Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Horan, Joseph William
Author's Email Address	jwh04h@fsu.edu
URN	etd-11132006-162300
Title	Emergency Measures and Contingency in the French Revolution, 1792-94
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	History, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Darrin McMahon Committee Chair Matt Childs Committee Co-Chair Max Paul Friedman Committee Member
Keywords	French Revolution Revolutionary Government Terror Robespierre Marxism Revisionism
Date of Defense	2006-10-30
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The historiography of the French Revolution is perhaps the most extensive and diverse of any event in world history. A significant portion of this historiography has viewed the Revolution as the culmination of long-term trends, whether political, social or cultural. The goal of this study is to suggest that such approaches should not obscure the importance of circumstance and contingency in shaping the outcome of the Revolution. This argument is developed through an examination of four emergency measures ratified by the revolutionary government between 1792 and 1794. These measures formed the political basis for the Terror, and their enactment forced political leaders to constantly question the nature of the Revolution and their role in directing its progress. In this process, factors such as the military crisis, public disorders and administrative breakdown played a crucial role. This suggests that the immediate circumstances of 1792-94 were crucial in the factionalism and centralization that developed over the course of the Terror.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    Thesis.pdf 669.97 Kb 00:03:06 00:01:35 00:01:23 00:00:41 00:00:03