The Committee of Public Safety and the Terror (1793-94)

What was the role of Robert Lindet in the committee of Public safety

head of the substience commission economic and food provision for the army

What was the specific purpose of the Committee of Public Safety, created on 6 April 1793?

to ensure that there was an effective body to deal with foreing policy and internal defence wasn't called a government as this would have been unconstitutional ROLES: - Foreign policy - appointing military commanders - arrest warrants - sanction decrees - appointment of revolutionary tribunal judges and jurors - power had to be renewed by the convention every month need to manage war with support from the national convention

What was the Law of Prairal and why was it significant?

10 June 1794 drafted by Robespierre and Couthon increasing centralisation because the indulgents and heberist factions were quashed committee was free to pursue a policy of increasing centralisation creation of General Policy Bureau did not consult other members of the CPS doubted that it would gain support tipped the balance even further against defendants in the revolutionary tribunal only 2 sentences from rev tribunal became a harsher court HANDED DOWN 1,594 DEATH SENTANCES IN JUNE AND JULY 1794. More than all the death sentences in Paris in the previous 14 months procedures of the tribunal tightened

What was the levée en masse, and which member of the CPS is most closely associated with it?

Carnot and Lindet conscription of 300,000 men as 35,000 men had deserted the first half of 1793 by 1794, 700,000 soldiers in the field and all internal rebellions were defeated success at Battle Wattignies in September

What threats to the stability of the republic were of the greatest concern to the CPS in autumn in 1793

Girondins - Purged in Oct War Federalist revolts - Law of suspects Pressure from Sans Culottes - Law of General Maximum

Why were the demands of the Sans culottes accepted by the convention in September 1793?

Journée 4/5 September crowds of thousands marched on convention demanding laws against hoarding, price controls, stringent measures against suspected counter revolutionaries sections well organsed ALL THOUGH THE CPS was hostile to enrages who had organised the journee, they felt obliged to note sans culotte discontent as they were so influential in the Paris Commune and sections

What was the Law of Frimaire and why was it significant?

Law of revolutionary government aimed to increase the powers of the CPS response to the federalist revolts and the rising in the Vendée Law gave the CPS power to purge local government officials who had been elected by their local communities all officials had to be placed under the supervision of a national agent with the aim to centralise the revolutionary government, enabling it to control the popular movement in Paris and forbade the existence of revolutionary armies outside Paris

Did the CPS become a dictatorship

NO Robespierre was a key speaker, but did depend on the support of others in the CPS and the convention BUT creation of his own police force - the genral policy Bureau to gather intelligence recruited agents to identify and collect information on suspects all over France his beliefs were shared by others did not consult other members of the CPS when drafting the Law of Prairal Difficulty in his idea of 'general will' and his increasing paranoia

Why did the Sans culottes fail to rally to the defence of Robespierre after his arrest?

Paris commune closed the terror had reduced the effectiveness of the sections so there was a lack of organisation

What arguments did Robespierre and Saint- Just use to defend the terror?

Process of revolution need for effective defence in order to keep France secure during war endorsed by the National Convention and the people 'Iienency is forcoucious because it threatens the fatherland'

Summarise the 'machinery of the Terror' created March- April 1793?

Revolutionary Tribunal - to try enemies of the revolution Watch Committees - to scrutinise the activity of foreginers and suspects in order to unmask revolutionary plots and sent people to rev tribunal Representatives on Mission - sent to monitor war effort/ levies etc. CPS - effective body leading the war effort

Who replaced Danton on the Committee of Public Safety in July 1793?

Robespierre intellectual substance to sustain terror in speeches harsh pragmatic measures key speaker in the National Convention

What was the impact of the execution of the Hébertists and indulgents in March/ April 1794?

Robespierre proved the conviction of his beliefs calls to end the terror and the dictatorship continued closure of all non- Jacobin political clubs, purged the Paris commune and disbanded the armee revolutionary replaced officals with Robespierre's supports supression of anger amoungst sans culottes, who lost significant amounts of power

Which key figures were tried and executed in October 1793?

Show trials - Brissot, Isnard, Verginaid, Marie Antoinette, Phillippe Egalite, Bailly

Who challenged the authority of the CPS in December 1793 and why?

The Enrages Pére Duchese encouraged sans culottes to launch another insurrection against the government and the national convention attacked Robespierre. Accused him of ignoring the people and enforcing a dictatorship no enthusiasm for another Journée in the style of 2 June of 4 Septs because of the effectiveness of the measures taken by the national convention in destroying the revolt and taking control of the popular movement of Paris

Which areas of France saw the highest death toll during the Terror?

The Vendée

What were the provisions of the constitution of 1793, and why was the constitution suspended?

Universal male suffrage right to free speech and free assembly freedom religious worship employment rights and right to subsistence for those to work right to education right to insurrection against a govt endorsed in a national referendum with a significant yes majority 1/3 all adult males participated suspended by the government 'revolutionary until peace' with powers granted to revolutionary tribunal, watch committee, CPS and the Reps on mission

Why did many Terrorists support Robespierre's arrest in July 1794?

atmosphere of fear did not name names in his speech = paranoia many feared for their lives and wanted to end this period of fear (rise of the plain) clear that the terror was no longer effective had done its job? Military success and federalists under control