Enlightenment ideas and early modern political revolutions, including the American and French revolutions. Renaissance material retains Renaissance & Discovery; modern independence movements retain Decolonization.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Who carried out most of the killings during the September Massacres in Paris?
Crowds often held quick, informal hearings before deciding a prisoner's fate, and some prisoners were released.
What fear helped fuel the September Massacres in Paris during 1792?
The fear felt urgent: Prussian forces had captured Longwy and were advancing toward Verdun as the massacres began.
What happened during the September Massacres in Paris in 1792?
Victims included ordinary prisoners as well as suspected royalists, so the violence was not limited to proven political enemies.
In which city did the September Massacres of 1792 take place during the French Revolution?
The killings took place at several Paris prisons, including the Abbaye, rather than at one single square or battlefield.
The Thermidorian Reaction is often seen as ending which phase of the French Revolution?
After Robespierre's fall, the Convention weakened the committees and tribunals that had driven the Terror.
The name "Thermidorian" comes from a month in which calendar?
Thermidor means “heat month” and ran roughly from mid-July to mid-August, during France's hottest season.
Which French revolutionary leader's fall began the Thermidorian Reaction?
Robespierre was arrested on 9 Thermidor and guillotined the next day, turning a political defeat into a swift end.
Which Paris political club was closed after the Thermidorian Reaction?
The Jacobin Club had helped link political societies across France, so its Paris meeting influenced politics far beyond the capital.
What nickname was associated with French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre?
Robespierre earned the name “The Incorruptible” for his reputation for personal honesty and strict principles, even as his rule became linked to terror.
During the French Revolution, which political club was Maximilien Robespierre a leading member of?
The Jacobins took their name from the Paris convent where they met, and their debates helped shape revolutionary politics across France.