The "Reign of Terror" refers to a period during the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794, characterized by political purges and mass executions to eliminate perceived enemies of the revolution. Led primarily by the Committee of Public Safety under Maximilien Robespierre, thousands were executed—most infamously by guillotine. This era was marked by extreme measures to consolidate power and spread revolutionary ideals, as well as a climate of fear that led to the suppression of dissent and eventual backlash against revolutionary leaders.