FIND OUT MORE. Monarchy 410 • Napoleonic Wars 416
History^415
HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED?
During the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), about 40,000
people were executed or murdered. A guillotine was
set up in the Place de la Révolution in Paris. This
wooden frame contained a sharp blade which dropped
on to the victim’s neck. Although it was supposed
to be a humane method of execution, its efficiency
meant that hundreds were dying every day.
WHEN DID THE TERROR END?
The creator of the Reign of Terror, Robespierre, was
seized by his opponents in the National Convention
and beheaded in 1794. In 1795 there were major
uprisings. Order was restored by a soldier called
Napoleon Bonaparte. Power passed to a five-man
group called the Directory and by 1799 Napoleon had
seized power for himself. The revolution was over.
REIGN OF TERROR
The French Revolution succeeded in overthrowing a corrupt and
unjust system of government, but it soon ran out of control. First
aristocrats were executed and then the revolutionaries turned on
each other in a bloodbath. The Reign of Terror had begun,
in which the state governed by fear.
WHAT HAPPENED ON 14 JULY?
On 14 July 1789, the people of Paris were afraid
that the army had been ordered to attack them.
They armed themselves and marched to the Bastille,
a royal fort used as a prison, in search of
gunpowder. They attacked and captured the fort.
The revolution had begun.WHY DID THE FRENCH RISE UP?
In 1789, the French aristocracy and leading
churchmen led privileged lives and had great power.
However, the middle classes wanted more power for
themselves. Taxes were high, the country was
bankrupt, and the poor were starving. King Louis XVI
failed to bring in reforms in time to stop a revolution.
French Revolution
The years 1789 to 1799 marked a turning point in
European history. In France, calls for political reform
were overtaken by a revolution which swept away the
monarchy, the aristocracy, and the power of the Church.
The revolution was followed by a. REIGN OF TERROR.
4 THE KING’S HEAD
King Louis XVI was accused of treason
by the National Convention. He was
executed in January 1793, ending over
a thousand years of monarchy in France.
The Revolutionaries’ guillotines were
claiming more and more victims.4 MARCH TO VERSAILLES
In October 1789, the poor women
of Paris led an angry mob to the
royal palace of Versailles and
demanded bread for their hungry
families. The king agreed to their
demands, but the crowd grew
and fighting broke out. The next
day the king was forced to return
to Paris.1 DOOMED MONARCHS
King Louis XVI came to the
throne in 1774, but failed to
solve his country’s problems.
Queen Marie-Antoinette was
disliked for her extravagance. She
showed personal courage during
the revolution, but was executed
in 1793.MAXIMILIEN DE
ROBESPIERRE
1758–1794
Robespierre became one of
the most radical leaders of the
revolution. He whipped up a
climate of fear and soon his
opponents were being sent to
the guillotine. He himself was
seized and beheaded without
trial in 1794.French
Revolution