Maximilien Robespierre was on the most corrupt and evil minded person of the entire French Revolution. He has claimed the deaths of approximately forty thousand innocent French citizens. A great number of these people were Catholic clergy members, innocent French civilians, and freedom fighters known as the Vendee who fought for their Faith and died heroically. “As a result of Robespierre's insistence on associating terror with virtue, his efforts to make the republic a morally united patriotic community became equated with the endless bloodshed” (Reign of Terror, New World Encyclopædia). Robespierre’s downfall came when the Committee of Public Safety passed the Law of 22 Prairial, which in turn doubled the number of executions in France to those who appeared to be counter-revolutionary. When the Committee of Public Safety agreed that this law was not right they started indicting Robespierre. After delivering his defensive speech to the Committee on July 27, 1794 they arrested him and locked him up in Jail. The following day, July 28 1794, after a failed assentation attempt, Maximilien Robespierre was guillotined without a proper trial. The father of the Reign of Terror was killed, and his downfall was met with the guillotine. It was through the prayers of some and many great Catholics that helped with the abolishment of …show more content…
This really ties back when with the Law of 22 Prairial. This law pretty much doubled the executions in France to those who appeared to be counter-revolutionary. “the committee obtained the Law of 22 Prairial, year II (June 10, 1794), which suspended a suspect’s right to public trial and to legal assistance and left the jury a choice only of acquittal or death” (Reign of Terror, Encyclopedia Britannica). Moreover, the same committee that passed this law was the same committee that executed its leader, Robespierre. Many of these executions and murders were all done by the guillotine. “The guillotine was set up in the Place de la Révolution in Paris. This wooden frame contained a sharp blade that dropped onto the victim’s neck” (French Revolution, Monster Facts). The Guillotine also took the lives of “many key figures, including Queen Marie-Antoinette, the Girondins, Philippe Égalité, despite his vote for the death of the king, Madame Roland, and many others” (Reign of Terror, New World Encyclopedia). A somber example is one of the last groups to be executed. On July 17, 1794 a group and innocent Catholic, “Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne. They approached the guillotine freely and their actions turned Parisians against the movement. At the same time, power struggles between committee leaders and Robespierre led to Robespierre's execution and an end to the Reign of Terror”