Chaka Fattah
American politician (born 1956)
Maximilien Robespierre was a prominent figure during the French Revolution, known for his radical views and his role in the Committee of Public Safety. He advocated for progressive causes like voting rights and the abolition of slavery, but his legacy is also tied to the politically-motivated violence of the Montagnards. His life and legacy continue to be a subject of intense debate and controversy.
Table of Contents
Occupation
About the Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien Francois Marie Isidore de Robespierrewas a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognized as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fervently campaigned for the voting rights of all men and their unimpeded admission to the National Guard. Additionally, he advocated for the right to petition, the right to bear arms in self-defence, and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. He was a radical Jacobin leader who came to prominence as a member of the Committee of Public Safety, an administrative body of the First French Republic. His legacy has been heavily influenced by his actual or perceived participation in repression of the Revolution’s opponents, but is notable for his progressive views for the time.
As one of the prominent members of the Paris Commune, Robespierre was elected as a deputy to the National Convention in early September 1792. He joined the radical Montagnards, a left-wing faction. However, he faced criticism for purportedly trying to establish either a triumvirate or a dictatorship. In April 1793, Robespierre advocated the mobilization of a sans-culotte army aiming at enforcing revolutionary laws and eliminating any counter-revolutionary elements. This call led to the armed Insurrection of 31 May – 2 June 1793. On 27 July, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Public Safety.
Robespierre faced growing disillusionment among others due in part to the politically-motivated violence advocated by the Montagnards. Increasingly, members of the Convention turned against him, and accusations piled up on 9 Thermidor. Robespierre was arrested and taken to a prison. Approximately 90 individuals, including Robespierre, were executed without trial in the following days, marking the onset of the Thermidorian Reaction.
A figure deeply divisive during his lifetime, Robespierre’s views and policies continue to evoke controversy. Academic and popular discourse persistently engage in debates surrounding his legacy and reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maximilien Robespierre was a French lawyer and statesman who was one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. He was a radical Jacobin leader who served on the Committee of Public Safety.
Robespierre fervently campaigned for the voting rights of all men, the right to petition, the right to bear arms in self-defense, and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. He was a progressive thinker for his time.
Robespierre faced growing disillusionment and criticism for the politically-motivated violence advocated by the Montagnards. Members of the Convention turned against him, and he was ultimately arrested and executed without trial.
Robespierre’s legacy remains deeply divisive, with ongoing academic and popular debates surrounding his views, policies, and participation in the repression of the Revolution’s opponents.
Robespierre was a controversial figure due to his radical Jacobin views and his perceived role in the politically-motivated violence and repression of the Revolution’s opponents, which led to his arrest and execution.
As one of the prominent members of the Paris Commune, Robespierre was elected as a deputy to the National Convention in 1792 and joined the radical Montagnards faction.
Robespierre’s arrest and execution, along with around 90 other individuals, marked the onset of the Thermidorian Reaction, which led to the end of the Jacobin rule and the French Revolution.
11 Quotes by Maximilien Robespierre
- 1.
To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency; to forgive them is cruelty.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 2.
Terror is only justice: prompt, severe and inflexible; it is then an emanation of virtue; it is less a distinct principle than a natural consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing wants of the country.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 3.
Atheism is aristocratic; the idea of a great Being that watches over oppressed innocence and punishes triumphant crime is altogether popular.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 4.
Pity is treason.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 5.
The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 6.
Crime butchers innocence to secure a throne, and innocence struggles with all its might against the attempts of crime.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 7.
The general will rules in society as the private will governs each separate individual.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 8.
Any law which violates the inalienable rights of man is essentially unjust and tyrannical; it is not a law at all.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 9.
Again, it may be said, that to love justice and equality the people need no great effort of virtue; it is sufficient that they love themselves.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 10.
The king must die so that the country can live.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)
- 11.
Any institution which does not suppose the people good, and the magistrate corruptible, is evil.
Maximilien RobespierreFrench revolutionary lawyer and politician (1758-1794)