Reign of Terror

(1793–94) Period in the French Revolution. It was established by the government on Sept. 5, 1793, to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (including nobles, priests, and hoarders). Controlled by the radical Committee of Public Safety and Maximilien Robespierre, the Terror eliminated enemies on the left (Jacques Hébert and his followers) and the right (Georges Danton and the Indulgents). A law passed in June 1794 that suspended a suspect's right to public trial or legal defense caused the Thermidorian Reaction, and the Terror ended on July 27, 1794, with Robespierre's overthrow. About 300,000 suspects were arrested during the period; about 17,000 were executed, and many others died in prison.