What was the period called when Maximilien Robespierre governed France?

• A. Directory
• B. Reign of Terror
• C. Thermidorian Reaction
• D. Republic

Answer: (B)

The period when Robespierre governed France is marked by a radical effort to defend the revolution through centralized power and harsh measures. This era is known as the Reign of Terror. Under the Committee of Public Safety, the government used sweeping laws like the Law of Suspects and revolutionary tribunals to root out enemies of the revolution, leading to thousands executed by the guillotine and many more imprisoned. The goal was to Crush counterrevolution and keep the revolutionary state secure during wartime, even at the cost of civil liberties. This phase roughly spanned 1793 to 1794 and ended with Robespierre’s fall in the Thermidorian Reaction, which brought a backlash against the terror and a shift away from such harsh methods. The other terms refer to different periods or structures: the Directory came after the Terror as the new government; the Thermidorian Reaction describes the aftermath of Robespierre’s fall; and Republic is a broad label for the French state rather than a specific period tied to his rule.