Question

march 1793: robespierre leads committee of public safety and the reign of terror begins
the committee of public safety was set up in 1793 to defend france against internal and external enemies. the original leaders of the committee of public safety were replaced with more radical revolutionaries who were willing to defend the revolution at any cost. one of the most well - known new leaders was maximilien robespierre who led the reign of terror.
the reign of terror was a period from 1793 until 1794 when the committee of public safety suspended rights guaranteed in the new constitution leading to wide - scale repression. the freedom of the press, previously an important aspect of the revolution, was taken away. the influence of the catholic church was attacked. spies were sent throughout the country to find \enemies of the revolution.\ during this time, those suspected of being an enemy of the revolution were executed by guillotine.

1. why was the committee of public safety set up in 1793?
2. who was maximilien robespierre?
3. what was the reign of terror?
4. according to the pie chart, which groups suffered the most during the reign of terror? based on what youve learned about the goals of the french revolution, why is this impact unexpected or surprising?

list 3 enduring issues for the document:
helen williams was a foreigner living in paris in 1793. she sympathized with those who wanted france to form a republic. she was arrested because her views differed from those in power.
after two months in our new prison, we were released. a young frenchman, who has since married my sister, managed to get us released by haunting all the officials he could find and finally by begging the release from chaumette, the procurer of the paris commune, and a tyrant.
so we were free but were watched. we could see very few people and went out little, and yet it was a sort of liberty. we feared to go out, in case, without realizing it, we committed any transgression offense that would lead to being arrested again. we hardly spoke to anyone, for there were spies everywhere, and we jumped at each knock at the door, fearing arrest. for the prisons of terror were growing more crowded daily, and more were going to the scaffold as the reign of terror tightened its hold. \suspicion\ was now a warrant for imprisonment, conspiracy and murder were in the air. one man was arrested because he \looked\ noble. another because a total stranger swore that he supported monarchy. some were arrested for having been rich, others for being clever. many who asked for the reason of their arrest in vain. and the number of executions rose, and the horrors increased, and the stories of both courage and cowardice were passed from home to home. yet it seemed to me that there was more courage than cowardice to be found, which gave us hope for humanity even in these dark days.
soon after our release from prison, we decided to move from the center of the town to a house in the most remote part of the faubourg suburb, saint germain. our new home was but a few moments walk from the countryside. but although we were close, we did not dare to walk there. the parks and woods that surrounded us and had once belonged to royalty were now haunted by revolutionaries, police spies, even the conspirators themselves on occasion. so we walked in the common fields near our house, where people put their animals to graze. i have no words to describe how reluctantly we returned from our walks to paris, that den of carnage, that slaughterhouse of man. the guillotine was claiming both the innocent and the guilty alike, and at such a rate that the gutters seemed to stream with blood. and just when it seemed that things could get no worse, when you thought it was not possible to increase the stream of people flowing to the scaffold, you were proved wrong and the pace of the flow quickened even more.
source: jane shuter, ed., helen williams and the french revolution, raintree steck - vaughn publishers (adapted)

Explanation:

1. The Committee of Public Safety was set up to defend France against internal and external enemies.
2. Maximilien Robespierre was a well - known radical revolutionary who led the Reign of Terror as a leader of the Committee of Public Safety.
3. The Reign of Terror was a period from 1793 - 1794 when the Committee of Public Safety suspended rights in the new constitution, led to wide - scale repression, attacked the Catholic Church, and executed suspected enemies of the revolution by guillotine.
4. According to the pie chart, the working class (31%) and peasants (28%) suffered the most. This is unexpected as the French Revolution aimed to fight for the rights of the common people, yet these groups were among the hardest - hit during the Reign of Terror.

For the enduring issues:

• Civil liberties and rights: The Reign of Terror showed how quickly rights can be suspended in the name of security.
• Political extremism: The radical actions of the Committee of Public Safety demonstrated the dangers of political extremism.
• Social unrest and fear: The atmosphere of suspicion and the high number of executions led to widespread social unrest and fear among the population.

Answer:

1. To defend France against internal and external enemies.
2. A well - known radical revolutionary who led the Reign of Terror as a leader of the Committee of Public Safety.
3. A period from 1793 - 1794 when the Committee of Public Safety suspended rights in the new constitution, led to wide - scale repression, attacked the Catholic Church, and executed suspected enemies of the revolution by guillotine.
4. The working class and peasants suffered the most. It is unexpected as the French Revolution aimed to fight for the rights of the common people.

Enduring issues: Civil liberties and rights; Political extremism; Social unrest and fear.