The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution

Between 1793 and 1794, thousands of French citizens were imprisoned and hundreds sent to the guillotine by a powerful dictatorship that claimed to be acting in the public interest. Only a few years earlier, revolutionaries had proclaimed a new era of tolerance, equal justice, and human rights. How and why did the French Revolution’s lofty ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity descend into violence and terror? The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution offers a new interpretation of this turning point in world history. Timothy Tackett traces the inexorable emergence of a culture of violence among the Revolution’s political elite amid the turbulence of popular uprisings, pervasive subversion, and foreign invasion. Violence was neither a preplanned strategy nor an ideological imperative but rather the consequence of multiple factors of the Revolutionary process itself, including an initial breakdown in authority, the impact of the popular classes, and a cycle of rumors, denunciations, and panic fed by fear—fear of counterrevolutionary conspiracies, fear of anarchy, fear of oneself becoming the target of vengeance. To comprehend the coming of the Terror, we must understand the contagion of fear that left the revolutionaries themselves terrorized. Tackett recreates the sights, sounds, and emotions of the Revolution through the observations of nearly a hundred men and women who experienced and recorded it firsthand. Penetrating the mentality of Revolutionary elites on the eve of the Terror, he reveals how suspicion and mistrust escalated and helped propel their actions, ultimately consuming them and the Revolution itself. Between 1793 and 1794, thousands of French citizens were imprisoned and hundreds sent to the guillotine by a powerful dictatorship that claimed to be acting in the public interest. Only a few years earlier, revolutionaries had proclaimed a new era of tolerance, equal justice, and human rights. How and why did the French Revolution s lofty ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity"descend into violence and terror? 'The coming of the terror in the French Revolution' "offers a new interpretation of this turning point in world history. Timothy Tackett traces the inexorable emergence of a culture of violence among the Revolution s political elite amid the turbulence of popular uprisings, pervasive subversion, and foreign invasion. Violence was neither a preplanned strategy nor an ideological imperative but rather the consequence of multiple factors of the Revolutionary process itself, including an initial breakdown in authority, the impact of the popular classes, and a cycle of rumors, denunciations, and panic fed by fear fear of counterrevolutionary conspiracies, fear of anarchy, fear of oneself becoming the target of vengeance. To comprehend the coming of the Terror, we must understand the contagion of fear that left the revolutionaries themselves terrorized. Tackett recreates the sights, sounds, and emotions of the Revolution through the observations of nearly a hundred men and women who experienced and recorded it firsthand. Penetrating the mentality of Revolutionary elites on the eve of the Terror, he reveals how suspicion and mistrust escalated and helped propel their actions, ultimately consuming them and the Revolution itself." Between 1793 and 1794, thousands of French citizens were imprisoned and hundreds sent to the guillotine by a powerful dictatorship that claimed to be acting in the public interest. Only a few years earlier, revolutionaries had proclaimed a new era of tolerance, equal justice, and human rights. How and why did the French Revolution’s lofty ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternitydescend into violence and terror? The Coming of the Terror __in the French Revolution__ offers a new interpretation of this turning point in world history. Timothy Tackett traces the inexorable emergence of a culture of violence among the Revolution’s political elite amid the turbulence of popular uprisings, pervasive subversion, and foreign invasion. Violence was neither a preplanned strategy nor an ideological imperative but rather the consequence of multiple factors of the Revolutionary process itself, including an initial breakdown in authority, the impact of the popular classes, and a cycle of rumors, denunciations, and panic fed by fear—fear of counterrevolutionary conspiracies, fear of anarchy, fear of oneself becoming the target of vengeance. To comprehend the coming of the Terror, we must understand the contagion of fear that left the revolutionaries themselves terrorized. Tackett recreates the sights, sounds, and emotions of the Revolution through the observations of nearly a hundred men and women who experienced and recorded it firsthand. Penetrating the mentality of Revolutionary elites on the eve of the Terror, he reveals how suspicion and mistrust escalated and helped propel their actions, ultimately consuming them and the Revolution itself. How And Why Did The French Revolution's Lofty Ideals Of Liberty, Equality, And Fraternity Descend Into Violence And Terror? The Coming Of The Terror In The French Revolution Offers A New Interpretation Of This Turning Point In World History. Timothy Tackett Traces The Inexorable Emergence Of A Culture Of Violence Among The Revolution's Political Elite Amid The Turbulence Of Popular Uprisings, Pervasive Subversion, And Foreign Invasion. Violence Was Neither A Preplanned Strategy Nor An Ideological Imperative But Rather The Consequence Of Multiple Factors Of The Revolutionary Process Itself, Including An Initial Breakdown In Authority, The Impact Of The Popular Classes, And A Cycle Of Rumors, Denunciations, And Panic Fed By Fear -- Fear Of Counterrevolutionary Conspiracies, Fear Of Anarchy, Fear Of Oneself Becoming The Target Of Vengeance. To Comprehend The Coming Of The Terror, We Must Understand The Contagion Of Fear That Left The Revolutionaries Themselves Terrorized.--provided By Publisher Introduction: The Revolutionary Process -- The Revolutionaries And Their World In 1789 -- The Spirit Of '89 -- The Breakdown Of Authority -- The Menace Of Counterrevolution -- Between Hope And Fear -- The Factionalization Of France -- Fall Of The Monarchy -- The First Terror -- The Convention And The Trial Of The King -- The Crisis Of '93 -- Revolution And Terror Until Victory -- The Year Ii And The Great Terror -- Conclusion: Becoming A Terrorist. Timothy Tackett. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 419-446) And Index. Between 1793 and 1794, thousands of French citizens were imprisoned and hundreds sent to the guillotine by a powerful dictatorship that claimed to be acting in the public interest. Only a few years earlier, revolutionaries had proclaimed a new era of tolerance, equal justice, and human rights. How and why did the French Revolution's lofty ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity descend into violence and terror?“By attending to the role of emotions in propelling the Terror, Tackett steers a more nuanced course than many previous historians have managed...Imagined terrors, as...Tackett very usefully reminds us, can have even more political potency than real ones.”—David A. Bell, The Atlantic“[Tackett] analyzes the mentalité of those who became ‘terrorists'in 18th-century France...In emphasizing weakness and uncertainty instead of fanatical strength as the driving force behind the Terror...Tackett...contributes to an important realignment in the study of French history.”—Ruth Scurr, The Spectator“[A] boldly conceived and important book...This is a thought-provoking book that makes a major contribution to our understanding of terror and political intolerance, and also to the history of emotions more generally. It helps expose the complexity of a revolution that cannot be adequately understood in terms of principles alone.”—Alan Forrest, Times Literary Supplement Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 List of Maps 10 Introduction: The Revolutionary Process 14 1. The Revolutionaries and Their World in 1789 26 2. The Spirit of ’89 52 3. The Breakdown of Authority 83 4. The Menace of Counterrevolution 109 5. Between Hope and Fear 134 6. The Factionalization of France 155 7. Fall of the Monarchy 185 8. The First Terror 205 9. The Convention and the Trial of the King 230 10. The Crisis of ’93 258 11. Revolution and Terror until Victory 293 12. The Year II and the Great Terror 325 Conclusion: Becoming a Terrorist 353 Abbreviations 364 Notes 366 Sources and Bibliography 432 Acknowledgments 460 Index 462