5.4 Radical Stage of the French Revolution

War, Crisis, and the Fall of the Monarchy

War with Austria and Prussia (1792) and fears of foreign invasion radicalized the Revolution. The sans-culottes and Parisian crowds stormed the Tuileries, leading to the monarchy's abolition. Louis XVI was tried for treason and executed in 1793, ending centuries of monarchy and shocking European powers into forming coalitions against France.

The Reign of Terror

The Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, seized emergency power to defend the Revolution from internal and external enemies. The Reign of Terror (1793–1794) used the guillotine and revolutionary tribunals to eliminate perceived counter-revolutionaries. The Levée en masse conscripted citizens for total war, reflecting radical nationalism and mass mobilization.

Thermidorian Reaction and Directory

Fear of Robespierre's growing power led to his arrest and execution in the Thermidorian Reaction (1794), ending the Terror. The more conservative Directory (1795–1799) followed, favoring the propertied middle class but plagued by corruption, inflation, and instability—paving the way for Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power in 1799.

Key terms

Committee of Public Safety

Emergency governing body led by Robespierre that directed the Reign of Terror to defend the Revolution.

Reign of Terror

Period (1793–1794) of mass executions and repression aimed at eliminating counter-revolutionaries.

Levée en masse

Mass conscription policy mobilizing the entire French population for war, reflecting revolutionary nationalism.

Thermidorian Reaction

1794 coup that ended the Terror by overthrowing and executing Robespierre.

The Directory

Moderate, corrupt government (1795–1799) that followed the Terror and was eventually overthrown by Napoleon.

Try an AP-style question

Why did the Revolution radicalize in 1792–93?

1. Support from every European monarch
2. Foreign war and fear of counterrevolution
3. A lasting peace with Austria
4. The king's growing popularity