The impact of fear on the use of force against a populace: A comparison of the use of terror during the French Revolution and the Stalinist purges

This thesis studied the ability of a government to impose its will on its citizenry through physical force and propaganda. The primary focus of this thesis was to determine whether loyalty to the nation's ideals or fear drove the populace to accept the government's use of force. This thesis compared the Terror during the French Revolution and the Purges during the reign of Stalin in the Soviet Union. These two periods allowed a comparison of the use of force and propaganda in different regions of the world and at different times. The analysis found that while the ideologies at work in the two nations played a role, it was fear that was more influential in the populace's acceptance of the use of force.