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What events appeared to have the Revolutionary government to execute the King during the Reign of Terror?

User Mira Mira
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Final answer:

The Revolutionary government executed King Louis XVI and escalated violence against perceived counter-revolutionary threats during the Reign of Terror, leading to mass executions and radical policies under Robespierre's leadership until his own fall in July 1794.

Step-by-step explanation:

The events that led the Revolutionary government to execute the King during the Reign of Terror can be traced back to the deepening crisis of the French Revolution. After King Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, Maximilien de Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety escalated violence against those deemed enemies of the revolution. Under the guise of protecting the revolution, the government initiated the Laws of Suspects, rounding up and trying a broad swath of society, including émigrés, former nobility, and political dissenters. Additionally, the Law of 22 Prairial allowed for hasty tribunals, leading to the widespread use of the guillotine. High-profile executions during this period included Queen Marie Antionette and the revolutionary Georges Danton. The revolutionary government's repression was a reaction to perceived counter-revolutionary threats, and the Terror sought to purify the nation through radical measures. The executions and radical policies did not go unchallenged and, eventually, internal dissent led to the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror in July 1794.

User Aaron Makubuya
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