Robespierre's Reign of Terror

The reign of terror's aim was to eliminate all internal opposed elements, so they can raise new armies, and assure food supplies for the armies and cities. During the summer of 1794 France was threatened by internal enemies and so the responsibility lay with the committee of general security, which had control over the local committees formed to ferret out treason. This occurred fifteen months after the onset of The French Revolution, influenced by the conflict between two rival political factions. The Reign of Terror was marked by a mass of executions of "enemies of the revolution" brought on by Robespierre's own paranoia. The other political faction had as much to do with this as Maximilien.
France was desperate in finding a ruler for their country and at times Street Gangs roaming around Paris had as much power as the government. The Jacobins were a radical club that took control and tried to rid France of the old regime. They were the ones that began the reign of terror, using the guillotine they cut the heads of anyone who might be against them. The Jacobins tried Louis the XIV for treason and found him guilty. By a very close vote they sentenced Louis to death and on January 21, 1793 he walked with calm dignity up the steps of the scaffold to his death.