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August 1794 to November 1795Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

The Thermidorian Reaction

The Convention dismantles the machinery of the Terror and turns on the Jacobins who ran it

On the timeline · around August 1794 to November 1795 · Thermidor to BrumaireRepublic and TerrorThermidor to BrumaireThe Thermidorian Reaction17941795

Quick facts

Location
France, especially the south
Date
August 1794 to November 1795
Policy shift
Away from Jacobin radicalism, toward economic liberalism
Reprisals
First White Terror against former Jacobins

What happened

In the months after Robespierre's execution, the Thermidorian Convention abandoned the radical Jacobin program in favor of conservative, economically liberal policies aimed at restoring stability. It purged Jacobins from official positions and violently suppressed their remaining networks in what became known as the First White Terror, a wave of reprisal killings and attacks, particularly in the south of France, that mirrored the violence of the Terror it was avenging. The period ran from the fall of Robespierre on 27-28 July 1794 until the establishment of the Directory on 2 November 1795.

Why it matters

The Thermidorian Reaction proved that ending the Terror's leadership did not end revolutionary violence, only redirected it against a new set of targets. It also left France without a stable government for over a year, a gap the Constitution of Year III and the Directory were built to fill.

How we know

World History Encyclopedia's account of the Reaction documents both the policy reversal away from Jacobin radicalism and the First White Terror's reprisal killings against former Jacobins.

Sources

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