Who was Maximilien Robespierre?

Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) was one of the primary figures of the French Revolution (1789-1799). After rising to prominence in the radical Jacobin Club, he dominated the French Republic during the Reign of Terror, overseeing the executions of counter-revolutionary suspects. He was overthrown and executed himself on 28 July 1794.

Why was Robespierre's death important?

Maximilien Robespierre's death was important because it led to the end of the bloody Reign of Terror in France, and the end of the influence of the Jacobins, a radical leftist group in the French Revolution. Some historians also credit Robespierre's death as leading to the decline of the French Revolution itself.

What is Robespierre best known for?

Maximilien Robespierre is one of the best-known and most controversial leaders of the French Revolution. Today, he is most often associated with the bloody Reign of Terror, which saw tens of thousands of deaths.

What were Robespierre's goals?

Robespierre wished to see France transformed into a virtuous and enlightened republic representing the general will of the people. To achieve this, he felt he needed to root out all counter-revolutionaries and any who may corrupt the virtue of the body politic, partially leading to the Reign of Terror.

Maximilien Robespierre Timeline

Definition

Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (1758-1794) was a French lawyer who became one of the primary leaders of the French Revolution (1789-1799). From his initial rise to stardom in the Jacobin Club, Robespierre went on to dominate the powerful Committee of Public Safety and oversee the Reign of Terror. He was overthrown and guillotined on 28 July 1794.

More about: Maximilien Robespierre

Timeline

6 May 1758
Maximilien Robespierre is born in Arras, a small city in Artois, France.
1769 - 1777
Robespierre studies at the Louis-le-Grand college in Paris; during his studies, he is acquainted with the works of Rousseau.
1781 - 1789
Robespierre practices law in Arras, earning a reputation as a defender of the marginalized.
4 May 1789
Robespierre attends the opening of the Estates-General of 1789, which kicks off the French Revolution.
31 Mar 1790
Robespierre is first elected to the presidency of the Jacobin Club.
Jul 1791
The Jacobin Club fractures; Robespierre begins lodging at the Duplay house.
27 Jul 1793
Maximilien Robespierre elected to the Committee of Public Safety; the National Convention institutes death penalty for hoarders of goods.
8 Jun 1794
Festival of the Supreme Being is held on the Champ de Mars.
10 Jun 1794
Law of 22 Prairial intensifies the Reign of Terror, accelerating the trial phase and leading to more executions.
18 Jun 1794 - 25 Jul 1794
For unknown reasons, Robespierre secludes himself from public life, giving his enemies time to gather.
26 Jul 1794
Maximilien Robespierre returns to the National Convention to defend himself from political attack, implicates numerous "traitors" within the Convention but refuses to name names.
27 Jul 1794
The National Convention orders the arrests of Robespierre, Saint-Just, Couthon, and others; they escape and take refuge in the Hôtel de Ville.
27 Jul 1794
Robespierre and his followers are denounced by the National Convention and declared to be outlaws.
28 Jul 1794
Execution of Robespierre, Saint-Just, and Couthon; end to the Terror, beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction.

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