May 6, 1758

Arras, France

July 28, 1794

Paris, France

Leader of the "Reign of Terror" during the French Revolution

"Terror is the only justice that is prompt, severe, and inflexible."

In slightly more than one year, from mid-1793 until mid-1794, about seventeen thousand people died in France in the name of a political ideal. The victims ranged from the king and queen of France to aristocrats (the upper classes of society, which controlled the government) to ordinary people accused of minor crimes. Their trials were often brief and the outcome already decided. It was called the "Reign of Terror."

The Reign of Terror bore little resemblance to the "terrorism" of later centuries. The French Terror was carried out by a small group of men, members of the Committee of Public Safety, which led the government. They claimed they were trying to...