Wahnich makes a sharp distinction between the 18th-century "Terror" (a state-led process for sovereignty) and contemporary "terrorism," which she argues aims at neither liberty nor equality.
The book focuses on the emotions of the revolution —dread, fury, and sacred enthusiasm—arguing that these feelings were the driving force behind political decisions. In Defence of the Terror: Liberty or Death in t...
The book includes a long foreword by Slavoj Žižek. Some reviewers find his introduction ill-suited or more of a "movie review" than a historical guide, though others find it valuable for framing the "objective violence" of systems. Wahnich makes a sharp distinction between the 18th-century
Sophie Wahnich's is a provocative, succinct essay that challenges modern "moralising" views of the Reign of Terror. Rather than seeing it as a descent into madness, Wahnich argues it was a rational institutional response designed to control and curb anarchic popular violence. Core Arguments & Themes Some reviewers find his introduction ill-suited or more