The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) was the most radical and violent phase of the French Revolution.

It occurred during a period of crisis, with France facing foreign invasion and internal counter-revolution.

The government was controlled by the Committee of Public Safety, a twelve-man executive body dominated by the radical Jacobin leader, Maximilien Robespierre.

The purpose of the Terror was to eliminate 'enemies of the revolution' and enforce revolutionary zeal.

A Revolutionary Tribunal was established in Paris to hold summary trials, which often lacked due process.

An estimated 17,000 people were officially executed, and around 10,000 died in prison or without trial.

The guillotine became the symbol of the Terror, used for public executions in Paris.

The victims of the Terror included not only aristocrats and clergy but also many ordinary people and rival revolutionaries.

The Terror ended with the Thermidorian Reaction in July 1794, when Robespierre himself was overthrown and executed.

This period remains a deeply controversial part of the revolution, debated for its relationship between revolutionary ideals and state-sponsored violence.