Maximilien Robespierre: Activist For The French Revolution

The Reign of Terror, was it justified? A wife beheaded, a revolution , and thirty-five to forty thousand people killed in the countryside alone. It was all happening in France, starting in the year 1789. A man named Maximilien Robespierre and his countrymen have decided that they dislike the current government system and overthrow it. They are successful and try to turn it to democracy, but in order to keep the power they end up having to execute nearly all government officials. Later, the counter revolutionists throw them over, so was Robespierre justified? The reign of terror was not justified because of the way the government treated their people, How they restricted the citizens rights, and finally how they treated their “criminals”.

Sources A and B support the claim established by contemporaries and historians that Robespierre was “incorruptible”, however Robespierre was also despotic, extreme, and radical. Robespierre’s strong opinions, extremism, and despotism support that he was not easily persuaded or corruptible. Source A shows Robespierre saying “the sword that gleams in the hands of the heroes of liberty resembles those in the hands of the henchmen of tyranny”. This statement supports that the government was despotic, which shows that Robespierre was a brutal leader not easily persuaded or corrupted. His statement, “Let the despot govern by terror his brutalised subjects; he is right, as a despot” supports that Robespierre had very strong opinions, showing that

Over the first period of the French Revolution, in which the Estates General became the National Assembly, Robespierre made many speeches. Many believed his ideas were extreme and they won him little support in the legislature. He favored giving the vote to all men, not just property owners, and he opposed slavery in the colonies. Robespierre was more popular with the Jacobins, who referred to him as "the Incorruptible" because of his honesty and firm sense of right and wrong. When his legislative term ended, Robespierre remained in Paris, spending time with the Jacobins and publishing a weekly political journal.

The spark that set off the Reign of Terror can be attributed to the king’s attempted escape from France in 1791 (Document 6). It is impossible for people of the modern world to comprehend exactly what caused this mayhem simply because no one lived during that period. Regardless, the event left the nation in a state of shock and uncertainty. The National Convention was forced to make the difficult decision to place all of its power into an entirely new political branch, knowing that something different was needed to save France. Before he was chosen to run the Committee of Public Safety, Robespierre was revered for his courage and sheer determination. He ridiculed the notion that a monarchy could last and instead pushed for democratic reforms (Document 2). Robespierre spoke to the people of France with an air of confidence that quickly won them over. His morals were fundamentally based on the ideals of early enlightenment thinker Jean Jacques Rousseau. Both men asserted that man is good by nature but poisoned by society. Robespierre also believed that all men deserve to be treated as equals in the eyes of the law (Document 3). The central cause of the French Revolution was the nation’s lack of a strong military in the face of civil war and foreign invasion. Rebuilding the military was arguably the most significant advancement that occurred during the Reign of Terror. Robespierre created a law called the Law of Universal Conscription in an effort to propel the French military to a reasonable state. This law mandated all men between the ages of 18 and 40 to join the army. Additionally, women were called into service to make uniforms. Robespierre further ensured that his troops were well-fed and prepared to spring into combat at any moment by reserving the best bread for soldiers only. After decades of internal and external conflict,

Robespierre had intended to rid France of any people that were considered a threat to the revolution through the Reign of Terror, but his actions were not necessary for France to progress. His intentions to overthrow the monarchy under Louis XVI and replace it with a new utopian republic were reasonable because, with a reformed republic, he could establish the principle stating, “the ‘rights of man’ should extend to all men – including the poor, and the slaves in the colonies” (Linton). He relentlessly advocated for equality within the working class, also known as the sans culottes, and fought for the abolishment of rigid class systems between the three estates. This allowed for him to gain a positive reputation with civilians who were mistreated within the Third Estate and obtain reverence from the Jacobins. Robespierre’s first order of business to purify France and progress the revolution began with the trial of Louis XVI. Originally, it had been known that Robespierre “was for a long time a vehement opponent of the death penalty” (Linton), so it was unexpected when he began to advocate for the King’s death. His change of opinion occurred after witnessing how Louis had committed treason through attempting to escape an unstable France which branded him as a traitor to the revolution. In his speech arguing against allowing the King to be given a trial, Robespierre claimed “yes the penalty of death generally is a crime...it can be justified only in cases when it is necessary for the safety of individuals or the social body...Louis must die, because the country must live” (“Maximilien”). It was this trial that became the root to which Robespierre’s terror stemmed from. He speculated that “...in order to defend the Revolution against those who would destroy it, the shedding of blood was justified” (Linton). From here on out, his philosophy of the ends

Kate Connolly Mrs. Collesano AP Global- Period 1 12/3/2017 Maximilien Robespierre played a significant role in the French Revolution that changed the course of the restructuring of France. He was a leading political figure that gained more power and influence throughout the events leading to the development of the revolution. The events that led to his domination were history altering events for the history of France. Robespierre’s goal was to rid France of anyone who seemed like a threat to him by using terror and death. He had many points that were used to justify why exactly the Terror was used to help the revolution.

Was this Violent Period During the French Revolution Necessary? Robespierre, the most famous French Revolutionary, believes that the citizens of France should extinguish the threats inside and outside of France or meet one’s death. Began in 1789, the French Revolution began as an attempt to form a new government in France. This gruesome period, that lasted about ten to eleven months, was the Reign of Terror.

Maximillian de Robespierre was the maker and the ruler of the ‘Reign of Terror,’ which made him one of the most influential men of the French Revolution. He believed it was needed in order to save he revolution from its enemies. During this time period ordinary people for example a man and his wife would be arrested

The month of September would be remembered as one of the bloodiest months in French history, in particular, September 5, 1793. On this day, Robespierre and the Sans Culottes declared "terror is the order of the day." These words would begin a period of violence where the "enemies of the Revolution" were executed en masse.

The French Revolution produced countless influential politicians throughout its tumultuous course. As a political figure in the French Revolution, Jean Paul Marat began as a nonentity and became a martyr to the revolutionary patriots of France. His influence is often misconstrued, and sometimes overlooked. Although he was not a political leader like Robespierre, his influence was substantial in that he motivated many people through his writings and powerful personality. Through his involvement with the Cordeliers’ Club and his journal Ami du peuple, started September 1789, Marat was able to express the indignation of the bourgeois class through his hopes for social revolution. His

Maximilien Robespierre has always been known to be controversial and misunderstood. He was the face of the French Revolution. In accordance with the Jacobins, they controlled the time known as the Reign of Terror, due to their influence in the accumulation of murders of those opposed to the revolution. Reign of Terror was a symbolic time period within the French Revolution that involved corruption of power and influence and mass executions. With Robespierre at the forefront, he became one of the most important men in the Revolution. As soon as Maximilien Robespierre decided to react to enemies of the revolutions, mass execution being his choice of force; his implementation of the Reign of Terror was a villainous act striking those who

     Maximillien was able to attend a prominent educational institution. He became an intelligent person and pursued a career in law. His practice exposed him to an interest in humanity and the abused rights of many people (Hanson 32). Maximillien was opposed to violence. While a judge, he condemned a murderer and, according to his

The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité was the cry of freedom that countless people used to propel them through, and to the end of the French Revolution. This long period of social, political and economic change in France lasted 10 years, starting in 1798 and ended with Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution greatly affected all of Europe at the time and continues to represent the embodiment of revolution to this day. This constant struggle between the heavily taxed, burdened, and unrepresented third estate and those higher created an environment of monumental change for everyone. In the years leading up to the French Revolution, new beliefs and ideas were reaching every corner of Europe creating the thought that men should live free of oppression. However, in France the leader Louis XVI lead like a tyrant leaving the people impoverish and angry. Through the analysation of numerous circumstance present during the Ancien Régime, such as an inferior fiscal leadership, massive debt, and the forthcoming of new ideas during the Enlightened period, it can be concluded that the means for this revolution were justified as it is in our essence to revolt for a change.

People know Robespierre’s role in the French Revolution, but do they know about his personal life? Maximilien Robespierre was born in 1758 in the old province of Artois, France. He was born into a family of lawyers (Reil and Wilson). His father worked for the Council of Artois (Reil and Wilson), so Robespierre was familiar with politics and government at a young age. Robespierre also had a brother, Augustin, and two sister. At an early age he distinguished himself as a student showing great potential. While in school he studied the writings of the Enlightenment which would greatly influence him for years to come. In 1781 (Reil and Wilson), he attained a degree in law and soon after he represented the Third Estate which was the French bourgeoisie and the working class of France before the French Revolution had occurred. He was now on his way to being head of France but he still had some obstacles set before him.