French Revolution Research Paper

Terrorism is increasingly prevalent within today’s society in the forms of social media, news outlets, and word of mouth. It is a danger that has become a widespread phenomenon over the past few years. However, people are unaware of where the foundations of modern terrorism lie. The belief is that the French Revolution was the catalyst that began modern terrorism and it is the reason France is incredibly susceptible to terror attacks in the present. The multitude of terror attacks on France’s soil can be linked back to the history of words related to terrorism, the social effects of the Reign of Terror, Laïcité, the double-edged sword of citizenship, the stigmatization of nonconforming French minorities, and modern French irreligiosity. Modern …show more content…
Although it may seem doubtful that the roots of modern terrorism can be found in the French Revolution, the etymology and history of the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terror’ make the ties clear. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the origin of the word terrorist is "… an adherent or supporter of the Jacobins [a political group during the French Revolution], who advocated and practised methods of partisan repression and bloodshed in the propagation of the principles of democracy and equality" ("Terrorist"). The relationship between ‘terrorist’ and the French Revolution is only a component of the whole picture. Another piece of the puzzle can be found in the words of Robespierre. Maximilien Robespierre, an influential figure of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, gave a clear statement of his personal definition of ‘terror’ during his speech at the National Convention in 1794. In his book, The French Revolution, Paul Beik has quoted Robespierre saying "Terror is only justice that is prompt, severe, and inflexible; it is thus an emanation of virtue…" (Beik 283). Robespierre’s words are proof that in his mind, terror is a perfectly just way …show more content…
Sans-culottes (lower-class Parisians) began to riot against the French government due to the inadequacies of said government. Certain revolutionaries began the trend of slaughtering people they felt opposed the actions of revolutionaries. As noted by the article “Reign of Terror” in the Encyclopædia Britannica, they "[took] harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution" ("Reign of Terror"). These "harsh measures" stimulated a ‘culture of fear’ in French society during the reign. Due to the ‘culture of fear’ and imminent threat of death hanging above their heads, many citizens turned towards emphasizing conformity, lest they be killed for disloyalty to their war stricken nation. This demand for conformity bred mistrust and fear in minority groups as they dealt with the brunt of the Reign of Terror taking over and erasing their culture and

Show More