reign of terror french revolutionary calendar

The height of repression during Robespierre's life isn't even in Paris in July 1794, it is in Lyon, Toulon or Nantes in the winter of 1793-1794, as Hervé Leuwers points out. The increase of executions in Paris in particular is due to the centralisation of trials in the capital, the executions decreased elsewhere. With this in mind, Robespierre, Couthon, Saint-Just and the 107 others were executed after having been proclaimed hors-la-loi (outside the law) by the Revolutionary Tribunal while the law of Prairial was still in effect. Chronologically, the 22 Prairial is the 10th June 1794 in the Gregorian calendar, Robespierre dies on the 28th of July 1794, while the law was repealed on the 1st of August.

There had been acts of considerable violence, like the Massacres of September or the war in Vendée, but up until the death of Robespierre he himself and the National Convention explicitly refused to say France had entered a 'regime of terror'.Ĭlick to expand.The law of Prairial passed before Robespierre died, and then remained in effect for two days afterwards. The invention of this term gave a name to a period which did not have any. Ultimately, 'The Terror' with a capital 't', as forged by Thermidorians to attack and blame Robespierre for responsibilities he did not have, is not the same thing as using the word 'terror'. As shown by French historian Jean-Clément Martin, the belief that you should inspire 'terror' is rooted in Antiquity, and that was the sense used by Robespierre when he spoke about inspiring terror to the ennemies of the Republic. The revolutionaries refused to instate 'terror on the order of the day', but in the rhetoric spoke about 'inspiring terror' upon the 'ennemies to justice'. As for the word 'terror' having been employed by the actors of the time, a few words as well to give more details.

Reign of terror french revolutionary calendar