1. Loss of lives:
The reign of terror led to massive loss of lives in France.
It’s estimated that about 17,000 people were guillotined and this included high
level persons like King Louis and his wife Antoinette, Robespierre, Danton, and
other persons of high profile were put to death.
2. Destruction of property:
Beside, there was destruction of property and
infrastructure in France.
This includes Hotel Deville and the Bastille prison which were destroyed by the
mob. Several castles and mansions including property were attacked and
destroyed by the revolutionaries.
3. Economic
decline:
There was general economic decline that arose from un
stable political atmosphere. Inflation, unemployment famine and starvation
reached their highest levels during the reign terror. Many industries were also
destroyed which affected the French economy.
4. Wars with other
nations:
The reign of terror brought war between France and other neighbouring nations.countris
like Britain and Russia formed a coalition in 1793 and invaded France. This
was because they were scared by massive loss of lives including the king and
his wife Marie Antoinette. The revolutionaries also wanted to export the ideas
of the French revolution to neighbouring nations which was opposed by other
states leading to wars.
5. Rise of Napoleon
to power:
The reign of terror contributed to the rise of Napoleon I
to power in France.
He was the young artillery officer who gained experience and became popular
when he suppressed the royalists uprising at Port Toulon. Besides, the reign of
terror led to the disappearance of important senior officers and politicians
which opened military and political space for Napoleon to rise to power in France
by 1799.
6. Exile of nobles
and clergy:
The fear of the guillotine and the mob justice led to self
exile of several nobles and clergy. They fled. They fled to neighbouring states
like Austria, Prussia, and
from where they became Émigrés. They regrouped and planned to attack France. The
émigrés organized them selves into fighting units and asked for assistance from
these countries.
7. Rise of
directory Government:
The social, economic destructions caused by reign of
terror paved way for the rise of Directory Government in France in 1795. It was instituted
in 1795 as a full stop to the destructive reign of terror in France and to end dictatorship in France.
8. End of political
parties:
The reign of terror led to the downfall of political clubs
and political pluralism in France.
Before the reign terror, there were some political parties that were formed
such as The Jacobin under Robespierre, Cordllier under Danton and Girondin led
by Murato. But the terror machinery killed all the leaders of these political
Parties in France.
9. Other kings
became more despotic:
Outside France,
the reign of terror made conservative kings more conservative. e.g., the
despotic kings of Austria, Russia and Prussia became more despotic to
safe guard them selves from the terrorist actions of the French men. Even pit,
the prime minister of Britain
expelled all suspicious characters and passed an act of Treason.
10. Spirit of
Republicanism:
Lastly, the reign of terror strengthened Republicanism and
the rise of Republican Government in France in 1792. The violence
speeded up the collapse of the Bourbon Monarchy and the execution of King Louis
xvi was the last even that ended Bourbon monarch rule in France. The rein of terror made France a
Republican government up to now.
WHY FRANCE WAS AT
WAR WITH OTHER EUROPEAN POWERS
BETWEEN 1792 – 1802.
It should be noted that the events of the French revolution
did not go un noticed by other European powers neither the neighbouring states
were left un touched by the French revolution and its effects. The effects of
the French Revolution had direct impact on the neighbouring nations and most of
them looked at revolutionary France
as a great enemy. France
was at war with many countries because of many reasons;
1. Fear of
revolutionary ideas:
Aristocrats of Europe saw
the French revolution as a threat to European monarchs. They feared revolutionary
ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity. It prompted European powers to unite
and fight France to prevent
the spread of such ideas because they do not favour any despot in Europe. They had seen how the ideas affected King Louis
and how he was mistreated by the revolutionaries.
2. The need to export
the revolutionary ideas:
There was need to export and internationalize the revolution
by the revolutionaries. They were not contented with the spread of the ideas
only in France,
but to spread it to other countries. This led to war since other countries
never wanted such. Napoleon that was seen as the carrier of revolution to other
countries was fought by the European powers and completely defeated in 1815 at
the battle of Waterloo.
3. Revolutions
threatened British trade:
Britain
in particular was forced to declare war on France
because the French revolution threatened the British trade by attacking and
controlling her trade partners like Holland.
Britain
would tolerate any thing more but not concerning her commerce and trade. That
is why Great Britain had to
lead all the wars that were fought against France.
4. Fear of French
domination:
European powers feared that France would dominate the European
affairs. The most feared idea was of fraternity with their slogan that war
against tyrants and peace to the people. Where tyrant meant despotism. However,
there was need to suppress such a move by other powers leading to war between France and
other neighbouring states.
5. The Mistreatment
and killing of Louis xvi:
The revolutionaries mistreated King Louis xvi and later
killed him in the cold blood in January 1793.this provoked European kings to
wage war against France.
I.e., it was in a situation where King Louis was taken as a prisoner of war in
his own palace by 1793 that aroused the anger of crown heads of Europe to
mobilize war against France.
Austria was forced to issue
Pilnitz declaration threatening to fight France
if France
did not restore the king to the throne.
6. Prussia’s declaration:
To make matters worse, Prussia
too issued the Brunswick manifesto that “If a hair of king’s head be hurt, Paris would be destroyed to the ground”.
And to give effect to this, the allied Prussia
and Austrian troops matched into France in 1792. But could
revolutionary France
allow foreign dictation on their home matters?
7. The influence of
the émigrés:
European countries like Prussia,
Russia joined to fight France
due to strong appeal to their assistance by the French émigrés. The France émigrés asked for arm assistance to force
their way back to France
to suppress the revolutionaries and restore the ancient regime. It should be
noted that the Austrian emperor Leopold was an in law of King Louis xvi. This
forced France to fight her
neighbour Austria.
8. The role of
Napoleon Bonaparte:
The coming of Bonaparte of the scene caused wars. He was an
army general with whom it was impossible to leave in peace because he was too
aggressive and a war monger. E.g., Napoleon Italian campaign in 1796 that
largely prompted the formation of second coalition of Britain, Russia,
Austria and Prussia against France
and to drive France out of Italy, hence, fighting the revolutionary France.
9. The declaration of
the civil constitution of the clergy:
The civil constitution of the clergy forced the Catholic
states to fight France.
It undermined the powers and privileges of the church and the clergy in France. The Catholic
in Europe asked their countries to fight France in order to liberate their
fellow brothers and sisters in the faith.