Degrees of Violence in the French Revolution
The French Revolution marks a stain in history, notorious for one of the bloodiest periods in modern civilization. Whether this infamous violence existed at the birth of the Revolution or only during the Terror has been the topic
Degrees of Violence in the French Revolution
The French Revolution marks a stain in history, notorious for one of the bloodiest periods in modern civilization. Whether this infamous violence existed at the birth of the Revolution or only during the Terror has been the topic of debate between scholars since the 1980s.1 François Furet challenges the previous “theory of circumstances” claiming that the violence, which existed during “The Terror,” existed at the birth of the Revolution.2 Violence was predicted even before tensions peaked in France, and undeniably was existent during the beginning stages of the Revolution. Circumstances also heightened the level of violence, which occurred from 1793-1794. Therefore, both theories hold validity, yet the question remains: were there warning signs to this violence before the Revolution even began?
One document, “Paris Scenes,” written by Louis Sébastien Mercier before 1789, foreshadowed the violence which was to come to Paris. During the Revolution Mercier served as a deputy of the Convention and was connected to the Girondins.3 Within the document Mercier describes the state of Paris, he describes the Parisians as “a fighting race.” 4 He discussed the peasant riots and draws constant comparisons to the British, illustrating his belief in their stable political system thus illustrating how unstable the Parisians themselves were becoming. “…[A]nd their violence would be the more cruel, since they lack in themselves all power to control it.” 5
Throughout this publication, Mercier’s comparison of Paris in the 1780s to England’s Revolution acknowledges some of the hindrances involving the Parisians. “ Nor have we settled in our minds the difference between disturbance and revolution.” 6 This evidence supports Furet’s case and even further implies that this aggression existed even before the Revolution technically began.
Painting depicting the execution by guillotine of Marie Antoinette in 1793 at the Place de la Révolution.
There are also instances at the brink of Revolution and in the beginning that implied that there would be a violent element to this movement. Storming the Bastille on July 14th 1789, 