The execution of which leader in July 1794 marked the end of the Reign of Terror?

• A. Danton
• B. Marat
• C. Carnot
• D. Robespierre

Answer: (D)

The moment the Reign of Terror ends is tied to the fall of its central architect, Robespierre, in July 1794. He dominated the Committee of Public Safety and drove the relentless use of revolutionary tribunals to root out enemies of the Revolution. When he was arrested and executed, that centralized authority collapsed and the Thermidorian Reaction followed, leading to a rollback of the terror tactics, liberation of many imprisoned rivals, and a shift toward more moderate governance under the Directory.

Danton’s earlier execution did signal internal purges but did not end the terror; Marat’s assassination happened well before and had a different symbolic impact; Carnot was a prominent revolutionary figure who was not executed, so the event that truly marks the end of the Terror is Robespierre’s death.