Maximilien Marie Isidore de Robespierre was born in Arras on 6 May 1758, the son of a lawyer. He was educated in Paris and entered the same profession as his father. He was elected a deputy of the estates-general that met in May 1789. He was later chosen as president of the powerful Jacobin political party in April 1790. He became increasingly popular for his attacks on the monarchy and his encouragement of democratic reforms. In 1791 he suggested that no member of the present Assembly should be able to run for the next Assembly. He was appointed Public Accuser. Roughly a year later, he resigned his post of Public Accuser. After the downfall of the monarchy in August 1792, he was elected first deputy for Paris to the National Convention.
The National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Later, the National Convention put King Louis XVI on trial for treason. These actions were all supported by Robespierre. The King would eventually be executed in January 1793.
Control of France passed to the Committee of Public Safety, which Robespierre was a member of. Robespierre was gaining support rapidly and was quickly becoming the dominant force on the committee. The Committee of Public Safety began the “Reign of Terror”, in which they killed anyone who was considered an enemy of the revolution.
Robespierre soon lost much of his supporters during the “Reign of Terror” and fled to the Common Hall, where the National Convention declared him an outlaw. Robespierre had his lower jaw broken by a shot fired by a member of the National Guard. The next day, July 28, he was sent to the Guillotine along with 21 others. Many of whom were some of his closest followers and supporters.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
year, Robespierre governed France virtually as a dictator, and the period of his rule became…
- 1340 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
First of all,the Jacobin leader ,Robespierre became very paranoid and killed thousands of people at the guillotine.That is to say because he and other people did not like the king so he killed anyone who he thought or heard was a supporter of the king or liked the king.Eventually he started killing anyone who he did not like or looked at him funny.As a result he was executine on jul.27,1794 after the committee of public safety placed him on the guillotine after killing around 40,000 people.Acording to the documents most of the…
- 342 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
“The King’s blood flowed and cries of joy from eight thousand armed men struck my ears.” A man that witnessed the guillotining of King Louis XVI was left with this graphic image of a memorable event leading to the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror, otherwise known as the French Revolution, was an attempt to form a new government in France. The citizens of France fought against their government and made a new government led by Maximilen de Robespierre. This new government executed large numbers of individuals whom were “enemies” of the Revolution. This government went so far to preserve their vision of liberty and equality. France was violently demanding “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity”. Was it necessary to murder 30,000 by guillotining them in the middle of town square for everyone to witness? Did the 2,750 people sentenced to death without any evidence deserve their fate? The Reign of Terror was not justified because of the reaction towards external threats, the treatment of internal threats, and the malevolent methods used by this new government to carry-out their vision of a perfect government.…
- 944 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Not only was the Reign of Terror a big part of the French Revolution but it was a very unjustified event, creating sins among the people. They treated the dead as heads and bodies of simple animals rather than thinking of them as once humans. “Carried it mockingly, upside down on a cart, offering it to passers-by to spit on”(59). The people then went against the churches abolishing holidays which were important to many people and their beliefs. They also killed thousands, “many of these people were guillotined”(63). They would cut the heads of criminals and even innocent without trial. The guillotine began very popular through these months, becoming the number one way of killing. “The guillotine became one of the most powerful symbols of the French Revolution… It had a sharp, angled blade, which dropped quickly on a guided track”(65). These months were very gruesome for the people of france and many families, to where no one felt safe. These murders were sins, killed without reason or trial making the Reign of Terror unjustified.…
- 656 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Reign Of Terror was an unjustified part of the French Revolution. These hateful and vengeful acts led to an outburst of fear amongst the french people. What once started as a start to a new government led to an unexpected ruling of Maximilien Robespierre. Robespierre was the leader of the Public Safety Committee, and the reason king Louis XVI and many others were executed. He wanted to lead the french people to victory during this revolution, but the power corrupted him. Thus leading to the reign of terror and later his own death by the people.…
- 323 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Reign of Terror began because of the growing suspicion of common people supporting the nobles, and the monarchy. The first victim of this historic era was King Louis XVI, and he was most certainly not the last. Nine months later, Queen Marie Antoinette was too executed by the guillotine. The people were bound to their homes in fear of being accused of committing an offence, leading to arrest or death. Police spies were present all over Paris arresting both guilty and innocent, executing them because of pure suspicion. Some individuals were imprisoned or executed for having been wealthy, or talking to other people outside of their homes. (Doc. 6) This event ended with the beheading of Robespierre, one of the founders of the Reign of Terror, because suspicion became too disorderly and was destroying France as a whole. This mark in French history had to occur in order to show the nobles and the monarchs that they ( the people) weren't going back to the old society, where they had no say and were under unruly law. The founders of the revolution had to instill fear to ensure that the government wouldn't revert back what once…
- 919 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Many were victims of mistaken identity or were falsely accused. The guillotine was the “engine” of the Terror. Members of the Convention soon turned on the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre was arrested and executed.…
- 696 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The ideas that came from the American Revolution and the Enlightenment, as well as the heavy taxes, extremely high price of food, and lack of government representation caused the French citizens to rebel against the government. The French Revolution had many effects, such as the emergence of the Reign of Terror, which lead to the deaths of approximately 40,000 people. The revolution also lead to the reign of Napoleon, which gave the people a strong, military leader. Ultimately, Louis XVIII returned to power and ruled as a constitutional monarch, granting rights to the citizens and giving them a voice in…
- 715 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The accused were denied by lawyers. Conviction based on patriotic "intuition" rather than evidence was allowed. In Paris, while some members of the upper classes were acquitted, the Tribunal sentenced 2,750 to death.” ("Document E." The Reign of Terror: Was it Justified?) The revolutionaries were betraying their principles by not providing adequate due process for the accused.…
- 489 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Reign of Terror was unjustified because their punishments were inhumane. Even the littlest thing could get you to be killed. If someone didn’t like you or suspected something bad about you, it could get you killed. Many politicians didn’t agree with the ideas of Robespierre, so he had them be decapitated. The town of Lyons didn’t approve of the National Convention’s authority so “revolutionaries destroyed 1600 homes and chopped off 12 heads in five minutes (Doc.C).” It was a cruel way for Robespierre to get rid of them. The reign of Terror also took away the people's freedom. The people couldn’t really do anything without being watched or suspected of doing something against the government.…
- 565 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Napoleon’s personal greed for power drove him to infringe the basic principles of the revolution on the rights to hereditary and absolute rule. Robespierre, an enlightened leader of the Jacobins, stated that the purpose of the French Revolution was to abolish absolute monarchy and institute a “democratic or republican government” that could help increase political equality within a nation (Robespierre). However, Napoleon rejected any republican form of government; he was solely concerned with maintaining a “hereditary power, which… may endure for generations, even for centuries” (Selected). Ironically though, in hopes to gain popularity among members of the 3rd estate, he abolished the power of the nobility and appointed governors that were loyal to the central government. Not only did he crown himself emperor of France, but also, “he established an imperial court and the members of his family were made royalty, while other titles and honors were given to his…
- 1033 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Napoleon Bonaparte was born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Corsica, August 15, 1769. He was a small child, and often was teased by his classmates when he was enrolled in military college at a very early age in 1777, and it is believed that this influenced the determination he had to win later in life. Later, he went to Ecole Militaire (also known as military school) from 1784 to 1785. Also in 1785, he graduated with the rank of second lieutenant. Great things were expected of Napoleon. However, no one could have guessed that he would go on to make history. Napoleon was a rising star in the French military. A general at the age of 27, he had won the admiration of France thanks to his leadership, military talents, and personal talents. Yet his talents lay not in originality but in his stunningly innovative adaptations of military strategies and tactics developed in the eighteenth century and during the Revolution. While in the military, he won many battles over Austria. In 1795, the people of France tired of the Reign of Terror, revolted, executing many leaders of the Terror. The Directory took power. On Napoleon's return to France, he found that many people were very dissatisfied with the Directory. With the support of his troops, he overthrew them and became France's new dictator, naming himself First Consul for life. The votes of the public approved of this move. He was determined to succeed in life. His first real military action was a great success. He was captain of artillery during the siege of Toulon, where he captured several important strongholds, and forced the retreat of British naval fleets. He became Brigadier General while campaigning in…
- 1522 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
King Louis XVI took power when his father, who was the previous ruler, died. Many people did not agree with this because he as a young man at the time and had no experience running a country. King Louis XVI enjoyed the riches that came with being King but he did not have any experience and made random decisions that hurt the common people of the country which made France a target for other countries. King Louis XVI did not know what he was doing, obviously, but he controlled everything. The French people had no say in how their country was ran because the King paid no attention to them. France wanted him executed. Document F shows an image of when King Louis XVI was killed by the guillotine. The image also shows Maximilien Robespierre, another inspiring figure of the American Revolution, holding the king’s head while everybody else was happy and laughing as it was an enjoyable event. This event happened on January 21, 1793 long after King Louis XVI started ruling, so France was still incredibly poor.…
- 645 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the article “Robespierre and the Terror” by Marisa Linton, Maximilien Robespierre is foremost depicted as a heartless monster that terrorized the people of France during the 1790’s. The article states facts about Robespierre starting with his birth in 1758, his “Reign of Terror” and ultimately ends with his death by beheading. Though Robespierre was an active revolutionary that represent common people, his radical ideas and hofficic actions inevitably scarred France’s history so he will forever be an infamous figure. Towards the end of the article, however, Linton sheds light on the idea that one person, by themselves, is not capable of this destruction; rather the people in their entirety are to blame. Instead of accepting the anarchy they…
- 396 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Maximilien Robespierre states, “What is the goal toward which we are heading? The peaceful enjoyment of liberty and equality.” (Bienvenu, p. 1, para.1) The laws that have been passed by the royalty that are meant to bring long lasting righteousness, are laws that are recognized; these laws are not written any where but in the essence of all individuals. Robespierre was elected as the representative of the National Convention and joined a political club called the radical Jacobin party. Being apart of the Convention and the Jacobins, Robespierre took over the administrative power of the Republic. Because the Jacobins believed that France was in need of change and restructuring, and Robespierre was now the head of the Convention, he can develop such change. By doing so he argues that in the land, the use of ethics must be replaced with the use of pride, proposition for traditions, self-regard for arrogance, magnificence for narcissism, prestige for money, and immorality of the sovereign for virtues and the phenomenon. He believed in democracy and the Republic of virtue. He felt that in order to set the basis of democracy within the people, the merge of both ending the war of independence and oppression must take place in order to put an end to the revolt. The essences of the Republic are virtue and equality. He explains how it is the development of virtue and the maintenance of equality that creates the Republic. Therefore, it is embraced or founded by an individual. He believed that the quality of being an admired government would be an advantage in gaining the trust of the citizens in order to create a strict and rigorous government, “…be trustful towards the people and severe towards itself.” (Bienvenu, p. 2, para. 2) Robespierre states the strengths and weaknesses of this theory: the strength being the triumph of truth rather than dishonesty, and the rights of the community’s interests than the private. The purpose…
- 941 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays