Lyon: The Cause Of The French Revolution

In 1793 to 1794, France was in the midst of turmoil. During the French revolution, the radical group, The Jacobins seized control over the governing body of France in an attempt to maintain order. However, the Prussian, Austrian, and British military were threatening the French borders.Wars of succession were also commonly rising throughout France. In Lyon, they experienced a secessionist movement which opposed the established authority of the radical government in France. The country was also in the midst of economic turmoil. Due to this crisis, The Committee of Public Safety attempted to stabilize the conditions in France by imposing various reforms Although, when the terror ended 14,000 people out of 25 million had been sent to the guillotine,
This document was written for the French people to warn them of the consequences of participating in revolutionary acts. The purpose of writing this letter was to explain the accomplishments of the Revolutionary Army in suppressing the rebels in Lyon so, other districts can emulate their tactics. The map of France in 1793, illustrates the executions of 495 or more rebels in Lyon. The Revolutionary Army believed that they were bringing forth justice to the rebels. Therefore, the use of terror was used to stop the rebellions from spreading throughout France. Ronsin believes their efforts that were demonstrated in Lyon must be imitate in the other districts. General Ronsin, as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, would naturally want to eliminate all the rebels by any means necessary. Furthermore, Charles James Fox, a member of parliament, in a speech to Parliament expressed his support of the French Revolution. Fox believes that the rebels were guilty of treason. He also believed that King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were guilty of treason too. When Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to run away to
During The Terror In France, 25% of the nobles and 28% of the upper class were executed in the time of The Terror. These statistics reveal, that the government was not afraid to kill anyone who conspires against them. This instilled fear in everyone who possessed revolutionary thoughts. Treason was the main reason for the executions. Majority of the conspirators were charged and executed of the crime of expressing counter-revolutionary opinions. Even from talking and expressing revolutionary ideas was punished with execution. A law passed by the Committee of Public Safety, The Law of Suspects allowed anyone to be charged with treason who was suspicious. This helped intensify the paranoia throughout France. Furthermore, A report to the government, reveals the common opinion amongst the public that the tribunals must acquit the innocent and punish the guilty. Therefore, this reveals that the public was satisfied with the terror tactics the Revolutionary Army used. Another report to the government, reveals that the verdicts to the Revolutionary Tribunal were always applauded. This shows that majority of the public were in support of the revolution and the