The Years of Terror

Overview

This second part covers the darkest years of the French Revolution, from the imprisonment of the royal family to the end of the Reign of Terror. It depicts the trial and execution of Louis XVI, the rise of Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety, and the internal conflicts tearing the revolutionary factions apart. The film follows the fall of Danton and Desmoulins, the escalation of political violence, and the machinery of Terror that ultimately turns against its own leaders. The episode concludes with the downfall and execution of Robespierre, Saint‑Just, and Couthon in July 1794, marking the end of the Revolution’s most tragic and tumultuous period.