French Revolution
Event
REIGN OF TERROR [1793-1794]

AT NANTES, OVER 4,000 WERE BUTCHERED IN 4 MONTHS SOME BY BEING SENT OUT IN A BOAT WHICH WAS THEN DELIBERATELY SUNK.

AT LYONS, 2,000 PERISHED IN A MASS EXECUTIONS CONDUCTED BY VOLLEYS OF GUNFIRE.

FRANCE WAS VIRTUALLY A POLICE STATE,WHICH FEW COULD TRUST THEIR NEIGHBOURS.THEY ALL DREADED 'THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR AFTER DARK'.THE ROYALIST WERE UTTERLY POWERLESS.BUT THE REVOLUTIONIST WERE FAR FROM UNITED.

HERBERT THE LEADER OF THE PARIS COMMUNE WANTED TO PUSH THE REVOLUTION IN A SOCIALIST DIRECTION ,IN THE INTERESTS OF THE POOR.THE AGITATION FORCED ROBESPIERRE AND THE CONVENTION TO PASS A 'LAW OF THE MAXIMUM',CONTROLLING THE PRICE OF BREAD AND OTHER NECCESSITIES.THE HEBERT GROUP WERE ATHEISTS AND SET OUT TO DESTROY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP AS THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE.THE COMMUNE ORDERED THE CLOSING OF ALL THE PARIS CHURCHES AND ENTHRONED 'A GODDESS OF REASON' IN THE CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME.THE DISAPPROVING OF THESE MEASURES PLUS THERE WERE FEARFUL AT LEAST THE REVOLUTION WAS SLIPPING FROM HIS CONTROL.

IN MARCH 1794 SAW THE END OF THE HEBERTISTS.ROBESPIERRE AND HIS ASSOCIATES STRUCK HEBERT AND THE OTHER LEADERS OF THE COMMUNE WENT THE WAY OF THE GIRONDINS,TO FACE THE GUILLOTINE.

IN THEIR PLACE ROBESPIERRE SECURE THE APPOINTMENT OF MEN SUBSERVIENT TO HIMSELF.

THE END OF DANTON:[APRIL 1794]
DANTON WHO FELT THE NEED FOR PEACE ABROAD AND RECONCILIATION AT HOME.THE TERROR HE ARGUE HAD WORKED ITS PURPOSE AND IT SHOULD BE ENDED.SICKENING OF THE BLOODSHED AND HAPPY IN THE LOVE OF A YOUNG GIRL HE HAD JUST MARRIED.HE LED A CAMPAIGN TO HALT THE HOLE GHASTLY BUSINESS THIS MOVE WAS FATAL.HE WAS DENOUNCE AS 'TOO INDULGENT',ROBESPIERRE IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED HIM OF COUNTER REVOLUTIONARY SENTIMENTS. DANTON AND DESMOULINS MET THE FATE THEY HAD HELPED TO BRING ABOUT TO SO MANY OTHERS.DANTON BEHAVED WITH HIS INVARIABLE COURAGE.AS HE PASS ROBESPIERRES HOUST ON THE WAY TO THE GUILLOTINE HE SHOUTED "INFAMOUS ROBESPIERRE,YOU WILL SOON FOLLOW ME!",AND ON THE SCAFFORD ITSELF HE MADE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS REMARKS IN HISTORY:"SHOW MY HEAD TO THE PEOPLE-IT IS WORTH THE TROUBLE".

LAW OF 22 PRAIRIAL:[10 JUNE 1794]
A RUTHLESS LAW ,WERE SUSPECTS WERE DEPRIVED OF THE HELP OF COUNSEL AND COULD BE CONDEMNED TO THE ONE POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT THAT IS DEATH.ON THE PEPUTATION OF A 'BAD MORAL CHARACTER' ALONE.WHICH MIGHT BE MADE TO MEAN ANYTHING.AFTER THIS IN 50 DAYS NEARLY 1,500 HEADS FELL.OPPOSITION GREW AGAINST ROBESPIERRE BY THOSE WHO FEAR THAT THEIR TURN WOULD COME NEXT.THE OPPOSITION GANGED UP AGAINST HIM.THEY THREW HIM IN PRISON.HE WAS THEN RELEASED BY HIS SUPPORTERS THEN RECAPTURED IN THE PARIS HOTEL DE VILLE ON THE 27th JULY AS HE WAS ABOUT TO SIGN AN ILLEGAL APPEAL TO THE TROOPS.

END OF ROBESPIERRE:JULY 1794
28 JULY:HE AND 21 OF HIS ASSOCIATES WERE LED TO THE SCAFFORD IN THEIR TURN.

29 JULY:KNIFE FELL ON 71 OF HIS SUPPORTERS IN THE COMMUNE.

STRANGELY ENOUGH THOUGH THOSE WHO OVER THREW ROBESPIERRE WERE FAR WORSE THAN HE. THE EXECUTION OF THE ROBESPIERRISTS LED TO THE END OF THE TERROR.

END OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE TERROR
THE COUNTRY NOW WAS SO OBVIOUSLY TRIED OF FEAR AND BLOODSHED THAT THE NEW RULERS,AFTER ENSURING THEIR OWN SAFTEY BY EXECUTING THE CHIEF REMAINING TERRORISTS.THEY EVENTUALLY DESTROYED THE WAR DICTATORSHIP ORGANISATION WHICH HAD MADE THE TERROR POSSIBLE.THEY WEAKENED THE POWERS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL ,PLUS ALSO THE COMMITTEES OF PUBLIC SAFTEY AND GENERAL SECURITY.ABOLISDED THE PARIS COMMUNE AND CLOSED THE JACOBIN CLUBS,REPEALED THE LAW OF 22nd PRAIRIAL.

FINALLY THE CONVENTION VOTED YET ANOTHER NEW CONSTITUTION.WHICH THE ELECTORATE WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO TAXPAYERS.IT WAS A REACTION AGAINST EXTREME DEMOCRACY.THE POWER WERE SPLIT BETWEEN A 2 HOUSE ASSEMBLY PLUS A DIRECTORY OF 5 MEN.AIDED BY THE LONG DRAWN OUT WAR AND BY PUBLIC FEELING AGAINST BRITIAN'S ATTEMPTS TO PROMOTE A FURTHER RISING IN LA VENDEE,A LANDING IN BRITTANY. THE MEN WHO HAD OUSTED ROBESPIERRE KEPT THEIR HOLD ON AFFAIRS. BARRAS ONE OF THEIR LEADERS SECURED APPOINTMENT TO THE DIRECTORY. THERE WAS A ROYALIST RISING SHORTLY BEFORE THE NEW CONSTITUTION CAME INTO FORCE-ORDERED OUT THE TROOPS/A WHIFF OF GRAPESHOT' DISPERSED THE MOB-OFFICER IN COMMAND WAS A SALLOW-SKINNED CORSICAN NAMED NAPOLEON BONAPARTE-WHO FROM BEING THE DIRECTORY'S SAVIOUR AND SERVANT WAS SOON TO PROVE ITS MASTER.

PERMANENT BENEFITS FROM THE REVOLUTION
EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW/ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM/FAIRER TAXATION/LIBERATED INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE/FOUNDATION OF SCHOOLS,COLLEGES,MUSEUMS,LIBRARIES AND THE METRIC SYSTEM/ABOLITION OF FEUDALISM/DISTRIBUTION OF FEUDAL LAND AMONG THE PEASANTRY/TRANSFERENCE OF THE MAJOR SHARE IN THE STATE FROM THE NOBLES AND CLERGY TO THE BOURGEOISIE.