ABSTRACT
In November of 1917 the Bolshevik Revolution took place. This momentous event strongly influenced the various perceptions held of the French Revolution. The Liberals' vision of the Russian and consequently the French Revolution depended on their political position, which changed radically after the Bolsheviks' coup. After enjoying the role of one of the leading parties, liberals found themselves in opposition to the new rulers who were so similar to the French Jacobins. The problem of Jacobinic terror continued to be a central one for Bolshevik authorities when they approached the French Revolution. The reign of terror provided them with justification for their ensuing purge of their political rivals. The Russian populace continued to clamor for blood, though they definitely preferred spontaneous violence to the Jacobinic tradition. The Petrograd Garrison had enough erudition to issue "a proclamation threatening a St. Bartholomew Night and a September Massacre of all prisoners of the fortress".
