PRESENTATION OUTLINE
THE REIGN OF TERROR: WAS IT JUSTIFIED?
Intro
Beginning in 1789, the French revolted against the King, Louis XVI . The citizens were tired of living their life in squalor and hunger while the King lived lavishly in a castle.Several of the factors that contributed to the revolution were the unfair tax system, the debt France was gaining every year, and the starvation many of the peasants were put through.
Thesis
Though the measures the revolutionists went through may seem extreme to people today, they were justified in their actions as every move they made was to gain freedom for their country. When the monarchy was in charge, the people of France suffered greatly due to the high taxes and lack of food. To free themselves from the monarchy, and to prevent their newly discovered freedom from being taken, the revolutionists had to resort to extreme measures of control.
Invading Armies
Although the French Revolution allowed the people more freedom and rights, others still did not agree with the ideas set in place. The countries of Austria and Prussia attacked France with thousands of soldiers, trying to contain the uprising from spreading. To prevent these armies from seizing control of France, the revolutionists were forced to create a draft called Levee en Masse. Levee en Masse was created to form an army to defend France against Prussia and Austria.
Counterrevolution
Even though France won the war against the two invading countries, it still faced opposition from inside it's boundaries. People rebelled against the new regime, forcing the hand of the revolutionists. Mobs of angry citizens began to attack the patriots of France, killing and injuring many of the heroic men.
Rebels
Throughout France, citizens began sabotaging the great French Revolution and therefore the freedom of all. The revolutionists decided that if someone was not for the new ideas, they were against them and executed the enemies of the rebellion.
Conclusion
The Enlightenment influenced the French Revolution by sparking the flame that grew into rebellion. Without the Enlightenment, the French Revolution never would have occurred. The Enlightenment caused the people of France to believe in self-worth and humanism. It was due to the need to be free (something humans wanted after learning about humanism) that the French Revolution happened.
