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In Our Time · May 26, 2005 · 45m

The Reign of Terror

Melvyn Bragg

The French Revolution's descent into state-sponsored mass killing. The panel examines how revolutionary idealism became revolutionary violence, and whether the Terror was an aberration or a logical consequence of revolutionary logic.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

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Environment shapes behavior — the revolutionary environment made paranoia rational
During the Terror, denouncing others was the primary survival strategy. The revolutionary environment created incentives for paranoid behavior that were individually rational but collectively catastrophic.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Highlights

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Revolutionary purity demands escalating persecution
The Terror's logic: if the revolution represents the people's will, then opposition to the revolution is opposition to the people. This makes dissent treasonous and moderation suspicious.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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