White Terror
Quick Summary
The "White Terror" refers to a period of counterrevolutionary violence in France following the fall of Maximilien Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror on July 27, 1794. This period saw a backlash against the Jacobins and their supporters, who had been in power during the Reign of Terror.1
The Reign of Terror itself, from September 1793 to July 1794, was a phase of the French Revolution characterized by harsh measures against perceived enemies of the revolution. Faced with internal rebellion and external threats, the revolutionary government declared "Terror" the order of the day. This led to mass arrests and executions, with around 17,000 officially executed and many more dying in prison or without trial. The Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre, exercised significant control during this time. The Thermidorian Reaction, which ended the Reign of Terror, was a parliamentary revolt that led to Robespierre's downfall and a subsequent period of freer, though often corrupt, social and political life.231
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French RevolutionCounterrevolution, regicide, and the Reign of Terror…the southeast, a royalist “White Terror” broke out. Royalists even tried to seize power in Paris but were crushed by the young Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte on 13 Vendémiaire, year IV (October 5, 1795). A few days later the National Convention dispersed.
Read More…the southeast, a royalist “White Terror” broke out. Royalists even tried to seize power in Paris but were crushed by the young Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte on 13 Vendémiaire, year IV (October 5, 1795). A few days later the National Convention dispersed.
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FranceThe Thermidorian Reaction…the streets—degenerated into a “white terror” against the men of year II. In the south, especially in Provence and the Rhône valley, the frontier between private feuds and political reaction blurred as law and order broke down. Accounts were settled by lynchings, murder gangs, and prison massacres of arrested…
Read More…the streets—degenerated into a “white terror” against the men of year II. In the south, especially in Provence and the Rhône valley, the frontier between private feuds and political reaction blurred as law and order broke down. Accounts were settled by lynchings, murder gangs, and prison massacres of arrested…
Read More