D. The Reign of Terror crossed social and economic boundaries
2. A. terror to control its subjects