Maximilien De Robespierre - a Corrupted Revolutionist

Julia Hoang 2WER3

People and Power:

Maximilien de Robespierre - A Corrupted Revolutionist

Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre was born in Arras, France on May 6th, 1758. After both his parents passed away when he was young, Robespierre and his three younger brothers were raised by their grandparents in Paris. When Maximilien was 11, he received a scholarship from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. There, he studied law and graduated in 1781 with a 600-livre prize for being an model student – in both academics and good conduct. After achieving his law degree, Robespierre moved back to Arras to practice law.

        A year later, Maximilien de Robespierre was appointed as the criminal judge in the Diocese of Arras. Robespierre resigned a little while after due to his opposition to the death penalty. He decided to advocate the rights of man, and later, society in general. Maximilien was elected as a member of the academy of Arras in 1783 and he received a medal from the academy of Metz in the year after. In 1788, Robespierre ran for the position of deputy for the Third Estate, but was elected fifth deputy of the Third Estate of Artois to the Estates-General. Soon, Robespierre became one of the representatives of the Constituent Assembly (transformed from the National Assembly). Debating regularly about constitutional provisions – and being successful, Robespierre started become known as second to (in terms of being a supporter of the extreme left) Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve, a politician of the Girondist party.

        In 1789, Robespierre was elected president of the Society of the Friends of the Constitution, also known as the Jacobin Club. From that, at the Constituent Assembly, the citizens of Paris voted Petion and Robespierre as the two most moral politicians. Later in the year, Robespierre became the public prosecutor of Paris, only to resign 3 years later to start a journal, Le Défenseur de la Constitution. In September of 1792, Robespierre became the first deputy for Paris to the National Convention. Rumours began to spread that Robespierre, Danton, and Marat were planning to form a triumvirate, which is a dictatorship run by three leaders. Soon, with Robespierre’s powerful speeches, the people of Paris rebelled against King Louis XVI and dethroned him. In January 17, 1793, Louis XVI was executed in the Place de la Révolution.

        After the king’s death, France was facing two wars: The War of the First Coalition and the civil War in the Vendée. Maximilien was elected to the Committee of Public Safety even though he didn’t want the position. Maximilien had complete dictatorial control over the revolutionary government and established the Reign of Terror later in the year. Throughout the next year onto 1794, the new Revolution guillotined over 17,000 suspected enemies and arrested over 300,000. Robespierre, who had begun to feel truly powerful, began to abolish his political enemies, such as, Danton, Desmoulins, and the Hébertists.