Robespierre and the Republic of Virtue
The Reign of Terror Robespierre and the Republic of Virtue The Word on the Street During the French Revolution, the new freedom of the pressallowed newspapers and pamphlets to do things they had neverdone before They freely criticized the government and addressed the concernsof the people These papers were peoples link to the revolution Some of these papers were very radical and often promoted fearand paranoia in the part of the people The most infamous writer during this time was Jean PaulMarat He supported the Jacobins and promoted violence andintolerance towards anyone who opposed radical reform For example, Marat said that if the conservative elements of theNational Assembly were not removed then Five or six hundred heads would have guaranteed your freedom andhappiness but a false humanity has restrained your arms and stopped yourblows. If you dont strike now, millions of your brothers will die, yourenemies will triumph and your blood will flood the streets. They'll slityour throats without mercy and disembowel your wives. And their bloodyhands will rip out your childrens entrails to erase your love of libertyforever. The Committee of Public Safety
After the death of Louis and severe defeatson the battlefield, the National Assemblycreated the committee of Public Safety: anine man group that would form theexecutive leadership of the country The were led by Georges Danton As time passed, the committee assumedmore and more power Eventually, they committee assumeddictatorial powers and ruled the countryby emergency decree One of the most influential members andspokesman for the group was a younglawyer named Maximilien de Robespierre Robespierre would eventually replaceDanton as leader (after Robespierre hadDanton executed) The Death of Marat Marat was a member of the NationalConvention as well as a newspaper writer Through his writing and politicalmaneuvers, he attacked the Girodins, whohe blamed for starting the war He was influential in the destruction ofGirodin power in the National Assemblyand then the persecution of Girodins astraitors One day, as Marat sat in a bath (because of askin condition) he was stabbed to death by afemale Girodin sympathizer Marat became a martyr of the revolutionand his death was the spark that started thereign of terror The Jacobins became obsessed withdestroying any elements in society thatopposed the revolution Maximilien de Robespierre
The leader of theJacobins A Lawyer beforethe Revolution Brilliant Fanatical Visionary Uncompromising Incorruptible The Reign of Terror As the leader of the nation, Robespierre faced adifficult task The countryside was still starving and violent There were enemies of the revolutioneverywhere (royalists who wanted a return tomonarchy, French Nobility plotting thedownfall of the revolution in hiding, foreigninvaders that were routing the French Army inevery battle, everyday people who wereunhappy with the current situation and wantedstability) Robespierre fought back with THE TERROR He demanded absolute conformity fromeveryone in society Anyone who did not follow Robespierres rules(even minor infractions) were swiftly executed In his time as leader of France, 18,000 peoplewere beheaded in public Robespierre Accomplishments
Through terror, Robespierre accomplished many things; for example He calmed the countryside and provided stability for the first time in years He Turned the Tide of War (He started drafting soldiers from the general public, heinspired them with the hope of the revolution and a better life, defeat meant goingback to tyranny.France started to win against the combined Armies of most ofEurope) Robespierre had other contributions as well . . . He was one of the major contributors to the declaration of the rights of man He was also a visionary and demanded that others conform to his vision He instituted the METRIC SYSTEM Attempted to create a new Calendar (e.g. Thermador) Created new fashions Created new language conventions and word usages Created a New Flag (Frances current flag) He even created a new religion (The Cult of the Supreme Being) The Sans Culottes This was a radical left wing group
Means No Short Pantsa directinsult to the fashion wore by thenobility Long pants were the clothes of thethird estate Made up of thousands of supportersacross France They represented the lower classes(workers and peasants) The were firm supporters of theJacobins and made up the bulk of hisrevolutionary Army Robespierres Downfall
Robespierre was too successful When the threat of military defeat was gone and thecountryside was back in order, there was no need forthe radical Robespierre and his grand vision When they went to arrest him he attempted tocommit suicide (he shot himself but missed Heonly managed to blow off his lower jaw) He was guillotined without trial the next day This is known as the Thermadorian Reaction After the downfall of Robespierre and the Jacobins, anew government took over: The Directory The Directory was more moderate and furtherstabilized France However, the directory was weak and only managedto survive for 4 years