The role of Robespierre

The role of Robespierre

1. The Terror continues...

   • By late 1793 , the Vendee rebellion was under control; the Federal Revolt had been crushed and Austrian armies had been driven out of France after the battle of Onschoote in October.

2. Reasons for Robespierre's rise...

   • Developed radical ideas – supported by anti-monarchists (1792) and sans culottes – a spokesman of the new radical stage of the revolution
   • Ability as a public speaker – regularly spoke in the Convention
   • Girondin faction ousted from the Convention – makes the Convention increasingly radical
   • Appointed to sit on Committee of Public Safety (July 1793)
   • Popular amongst Sans Culottes and perceived to be working the interests of Paris’ poor.

3. What did Robespierre believe?

   • ‘We must organise the dictatorship of liberty to crush the dictatorship of kings”
   • Robespierre dreams of a Republic of Virtue – a purge of all corruption, which often meant cleansing of nobles and the wealthy.
   • Political views which differed from those of Robespierre were dismissed as treason.
   • Political views which differed from those of Robespierre were dismissed as treason.

4. What was the Great 'Terror'

   • With all potential critics executed and all criticism stifled, Robespierre (between 10th June to 27th July, 1794) aimed to create a Republic of Virtue
   • Law of Prairial (10th June 1794) announced that any enemy of the people (such a board definition that almost anyone could be included) could be tried and executed without witnesses or evidence
   • 1594 were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris in June and July - 59.3% of its victims across the whole period.
   • Many of the Victims were priests, nobles or wealthy bourgeoisie. But many were also ordinary people accused on trumped up charges.

5. Robespierre's fall from power...

   • His creations of the cult of the Supreme Being pleased no one. Catholics opposed it because it ignored Catholic doctrine and anti-clericals thought it was an attempt to reintroduce the Church.
   • Robespierre’s popularity among the sans-culottes was falling because of the execution of the Hébertistes and the raising of the maximum on prices which cause inflation and the imposing of the maximum in wages.
   • The CPS and CGS began to fall out when the CPS set up its own police bureau, which Robespierre led, to prosecute dishonest officials. Many leading politicians now felt threatened by Robespierre.
   • After nearly month away from public life (July 1794), Robespierre returned to address the Convention, accusing unnamed colleagues of plotting against the government. As people felt threatened, it led directly to the coup of Thermidor (late July), and Robespierre’s death.