1794 recap: Robespierre's Terror trap

This is the third in our series of recap episodes, offering a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes grouped around four themes which, we argue, help frame the period and shape our understanding of it in a whole new way. We hope this will provide a helpful refresh for longstanding listeners - whilst at the same time offering an 'entry ramp' to the podcast for those who want to get up to speed relatively easily before we crash full-speed into the intensity of the Napoleonic Wars.

This episode covers 1794, a year of revolution, turmoil, and transformative conflict across Europe and beyond. Once again we're recapping an extraordinary year featuring pivotal moments in the French Revolution, including Robespierre's dramatic fall; the surprising tos and fros of the war in Europe; some grimly familiar shocking events in Eastern Europe; all whilst continuing to explore the global repercussions of revolutionary ideals. Or, in other words:

• The height and collapse of the Terror in Revolutionary France, culminating in the Thermidorian Reaction

• Key military innovations and battles, including the strategic leadership of Carnot and the Battle of Fleurus

• The dramatic final chapter of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the failed Kociuszko Uprising

• The abolition of slavery in French colonies and the far-reaching impact on Haiti and the Caribbean

• Crucial global developments, from the Glorious First of June naval battle to transformative events in the United States and beyond

Explore the interconnected stories of 1794 and discover how this pivotal year shaped the course of the Napoleonic era and world history.