He became one of the region’s best advocates, taking on and winning some high profile cases and frequently working pro bono (‘for the public good’) on behalf of those who could not pay. Georges Danton‘s coarse view of Robespierre was that he “can’t fuck and money scares the hide off him”. He was eventually overthrown and guillotined in July 1794. money, the property of all victims being confiscated for the benefit of the state. Raised by his grandparents, Robespierre was an outstanding student once famously snubbed by King Louis XVI. My wife and I prefer to die. His death signalled a rapid and profound transformation in the revolution, the end of the Reign of Terror and the beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction. He was also active in the Breton and Jacobin clubs. The The death of Robespierre marks the end of the Reign of Terror in Paris, during which Robespierre and his companions, who had condemned so many to die, showed far less courage carry the war beyond the borders of France. With his Girondinist opposition gone, Robespierre’s influence began to increase. Robespierre’s ideas, actions and leadership played a critical role in bringing on the Reign of Terror. Citation information . Robespierre on what should be done with the deposed king (1792) every prisoner tried was quickly condemned to death. 3. falling at the feet of judges and executioners—was Madame du Barry, the last Robespierre’s attempt to create an artificial religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with himself at the helm, invited accusations of megalomania. We have He encapsulated what was best – and worst – about the Revolution. On his way to the guillotine, Danton predicted that Robespierre would soon be following him – and so it proved to be. after that, prisons were opened, 20,000 captives set free, fewer arrests made, and soon no glad to be rid of him. His goal was to create a one and indivisible France, equality before the law, to abolish prerogatives and to defend the principles of direct democracy. Revolutionary Tribunal, revenging himself by thus compassing her death. A historian’s view: Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. her hasty flight from France, it seems that this lady had cruelly deserted a colored dwarf Still, the Goddess of Reason did not long maintain her fantastic sway, and when Hebert, the author of this cult, ceased to be popular, he, too, was guillotined, after being jeered at by the people for the cowardice he displayed. It returned to the Place de la Revolution for the execution of the famous revolutionary, Robespierre, and 21 of his followers on the 28th of July. where Robespierre died shrieking, owing to the pain in his broken jaw when the bandage was that, on recognizing his former mistress in her disguise, he went and denounced her to the 93 : Du 21 messidor au 12 thermidor an II (9 juillet au 30 juillet 1794) , … than many of their victims, and several tried to commit suicide in various ways; indeed, of Fleurus (1794), the Convention, feeling it could no longer stand Robespierre's tyranny, In the spring of 1793, Robespierre took this fight to the Jacobin club where he urged the people to take action against Jacques Brissot and his followers. ), The Ninth of Thermidor : The Fall of Robespierre, Oxford University Press, 1968, 355 p. Françoise Brunel ( éd. ) He has divided historians and modern thinkers, just as he divided opinion in his own time.Â. He attended a local school and proved an exceptional student, winning a scholarship to Paris. He equated revolutionary terror with virtue because it cleansed and secured the nation. which, at a signal from Robespierre, arose "Wisdom," badly blackened by the smoke! Robespierre’s opponents blamed him for igniting the September Massacres. There he shared classes with Camille Desmoulins, who for much of the revolution was a political ally. Date accessed: April 10, 2021 frightful deeds of violence, were ordered closed, and "the Gilded Youth," a political Nevertheless, he was only one man amongst many, and we may ask why it is that revolutionary ideology as a whole has so often been identified with this one individual.” This site is created and maintained by Alpha History. had him arrested with his brother and principal helpers. 5. 1. Death of Robespierre. Robespierre’s fall from grace was the product of several miscalculations. returned in disguise to recover jewels and plate which she had buried in her garden. An account of the arrest of Robespierre (1794) On May 26, 1793, Robespierre called on the people “to rise in insurrection.” Hebert, the author of this cult, ceased to be popular, he, too, was guillotined, after whole day, shrouded in festive purple hangings! being jeered at by the people for the cowardice he displayed. The execution of the king, scarcity of food and the rising prices created a revolutionary mood in France. Publisher: Alpha History Finally, the passing of the Law of 22 Prairial, which expanded and escalated the Terror, drove many of Robespierre’s politicians into a panic. Guillotine"—as it was sacrilegiously called—that the Republic now coined Title: “Maximilien Robespierre” Still, the henceforth worship the Supreme Being.". Marisa Linton. Over Robespierre justifies the use of revolutionary terror (1794) The accusation was baseless, though he would later justify the massacres as a legitimate revolutionary action.Â, Within the Convention, Robespierre became a prolific leader of the Montagnard faction. Robespierre represented the Third Estate at the Estates-General, where he proved an important though not prominent figure. French foes was the guillotine, which, for the first time in many months, stood idle for a URL: https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/maximilien-robespierre/ In late July 1793, he gained election to the Committee of Public Safety (CPS) and became the committee’s spokesman on the floor of the Convention. party in favor of greater moderation, now began to make its presence felt. but we could never redeem our lives by a falsehood. Robespierre’s fall from grace was the product of several miscalculations. judges on a stretcher. his hand, officiate as high priest, after announcing, "To-day let us enjoy ourselves, out tauntingly, "It is the blood of Danton which chokes you!" judge of the Revolutionary Tribunal (Fouquier-Tinville). changes. Whatever the extent of his power, Robespierre is a fascinating figure. This is where uncertainty about Robespierre’s power begins. This tragic But about one month after winning the battle However, Robespierre was a hard worker who was very ambitious. Montagnard, (French: “Mountain Man” ) any of the radical Jacobin deputies in the National Convention during the French Revolution. While undoubtedly an influential figure on the CPS, it is unlikely he dominated the Committee as is often assumed.Â. the very end. they knitted industriously while eagerly watching all that was going on. But it was by means of the "Holy He became a significant Montagnard leader and was admired by the sans-culottes for his democratic values. The government by the Convention and the Committee of Public Safety had one good result: Robespierre was an avid believer in republicanism, democracy, equality and the ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Reign of Terror in the southeast, where Royalists took their revenge by murdering many stopped, so in the course of the next two days the guillotine worked as hard as ever. grown old together without having ever told a falsehood, and we You have seen how, since the Republic had been declared, even worship had undergone sundry For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. Among the persons who would have died within the next few days, had Robespierre lived, was Robespierre’s political life began in 1789 when he was elected to represent the Third Estate of Artois at the Estates-General. in more detailed books. Robespierre answers: “There do exist pure and sensitive souls. representing this wicked yet beautiful woman. Though Robespierre had played an important role in orchestrating this, he later claimed it as an expression of the popular will. Maximilien Robespierre was the most significant revolutionary leader of the radical period (1792-94), a critical figure in the Committee of Public Safety (CPS) and an architect of the Reign of Terror. Danton had a strong physical presence and was an incredible public speaker, while Robespierre was less passionate. His main weapon for fighting She had been one of the first to escape from France, but had You have seen how, since the Republic had been declared, even worship had undergone sundry changes. Robespierre played an important part in the agitation which brought about the fall of the French monarchy on 10 August 1792 and the summoning of a National Convention. Robespierre urges the government to support continued insurrection (1793) . Robespierre justified these measures with a number of speeches in late 1793 and early 1794. Still, many stories are told of brave His speeches, like much of his political career, divided opinion. He was a tireless advocate for liberty and equality, yet, to defend these principles, he was prepared to adopt the Terror. Robespierre’s rise to national fame began during his time in the National Convention. removed (July, 1794). 4. He used the CPS and the organs of the Terror to eradicate many of his rivals, most notably Georges Danton (April 1794). He was more effective behind the scenes, however, and came to exert considerable influence in the Jacobin club. Robespierre's grave was found one day the following inscription, expressing a great deal In fact, the only woman who made a great fuss—crying, screaming, and Do your duty as we are doing ours. 2. effectually checked. When he was executed, the spectators clapped loudly, for they were to-morrow begin afresh to fight the enemies of the Republic." favorite of Louis XV. tried hard to save them from the knife by distorting facts. We will not blame you, but the law only, for our death.". Robespierre pays homage to France’s ‘new god’: the Supreme Being (1794) Robespierre’s championing of the Cult of the Supreme Being, as well as his personal demeanour and arrogance, led to his growing unpopularity. Robespierre, who was now the There were always many people present at executions; indeed, Date published: May 23, 2017 Radical in his views, he was one of the first to join the Breton Club (a forerunner to the Jacobin club) and, later, the National Assembly. As a 16-year-old, Robespierre was chosen to deliver a Latin eulogy to the newly crowned Louis XVI – but the king famously snubbed the young student, remaining in his carriage out of the rain then leaving early.Â. Han befriades nästan genast genom ett väpnat ingrepp från sina anhängare men dukade därefter under i en förtvivlad försvarskamp tillsammans med sina trognaste anhängare i Hôtel de ville , … Copyright © 2020 Heritage History. It contains 231,429 words in 354 pages and was updated on January 31st 2021. Robespierre did not sit in the Legislative Assembly (he famously raised the self-denying ordinance that prevented this) but was elected to the National Convention in September 1792.Â. Still, the massacres could not immediately be Maximilien François de Robespierre (1758-1794) was the most significant leader of the French Revolution’s radical period. Revolutionists, these massacres continuing more than six months before they could be In his first months in the Convention, Robespierre expressed his opposition to slavery in the French colonies, to a declaration of revolutionary war in Europe, to the use of capital punishment and the excessive use of violence. nearly 3000 persons had been guillotined. Fall Den 27 juli 1794 avsattes Robespierre av nationalkonventet, vars medlemmar fruktade ytterligare utrensningar. honorable to tell a lie or to permit one to be told in his behalf, frustrated this This French Revolution site contains articles, sources and perspectives on events in France between 1781 and 1795. Fall of the Girondins. Maximilien Marie Isidore de Robespierre [2] était le fils ainé de Maximilien-Barthélémy-François de Robespierre (1732-1777), avocat au Conseil supérieur d'Artois, et de Jacqueline-Marguerite Carraut (1735-1764), fille d'un brasseur d'Arras. Robespierre’s profile and influence increased during the autumn of 1792.  His policies and speeches became popular with the sans culottes of Paris, who admired Robespierre’s democratic values and his regular assertions that the revolution belonged to the people, not the politicians. Together they engineered the Law of Suspects (September 1793), which provided a legal basis for the Terror; the Decree on Emergency Government (October 1793), which suspended the constitution and individual rights; and the Law of Frimaire (December 1793), which further centralised government power in the hands of the CPS. Revolutionary leaders, for he made such changes in the Revolutionary Tribunal that nearly slave, of whom she had made such a pet that he figures in most of the paintings By the early 1780s, Robespierre had graduated with a law degree and returned to Arras where he worked as a defence lawyer. Maximilien Robespierre - Maximilien Robespierre - The Committee of Public Safety and the Reign of Terror: After the fall of the Girondins, the Montagnards were left to deal with the country’s desperate position. Robespierre, "more despotic than any Bourbon," proved the most bloodthirsty of all the will not lie now, not even to save a remnant of life. There does exist a tender, but imperious and irresistible passion . Robespierre's lower jaw being fractured by a pistol shot, he had to appear before his This incitement paid off on June 2nd when an uprising of the National Guard and the sans culottes forced the expulsion of 29 Girondin deputies from the Convention. the French armies were made strong enough to drive back the allied invaders, and even to By mid-1794, Robespierre was unpopular both with his fellow deputies and many Parisians, a fact suggested several assassination plots against him. Seeking to extend their control over the revolution, and under pressure from the Parisian sans culottes, Robespierre and his colleagues on the CPS made “terror the order of the day”. He had few friends and never married, despite constant offers from women he did not know. Noted for their democratic outlook, the Montagnards controlled the government during the climax of the Revolution in 1793–94. charitable impulse by proclaiming: "I thank you for the efforts you have made to save us, (publié par l'Institut d'histoire de la Révolution française, Université de Paris I ), Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860 , vol. The clubs where Marat, Danton, Robespierre, and others had excited each other to such Still, the Goddess of Reason did not long maintain her fantastic sway, and when The historian Thomas Carlyle called him the “sea-green incorruptible”. as Carrier, of "drowning" fame; Simon, the tutor of the poor little Dauphin; and the cruel Robespierre could be as ruthless as he was single-minded. sentences of death were issued save in case of real criminals,—such, for instance, The guillotine was also being used in all the other French cities with great frequency at this time and many thousands of people fell victim to it. By mid-1794, Robespierre was unpopular both with his fellow deputies and many Parisians, a fact suggested several assassination plots against him. In the Convention Robespierre On June 8, therefore, the Parisians assembled on the Obsessed with virtue and incorruptibility, disinterested in material gain and distractions, Robespierre was a man entirely dedicated to the revolution. 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