What is the Reign of Terror?

• A. The execution of 16,000 Frenchmen by guillotine.
• B. A period of economic reform.
• C. A peace treaty with Britain.
• D. The abolition of the monarchy.

Answer: (A)

The Reign of Terror was a period during the French Revolution when the revolutionary government used drastic, repressive measures to defend the revolution from internal and external threats. The hallmark of this era was mass executions by the guillotine, with around sixteen thousand people publicly executed, plus many more killed in prison or combat, as authorities sought to eliminate perceived counter-revolutionaries and enemies of the state.

This isn’t about economic reform, a peace treaty with Britain, or abolishing the monarchy. Those actions belong to other phases or issues of the revolution, whereas the defining feature of the Reign of Terror is the widespread use of political repression and executions to maintain control and loyalty to the revolutionary government.