french revolution

Do the ends justify the means? Italian Renaissance political scientist Niccolo Machiavelli said violence may be necessary to stabilize power and nation building. During the French Revolution, revolutionaries eliminated the Old Regime and built a new government based on freedom for the people. Difficulty arose for the young republic, especially between 1793 and 1794, a violent period known as the Reign of Terror. The revolutionary government led by Maximilien Robespierre used extreme measures, executing 30,000 to 40,000 to achieve their goals. Did the French government have good reason to conduct a violent campaign to uphold the ideals of the French Revolution? The Reign of Terror was not justified because of three reasons: the external and internal threat did not require such violence, the methods of the terror were too extreme, and it went against the ideals of the revolution.
The domestic and foreign threat to France was very real, but it did not justify a Reign of Terror. It was true that 80,000 Prussian and Austrian armies had pushed their way inside of France’s borders. But the French were able to push them back in September 1792 at the Battle of Valmy (Doc C). Yet if one looks at the timeline, the Reign of Terror started in 1793. It is also true that counter-revolutionaries were rebelling in several districts, most prominently in Vendee of Western France. Much of the opposition had already been suppressed before the Terror really gained steam (Doc B). The tide of the international war had changed in France’s favor, but the Reign of Terror happened anyways. Furthermore, much of the internal rebellion seems to have started because of bad decisions made by revolutionary government. People fiercely fought against the Levee en Masse, a military draft and were angry over the government’s decision to abolish the Catholic church (Doc C). Much of the counter-revolutionary activities could have been avoided all together.
A second reason the Reign of Terror was unjustified is because of its extreme methods of punishment. The guillotine became one of the most powerful symbols of the French Revolution, but not in a good way.  It was regarded as a humane way to execute criminals with its sharp, angled blade, which dropped quickly on a guided track, so death was immediate (Doc F). This is not a justified task because many counter-revolutionaries were killed by the guillotine if they did not support the changes or were perceived as being against the revolution. People are executed in front of a huge crowd in the middle of the town where everyone can witness (Doc F). This is unjustified because a public execution by political leaders is wrong any society that invents a machine to publically cut off people’s heads is off base to prove their point to the people. Also, anyone could come under suspicion of the Committee of Public Safety, but by just criticizing the government and voicing their opinion, which  could land them in jail, or worse (Doc E). I don’t think the Committee of Public Safety should have been so harsh because they didn't give people their own opinion and people were punished if they didn't believe what they were told to believe. Different ideas from one person would not change the ways of the revolution because so many people agreed with overthrowing the Old Regime and build a modern republic.
Finally, the Reign of Terror was not justified because it went against the ideals of the Revolution. The “Declaration of Rights of Man” is a document that served as a preamble to the French constitution. In article 10, it states that “no person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned, except in the cases [allowed] by law (Doc A).” People were being executed by the dozen without a fair trial or the right to express theirself which goes against the “Declaration of Rights of Man.” Even if a person was perceived of being a counter-revolutionary, they would be beheaded without any trial.  The document also states, “The aim of all government should be the preservation of the natural rights of man. These are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. (Doc A).”  The revolutionary government and political officials did not uphold these rights because they felt if citizens were rebelling against the revolutionary ideas they should be punished harshly for their actions. Lastly, Robespierre believed that the enemies of the Republic must be smothered and the war needs to be over (Doc G). This is unjustified because when a government has to “smother” its own citizens in order to eliminate individualism and those who challenge it, the government is not promoting freedom it is promoting conformity. Every citizen has their own rights to their own beliefs and their own thoughts and they should be honored no matter what the government believes.