Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Terror as an instrument of the French Revolution.
A major part of the French Revolution was the Terror, occurring in the year 1793. It was a time of great fear and unrest, and many, many casualties. More than 11,000 people were killed in France all together in result of the Terror (Doc 2). There was an enormous amount of energy and power flowing around through many different people during the period of the Terror. Charles James Fox writes: "What a pity that a people [French] capable of such incredible energy, should he guilty or rather be governed by those who are guilty of such unheard of crimes and cruelty" (Doc 4). There were many advantages of the Terror in the French Revolution; many groups, like the Jacobins, finally were able to put their thoughts out into the world, but the deaths and tragedies that were called were one of the many disadvantages.
The Revolution has two sides to it; those who are trying to make a difference and those who try to suppress them. Maximilien de Robespierre says that “Revolution is the war waged by liberty against its enemies; a constitution is that which crowns the edifice of freedom once victory has been won and the nation is at peace" (Doc 7). He wanted to make some changes, and he saw the Revolution as a good thing. The Terror was what brought people like this down, though. With the government killing rebels left and right, many people were angered and discouraged by this. However, the people know they must do something. The government treats them unfairly, but they are "compelled into the field by the terror of the guillotine" (Doc 8). Friends and family being killed are enough motivation to make some changes, no matter how dangerous.
The government has a very different side on the French Revolution and the Terror. The government tries to do what is best for their country and make them as much money and power as the can. However, when this started to fail, they collected more and more taxes and life for the people began to worsen. The government tried to fix this and prevent uprisings, but nothing could be done. people were revolting and the government could do nothing to suppress them except killing. “Bitter complaints already expressed numberless times, were repeated today of the arrest and imprisonment of citizens who are good patriots and are victims of ambition, cupidity, jealousy, and, in short, every human passion" (Doc 10). The government is aware of what the people are saying, but there is nothing they can do about it.
The Terror had a humongous impact on France. It was not good for either party, what with all the killing of citizens and unfair treatment, but it did make a lot of headway in the French Revolution.The Jacobins and citizens made a lot of headway in their goal to change the government. However, there were a lot sneaking around. Many people, as seen in document three, were killed because of treason or conspiring.
The French Revolution could not have progressed without the successes and tragedies of the Terror. Every country in the world has had rough points in history, but they would not be strong without them, just as France is very strong today.Document one shows a country that was extremely divided, to the point of killing fellow Frenchmen, that developed into a highly successful country.
Your thesis greatly simplifies and perhaps even trivializes the political will of the Jacobins as well as the effects of the French Revolution. "Finally able to put their thoughts out into the world" is awkward. I think what you want to say is something along the lines of "The Jacobins personified the desire of the Third Estate to be recognized as the true representative of France and French society." Also, calling death and bloodshed "one of many disadvantages" is both grammatically mixed as well as trivializing.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you are using documents throughout each body paragraph. Don't load them up in your introduction.