<P> Enlightenment thought emphasized the importance of rational thinking and began challenging legal and moral foundations of society, providing the leaders of the Terror with new ideas about the role and structure of government . Rousseau's Social Contract argued that each person was born with rights, and they would come together to form a government that would then protect those rights . Under the social contract, the government was required to act for the general will, which represented the interests of everyone rather than a few factions . Drawing from the idea of a general will, Robespierre felt that the French Revolution could result in a Republic built for the general will but only once those who fought this ideal were expelled . Those who resisted the government were deemed "tyrants" fighting against the virtue and honor of the general will . The leaders felt their ideal version of government was threatened from the inside and outside of France, and terror was the only way to preserve the dignity of the Republic created from French Revolution . </P> <P> Robespierre's ideology was not strictly derived from Rousseau . The writings of another Enlightenment thinker of the time, Baron de Montesquieu, greatly influenced Robespierre . One of Montesquieu's writings, The Spirit of the Laws, defines a core principle of a democratic government: virtue . He describes it as "the love of laws and of our country ." In Robespierre's speech to the National Convention on February 5, 1794, On Political Morality, he talks about virtue being the "fundamental principle of popular or democratic government ." This was, in fact, the same virtue defined by Montesquieu almost 50 years earlier . Robespierre believed that the virtue needed for any democratic government was extremely lacking in the French people . As a result, he decided to weed out those he believed could never possess this virtue . The result was a continual push towards Terror . The Convention used this as justification for the course of action to "crush the enemies of the revolution,...let the laws be executed,...and let liberty be saved ." </P> <P> These members of the Enlightenment movement greatly influenced revolutionary leaders; however, cautions from other Enlightenment thinkers were blatantly ignored . Voltaire's warnings were often overlooked, though some of his ideas were used for justification of the Revolution and the start of the Terror . He protested against Catholic Dogmas and the ways of Christianity stating, "of all religions, the Christian should of course inspire the most toleration, but till now the Christian's have been the most intolerant of all men ." These criticisms were often used by Robespierre and other leaders as justification for their anti-religious reforms . Voltaire also laid down some warnings . In his Philosophical Dictionary, he states, "we are all steeped in weakness and error; let us forgive each other our follies; that is the first law of nature" and "every individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of his opinion, is a monster ." The importance of forgiveness and understanding the failings of the human conditions were obviously lost on Robespierre and other leaders as they pursued Terror . </P> <P> After the beginning of the French Revolution, the surrounding monarchies did not show great hostility towards the rebellion . Though mostly ignored, Louis XVI was later able to find support in Leopold II of Austria (Marie Antionette's brother) and Frederick William II of Prussia . On August 27, 1791, these foreign leaders made the Pillnitz Declaration saying they would restore the French monarch if other European rulers joined . In response to what they viewed to be the meddling of foreign powers, France declared war on April 20, 1792 . However, at this point, the war was only Prussia and Austria against France . France began this war with a large series of defeats which set a precedent of fear of invasion in the people that would last throughout the war . Massive reforms of military institutions, while very effective in the long run, presented the initial problems of inexperienced forces and leaders of questionable political loyalty . In the time it took for officers of merit to use their new freedoms to climb the chain of command, France suffered . Many of the early battles were definitive losses for the French . There was the constant threat of the Austro - Prussian forces which were advancing easily toward the capital, threatening to destroy Paris if the monarch was harmed . This series of defeats, coupled with militant uprisings and protests within the borders of France pushed the government to resort to drastic measures to ensure the loyalty of every citizen to not only France but more importantly to the Revolution . </P>

Who was being prosecuted in the reign of terror