The Fall of Robespierre: the Reign of Terror Aftermath.
Maximilien Robespierre, the leading figure in the French Revolution’s Reign of terror was overthrown and arrested by the National Convention in July 1794. He was the prominent member of the Committee of Public Safety from 1793; Robespierre encouraged the execution, mostly by guillotine, of more than 17’000 enemies of the revolution. Robespierre was executed by Guillotine the day after his arrest. (Britannica, 2015)
Robespierre was born in Arras, France, in 1758. He studied law and was elected to be a political representative in the Estates General in 1789. The Third Estate represented commoners and the lower clergy, declared itself the National Assembly. Robespierre took it upon himself to become a prominent member of the revolutionary body. He was a radical and took a democratic stance. Robespierre became the leader of the Jacobins in April 1790 and became a radical revolutionist. Robespierre introduced brutal violence to France for any enemy of the revolution.(Notable Biographies, 2015)
Robespierre called for King Louis XVI to be put on trial for treason and won many enemies however the people of Paris always defended his decisions. In 1791, he excluded himself form the new legislative assembly but continued to be politically active as a member of the Jacobin Club. The People of Paris rose up against the king in August of 1792 and Robespierre was elected to begin the new National Convention. (History Channel, 2010)
Within the national Convention, Robespierre emerged as the leader of the Mountain. The Mountain was the Jacobin faction that opposed the Girondins. In December 1792, Robespierre successfully argued in support of the execution of King Louis XVI. In May 1793 Robespierre encouraged the people of Paris to rise up in a social movement against food shortages and military defeats. This uprising gave Robespierre an opportunity to eliminate the Girondins.
The Committee of Public safety, which was formed in April 1793, was created to protect France against its enemies, foreign and domestic. On the 27th of July 1793, Robespierre was elected to the Committee. Under Robspierre’s leadership 30’000 suspected enemies were arrested in less than a year, 17’000 were executed by guillotine. Robspierre was elected president of the National convention on June 4th 1794. On the 10th of June 1964, a law was passed that revoked the right to public trial and to legal assistance. This allowed Robspierre to execute people by Guillotine without fair trial or sufficient evidence. Consequently to this law, 1,400 enemies of the revolution were guillotined in just one month. Although foreign invasion was no longer a threat to the French revolutionary government, terror was escalating under the leadership of Robspierre, resulting in a fear for him and people began to oppose him. (History Channel, 2010) (Notable Biographies, 2015)
The National Assembly on 9 Thermidor arrested Robspierre and his allies (In the revolutionary calendar, which is July 27th, 1794). On July 28th, 1794, Robspierre and 21 others were guillotined without trial. In history, this marks the end of the Reign of Terror.
The committee of Public safety lost its authority as a result of the aftermath to the terror. The French revolution declined and became less radical. Bourgeois values began to return to the French government. Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Directory in 1799 and gained Dictator powers in France as first consul in 1799, later becoming French Emperor in 1804. (Notable Biographies)
Reference List
BBC. (2015). BBC - History - Historic Figures: Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794). Retrieved 5 October 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/robespierre_maximilien.shtml
History Channel (2010). Robespierre overthrown in France. Accessed via http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robespierre-overthrown-in-france
Notable Biographies (2015). Maximilien de Robespierre Biography- Life, family, deather, history, mother, information, born, time. (Retrieved 7 october, 2015, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Robespierre-Maximilien-de.html
Robespierre was born in Arras, France, in 1758. He studied law and was elected to be a political representative in the Estates General in 1789. The Third Estate represented commoners and the lower clergy, declared itself the National Assembly. Robespierre took it upon himself to become a prominent member of the revolutionary body. He was a radical and took a democratic stance. Robespierre became the leader of the Jacobins in April 1790 and became a radical revolutionist. Robespierre introduced brutal violence to France for any enemy of the revolution.(Notable Biographies, 2015)
Robespierre called for King Louis XVI to be put on trial for treason and won many enemies however the people of Paris always defended his decisions. In 1791, he excluded himself form the new legislative assembly but continued to be politically active as a member of the Jacobin Club. The People of Paris rose up against the king in August of 1792 and Robespierre was elected to begin the new National Convention. (History Channel, 2010)
Within the national Convention, Robespierre emerged as the leader of the Mountain. The Mountain was the Jacobin faction that opposed the Girondins. In December 1792, Robespierre successfully argued in support of the execution of King Louis XVI. In May 1793 Robespierre encouraged the people of Paris to rise up in a social movement against food shortages and military defeats. This uprising gave Robespierre an opportunity to eliminate the Girondins.
The Committee of Public safety, which was formed in April 1793, was created to protect France against its enemies, foreign and domestic. On the 27th of July 1793, Robespierre was elected to the Committee. Under Robspierre’s leadership 30’000 suspected enemies were arrested in less than a year, 17’000 were executed by guillotine. Robspierre was elected president of the National convention on June 4th 1794. On the 10th of June 1964, a law was passed that revoked the right to public trial and to legal assistance. This allowed Robspierre to execute people by Guillotine without fair trial or sufficient evidence. Consequently to this law, 1,400 enemies of the revolution were guillotined in just one month. Although foreign invasion was no longer a threat to the French revolutionary government, terror was escalating under the leadership of Robspierre, resulting in a fear for him and people began to oppose him. (History Channel, 2010) (Notable Biographies, 2015)
The National Assembly on 9 Thermidor arrested Robspierre and his allies (In the revolutionary calendar, which is July 27th, 1794). On July 28th, 1794, Robspierre and 21 others were guillotined without trial. In history, this marks the end of the Reign of Terror.
The committee of Public safety lost its authority as a result of the aftermath to the terror. The French revolution declined and became less radical. Bourgeois values began to return to the French government. Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Directory in 1799 and gained Dictator powers in France as first consul in 1799, later becoming French Emperor in 1804. (Notable Biographies)
Reference List
BBC. (2015). BBC - History - Historic Figures: Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794). Retrieved 5 October 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/robespierre_maximilien.shtml
History Channel (2010). Robespierre overthrown in France. Accessed via http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robespierre-overthrown-in-france
Notable Biographies (2015). Maximilien de Robespierre Biography- Life, family, deather, history, mother, information, born, time. (Retrieved 7 october, 2015, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Robespierre-Maximilien-de.html