The Great Fear
The Great Fear: An Engineered Catalyst of the French Revolution
The Great Fear, a truly extraordinary and unsettling incident, marked a pivotal moment in the nascent stages of the French Revolution. It was not a spontaneous popular uprising but a meticulously engineered agitation that profoundly shaped the course of revolutionary events. This incident served as a stark illustration of the calculated strategies employed by those orchestrating the societal upheaval.
On 22 July 1789, and almost simultaneously across numerous towns and villages throughout France, a wave of intense panic was deliberately unleashed.
This widespread alarm was generated by the chilling announcement that brigands were approaching, thereby necessitating that all upright citizens should immediately arm themselves for defence. Messengers, travelling at great speed, disseminated this terrifying news, frequently carrying placards that bore the official-sounding title "Edict of the King".
These seemingly royal decrees contained a profoundly destructive command: "The King orders all châteaux to be burnt down; he only wishes to keep his own!". The populace, responding with striking obedience to these instructions, promptly "seized upon every weapon they could find and set themselves to the task of destruction".
The primary objective of the conspirators behind this calculated event was successfully achieved. This engineered panic resulted in the arming of the populace against law and order, a tactic that has, remarkably, consistently formed the very first item in the programme of social revolution ever since 1789.
This method distinguished the French Revolution from earlier historical revolutions, which typically involved political factions aiming to satisfy the demands of the people. Instead, the French Revolution marked a new era where grievances were systematically created and then exploited to further revolutionary aims.
The Great Fear thus stands as a crucial example of a revolutionary strategy that, rather than responding to existing unrest, actively manufactured it to serve a deeper, transformative agenda. Revolution marked a new era where grievances were systematically created and then exploited to further revolutionary aims. The Great Fear thus stands as a crucial example of a revolutionary strategy that, rather than responding to existing unrest, actively manufactured it to serve a deeper, transformative agenda.