Maximillien Robespierre Essay - 1722 Words

Maximillien Robespierre Maximillien Robespierre is commonly viewed as the symbol of the Reign of Terror, the short period in which thousands of people were executed because they were thought to be traitors. However, Maximillien was actually an idealistic reformer with an image of peace and equality driving him on, who is unfairly credited with the Terror, and assumed to be a power-hungry tyrant. 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†¦show more content†¦Robespierre was honestly working for the good of the people. He once stopped 75 Girondins from being tried for signing a secret protest against their leaders’ arrests, knowing they would be executed (Hampson 139). Much of the public understood and loved Robespierre. When he was finally arrested, the prison guard refused to hold him (Gaxotte 223). Instead of fleeing, he returned to Paris where a crowd of his followers congregated. He absolutely forbid them to fight for him, as they were planning (Geib). His altruistic efforts suggest some outside force caused the change in his allowing of the more brutal manner of reform ation, later, when the many thousands of people were executed. Jean-Jacques Rousseau may have influenced Robespierre with his strong nationalist views, being an important, and influential role-model for Robespierre. It is said that Robespierre slept with a copy of Rousseau’s Social Contract next to him (Halsall). Rousseau thought that it was the greatest of all sins to continue in life when one believes there is a better way (Searle). Robespierre knew there was another way; a republic, free of the uncaring rule of powerful monarchs. This idea may have encouraged Robespierre to press for reformation at all costs. Robespierre was also influenced by the Committee of Public Safety, which he was a part of. The other nationalists within the Committee may have pressured himShow MoreRelatedRole of Political Clubs on Frnech Revolution1664 Words   |  7 PagesMaximilien Robespierre and a member of the Committee of Public Safety) and Joseph Fouchà © (who would later become Napoleons Minister of Police). However The most prominent figure of this club has to be Maximillien Robespierre- the leader and founder of the club, and the man responsible behind the reign of terror. As soon as the Jacobins dominated the political scene with the backing of the Paris Mob and commune the so called reign of terror begun (more bellow). The fall of Robespierre meant the fallRead MoreFrench Revolution and Nationalism1411 Words   |  6 Pagesmovement. From the Declaration came the Reign of Terror, led by the National Convention. 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As an advocate of the Third Estate, leader of the Jacobin Club, and as an active person in the Committee of Public Safety, I, Maximillien Robespierre, shall not tolerate this abuse any longer. The corruption in France has reached its peak and all is due to the decisions of an unjust king. Had Louis XVI not chosen an unqualified minister to accurately report to him the financial status ofRead MoreThe Radical Ideology Of Early Liberalism1393 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical thinkers, known as the Jacobins, were some of the most revolutionary thinkers of the French Revolution. They began modestly, working for equality under the law, and other general liberal ideologies. Then, following the leadership of Maximillien de Robespierre, the Jacobins became a source of terror for France. Killing those who favored the King, and encouraging families to turn on one another for the sake of public execution. As the Jacobins inverse, the Feillants were a group of people whomRead MoreRousseau s Influence On Politics And Literature1991 Words   |  8 Pagesruled themselves hence his idea of freedom being ‘ruling oneself- that is living under a law that was created and enacted from the beginning by oneself.’ This idea impacted on people both positively and negatively, with other works such as Maximillien Robespierre coming up to contradict his work with ideas such as citizens having the rights to repel their civilization so as to fit his individual purposes, however did not push through the ‘Reign of terror’ with Rousseau aggressively supporting thatRead MoreThe impact of the French Revolution on Ballet2183 Words   |  9 PagesFrance was a violent, bitter and scary time to live in. These ballets sought to create an outlet for the people that would help them to identify good and evil, and the outcomes of the two. With the creation of the Committee of Public Safety by Robespierre in 1793, the revolutionary spirit became more controlled and violent. While the ideas of â€Å"Libertà ©, à ©galità ©, fraternità ©Ã¢â‚¬  were still supreme, any deviance from those ideals would lead to death. As such, plays and spoken word theaters were stifled