Final answer:
The Committee of Public Safety's use of mass executions and suppressive laws to combat internal and external threats to the French Revolution suggests that it protected the revolution through severe repression, rather than upholding its fundamental principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Committee of Public Safety was established to protect the French Revolution from its enemies, both internal and external. While it implemented progressive reforms, such as controlling the price of grain and abolishing slavery, its methods for maintaining control were ruthless and contradictory to the revolution's fundamental principles of liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality, brotherhood).
The Laws of Suspects and the Law of 22 Prairial, which led to mass imprisonments and executions, suggest that the committee's tactics actually suppressed dissent rather than purely defending the revolution. An estimated 50,000 people fell victim to the guillotine, including prominent figures like Marie Antoinette and Georges Danton, which indicates the extent of the committee's severe repression.
The Reign of Terror, driven by committee leader Maximilien Robespierre, was marked by a period of extreme violence and public executions. The contradiction lies in the committee's aim to uphold revolutionary ideals while simultaneously enacting policies that violated individual liberties. Ultimately, as the internal threats diminished, the National Convention turned against Robespierre, leading to his execution and the end of the Reign of Terror.