The Truth About the Reign of Terror: Was It Justified or Not

The prompt document titled “Justice in Reign of Terror' is a passage from a book where author analyse whether was it justified. This passage essay is under chapter 19 of the book called 'A Revolution in Politics: The Era of the French Revolution and Napoleon”. This part of the book was written by J. G. Milligen, the Revolutionary Tribunal, in October of 1793. It is written from a third-person point of view; this third-person perspective depicts those about to be executed in Milligen's village. He describes the chamber where the judges determine who would be killed and then describes how he will always remember how the convicts are transported to the execution site. The victims' wrists tied across their backs, and the frequent jolting of the cart caused them to move their heads vertically, upwards, and downwards. This is a really sad and painful process to witness.' The executioner, his helper, and the record keeper would accompany the victims to the guillotine.

With the spread of the civil war in France from Vendée and enemy forces encircling in all directions, the Revolutionary state resolved to institute 'Terror' and take severe measures against those suspected to oppose your Revolutionary the nobles, hoards, and priests. This prompt was targeted at those who resisted the revolution, pointing to them the tribulations that awaited them and maybe to have a rethink of their position on the matter. As the author describes it, the process is painful and heartbreaking. Milligen explains how victims were killed by guillotine in this account. As he explains the incidents and gives information, it is clear he has witnessed several executions. He is repulsed by how common beheading is and that people attend only to see someone executed. Death need not be a normal daily occurrence for anybody since death by beheading should be abhorrent.

The point of view from this prompt is that the Reign of Terror was not justifiable because of the massive number of fatalities it resulted in. Additionally, the procedure stripped the French people of their fundamental rights and excused the heinous and deadly acts perpetrated during the terror. Killings were made without fair trials. Finally, the Revolutionary government went against the same constitution they originally fought for. The government used execution threats to those who opposed their operations and did not give them a fair trial.

Those carrying the condemned made their way carefully to the guillotine's foot; the violators were carried out and, if required, accompanied by two of the executioner's helpers. The victims were fastened to the vertical plane, then shifted to a plane moving horizontally and ran through grooves till the neck was bound and locked in by a moving board. Then, the massive knife was dropped with a hefty fall with convincing skill and velocity.