Robespierre and The Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror happened during a period of time from 1793-1794. At this time people were being executed by the guilotine just because there were struggles and rivalries between people. Several key leaders of the Reign of Terror were themselves executed. The Reign of Terror took the lives of between 18,500 to 40,000 people.

A legislative Assembly was set up to work with and share power with the King. King Louis XVI didn't like the fact that he lost so much power and didn't trust the new government. He tried to leave the country, however King Louis was caught at the border and he and the royal family were returned to France. There was no one to run the country so a radical club called the Jacobins took control and tried to get rid of anyone connected to the Old Regime.

The Jacobins cut the heads off of anyone they thought might be against them. They even tried King Louis XVI for betraying France, found him guilty, and cut his head off in public. People in the government did not trust each other. Soon after Max Robespierre who ruled like a dictator took control over the goverment and wiped out any trace of the old monarchy. Mostly everything now had the face of the revolutionaries on it.

Max Robespierre changed a lot of things for the bad that is why his ruling was called the Reign of Terror. The "enemies of the republic" who troubled Robespierre the most were fellow revolutionaries who challenged their leadership. A conspiracy was organized against Robespierre since no one felt safe around him. He was arrested and executed on July 28, 1794 along with hundreds of Jacobins.