Question

The passage below is a quotation from Louis Saint-Just, a radical supporter of the French Revolution. Use the passage to answer the following question: You have to punish not only the traitors, but even those who are indifferent; you have to punish whoever is passive in the republic, and who does nothing for it. . . . The vessel of the Revolution can arrive in port only on a sea reddened with torrents of blood. --Louis Saint-Just, Report to the Convention on Behalf of the Committee of Public Safety, October 10, 1793 What event of the French Revolution does the passage support? (5 points) The execution of Louis Capet The rise of Napoleon The abolition of Christianity The Reign of Terror

Answer 1

I believe that this answer would be letter d the reign of terror due to the fact that this statement was made right before it happened. Looking at the date this happened near the revolution and was accurate.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. The quote justifies the Reign of Terror as a necessary event in the French Revolution. Though historians differ as to which event marks its beggining, the year 1793 was without a doubt its epicenter, to the extent that the year "Ninety-three" became a shorthand for the Terror (Victor Hugo used Ninety-three as a title to one of his last novels, which deals with the Terror). Saint-Just is arguing that the violence of the Terror is necessary for the establishment of the new French Republic, since it requires the contributions of every citizen. Even those who are indifferent to the struggle must be punished, since the enthusiastic support of every citizen is needed. Saint-Just believes that the ends justify the means, and that the Revolution is worthy of spilling "torrents of blood".