France 4

• Context sentence (1)

  By August 1791, the constitutional monarchy has been destabilised by the declaration of Pillnitz which threatened France with war against Austria and Prussia
• Context sentence (2)

  Louis XVI's incapacity to rule also contributed to its ultimate collapse by August 1792, leading to a period of political instability.
• Political rivalries F (1)

  The Jacobins utilised the power of the sans-culottes to banish the Girondins, and the sans-culottes invaded the convention in September 1793, urging the Girondins to 'make terror the order of the day
• Political rivalries A (1)

  France was facing a range of internal and external opponents by this time - invasion formalised use of terror
• Political rivalries F (2)

  The king had been executed in January 1793
• Political rivalries A (2)

  The National Assembly was more worries about the power of the sans-culottes. The uncontrollability of the sans-culottes shows that they wanted to take matter into their own hands - the government wanted to harness their power
• Political rivalries A+

  It can be argued that the real threat in France came not from the mob, but from the counterrevolutionaries, whose support base is the church, the nobility, and abroad - they were more dangerous
• Political rivalries E

  Political rivalries caused problems, but did not validate the use of violence which would ultimately result in the reign of terror.
• Threat of counterrevolution F (1)

  Outbreak of civil war in Vendee from 1793-1796 - essentially a royalist rebellion.
• Threat of counterrevolution A (1)

  Scope and duration of revolt indicated and highlighted the constitution's poor management and put constitution under threat
• Threat of counterrevolution F (2)

  Jacobins' coup against Girondins in June 1793 exacerbated situation - revolts broke out in 49 of the 83 departments.
• Threat of counterrevolution A (2)

  Wide span of revolts meant that counterrevolutionary rebellions would be hard to manage, and that instigating terror and violence would be the best way to dilute the situation - establishment of the revolutionary tribunal which conducted executions - the act of violence from the revolutionary tribunal foreshadows the violence used during the reign of terror and validated the use of violence
• Threat if counterrevolution E

  looming counterrevolution provided a political justification for the repressive measures taken during the reign of terror. This justification underpinned the implementation of the law of suspects on the 17th of September 1793 which authorised the use of violence and execution of those suspected as an enemy of the republic.
• Robespierre F (1)

  He became a delegate to the National Convention and make his mark by speaking 11 times in the trial of Louis XVI, and calling for his execution
• Robespierre A (1)

  This administration and assertion of power proved his significance - he had a clear influence
• Robespierre F (2)

  "Terror is nothing other than justice" - he argued that violence and terror was justified as a means of defending the revolution
• Robespierre A (2)

  Significant in instigating the use of terror in France during the revolution
• Robespierre A+

  Committee of public safety was a collective leadership body, and the decisions were made through discussions among committee members. Robespierre alone cannot be blamed for the cause of the reign of terror.
• Robespierre E

  The committee of public safety itself that Robespierre led was introduced in response to counterrevolutionary threats in April 1793.
• Committee of public safety F (1)

  Was set up as the national convention believed that the committee needed to rule with "near dictatorial power" and gave it new and expansive political powers.
• Committee of public safety A (1)

  The committee effectively validated the use of terror in France, influencing the savagery during the reign of terror
• Committee of public safety A (2)

  Threat of counterrevolutionary conspiracies pushed the Committee of public safety to adopt increasingly draconian measures to suppress opposition
• Committee of public safety F (2)

  The committee was set up on April 6th 1793
• Committee of public safety A+

  Although the establishment of the Committee of public safety and the dictatorial power that they held validated the use of terror against the French people, these powers were only abused and excused because of the threat of counterrevolution
• Committee of public safety E

  There was an outbreak of civil war in the Vendee beginning in March 1793, and the Committee of public safety was set up on April 6th 1793, as a response to counterrevolutionary threats
• Outbreak of war F (1)

  France was unprepared and vulnerable to counterattack after its defeat at the hands of Austria and Prussia in April 1792. The French army was on the verge of defeat
• Outbreak of war A (1)

  The war heightened the sense of external threat and insecurity in France
• Outbreak of war F (2)

  Early 1793, Austria, Prussia, Spain, the United Provinces, and Britain formed the first of seven coalitions that would oppose France over the next 23 years. August 1793, Carnot instituted conscription throughout France as a result
• Outbreak of war A (2)

  Conscription faced widespread resistance from various segment of the population and led to protests and uprisings. The conscription problem and the outbreak of war provided a convenient backdrop for the committee of public safety to consolidate power and suppress political opponents. The war served as a justification for the implementation of repressive measures.
• Outbreak of war A+

  France's forces began to make military progress, and the seven coalitions was formed by Austria and Prussia, two countries which have before, been seen to be counterrevolutionary states opposing the revolution - counterrevolution being more significant than outbreak of war
• Outbreak of war E


  France was doing well in the war, and by the end of March 1793, took territories in Belgium, the Rhineland, Savoy, and Nice - the severity of the war wasn't drastic, and therefore it cannot be seen as the main cause for the terror in France