The Great Terror 1794: the purge of the Hébertists and Indulgents;…

The idea

In spring 1794 the Committee of Public Safety struck at both flanks of the Convention. Hébertists, pushing dechristianisation, were arrested in March and guillotined; Danton's Indulgents, urging peace, followed in April. Religious radicalism was checked by Robespierre's cult of the Supreme Being. The Law of 22 Prairial simplified Revolutionary Tribunal procedure. Centralisation tightened through the recall of errant représentants en mission and the disbanding of the armées révolutionnaires. Terror operated unevenly: Paris saw concentrated executions, whereas the Vendée and Lyon experienced mass repression. Robespierre shaped this through rhetoric and committee work in Paris, while Saint-Just also acted as a représentant en mission.

What earns the marks

• Explains that the Hébertists were purged in March 1794 for ultra-radical dechristianisation and wage agitation, showing the Committee's determination to control the popular movement.
• Explains that the Indulgents, associated with Danton and Desmoulins, were purged in April 1794 for advocating peace and an end to terror, demonstrating that moderation was equally dangerous.
• Analyses religious radicalism: dechristianisation campaigns, the Festival of Reason, and Robespierre's counter-move with the cult of the Supreme Being in May 1794.
• Assesses the legislation of terror and centralisation, including the Law of 22 Prairial, the role of the Committee of Public Safety, and the disbanding of the armées révolutionnaires to assert central control.
• Compares the extent and nature of the Terror in Paris, where the Revolutionary Tribunal concentrated executions, with the regions, where the Vendée and Lyon saw different forms of repression.
• Evaluates the roles of Robespierre and Saint-Just, noting Robespierre's leadership in Paris and Saint-Just's dual role as an orator and a mission representative.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating the Terror as a single uniform event.

  Put it right by distinguishing Parisian tribunal executions from regional military repression and by noting different chronologies.

• Assuming Robespierre personally ordered every execution or served on mission.

  Put it right by explaining the collective Committee of Public Safety, and that Robespierre remained in Paris while others like Saint-Just were représentants en mission.

• Believing the armées révolutionnaires drove centralisation during the Great Terror.

  Put it right by noting they were disbanded in spring 1794 to curb radical popular terror and centralise authority.

Exam tips

• Anchor answers in precise dates and laws, such as March and April 1794 purges and the Law of 22 Prairial, to demonstrate secure chronological knowledge.
• When discussing extent, use comparative language about Paris and the regions rather than treating one as representative of all.