Jacobin's Consolidation Of Power

On 8 February 1790 the society became formally constituted on this broader basis by the adoption of the rules drawn up by Barnave, which were issued with the signature of the duc d'Aiguillon, the president. The club's objectives were defined as follows: firstly, the club sought to discuss in advance questions to be decided by the National Assembly. Secondly, Jacobin members attempted to work for the institution and solidification of the constitution in agreement with the disposition of the preamble in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Thirdly, the group corresponded with the political aspirations of other societies of the similar kinds. At the same time the procedures of order for the upcoming election were delineated,
and the constitution of the Jacobin club was determined. There would be a president, elected each month, a treasure, four secretaries, and committees. The group elected to oversee presentations and elections, the correspondence, and the administration of the club. Any member who went against the principles of the club by word or action that was contrary to the rights of man and the constitution was to be banished; the rule eventually facilitated the "purification" of the society by the removal of its more moderate members. The club also decided to admit secondary societies, which were political clubs in other parts of France who agreed to sustain consistent communication with the Jacobin club. This last provision was of critical importance. In January 21st, 1793, the monarchy toppled when King Louis XVI was formally decapitated via the guillotine. The device was designed to bestow capital punishment and was often utilized by the National Convention – the reigning provisional revolutionary government of France. In the aftermath of the king’s execution, Robespierre became a predominant figure in the Jacobin Club, and his clique in the National Convention amassed in the autumn of 1792, whic came to be officially known as the Jacobins. At first, they were a minority group in the National Convention. They were also referred to as "The Mountain", and its members Montagards, because they sat together in the higher seats in the National Convention. The Jacobins were apprehensive and hesitant about the war with Austria, which had commenced that spring, but supported further revolutionary measures in France. The Jacobins increasingly amassed greater power during the spring of 1793, with the support of the Parisian populace, which intimidated the Convention and instigated a coup d’état at the end of May 1793.
Jacobin leaders (including Robespierre and St. Just) were elected by the National Convention to oversee the Committee of Public Safety – a committee designed to implicate and eradicate internal and external threats to the French state during the Revolution. They were able to maintain political power over this institution until the summer of 1794 by way of fear and intimidation. They were complicit in repeatedly and violently eradicating the Convention of individuals deemed and implicated as disloyal to the Republic. This ended with widespread executions. This time period was called the Reign of Terror (5 September 1793 – 28 July 1794), and occurred in their last months of power. Robespierre was the spokesman for the successful faction, and was held in high regard for his reputation as "the Incorruptible" – an individual whose personal virtue seemingly appeared as unshakable in the face of great adversity and challenges. He framed the newfound Republic as the ‘Republic of Virtue’, until the Jacobins' final purge ended on July 27, 1794. There is some uncertainty and speculations that a soldier shot Robespierre after storming the Parisian city hall known as the Hôtel de Ville the night before his execution, and some historians also argue that he attempted suicide. In any
event, he was executed by the guillotine at the next day on Thermidor 10, or also known as July 28, 1794.