Which among the following statements is not correct about the Reign of Terror ?
The Jacobins dashed out the Girondists with the help of sans-culottes.
The Jacobins were in league with the French clergy.
The arrest for anti-revolutionary activities was by law restricted to the political class.
The Reign of Terror came to an end with the execution of Robespierre by guillotine in July 1794.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
A) The Jacobins dashed out the Girondists with the help of sans-culottes. This is correct. The sans-culottes, radical working-class revolutionaries, were instrumental in pressuring the National Convention to arrest the Girondist deputies in June 1793, consolidating Jacobin power and effectively ending the Girondists’ influence.
B) The Jacobins were in league with the French clergy. This is incorrect. The Reign of Terror saw significant dechristianization efforts, including the closure of churches, persecution of priests (especially those who refused to swear allegiance to the state), and promotion of secular alternatives like the Cult of Reason. The Jacobins were generally hostile to the Catholic Church and clergy.
C) The arrest for anti-revolutionary activities was by law restricted to the political class. This is incorrect. The Law of Suspects (17 September 1793) defined suspects broadly, including nobles, clergy, emigres, officials suspended from office, and anyone who “by their conduct, their contacts, their words or their writings showed themselves to be supporters of tyranny or federalism and enemies of liberty.” This clearly extended far beyond the political class.
D) The Reign of Terror came to an end with the execution of Robespierre by guillotine in July 1794. This is correct. Robespierre’s execution following the Thermidorian Reaction marked the end of the radical phase of the Revolution and the height of the Terror.
The question asks for the *not correct* statement. Both B and C are incorrect. However, statement C makes a specific, verifiable false claim about the legal scope of arrests under the Law of Suspects. Statement B is a more general mischaracterization of the relationship between Jacobins and clergy during the Terror. Historical sources confirm that the Law of Suspects explicitly did *not* restrict arrests to the political class. Therefore, C is definitively incorrect.
– Jacobins purged Girondists with sans-culottes support.
– Dechristianization and persecution of clergy were features of the Terror.
– Law of Suspects allowed broad arrests, not restricted to politicians.
– Ended with Robespierre’s execution.