Maximilien Robespierre

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Maximilien Robespierre's role in the French Revolution

Auguste Couder: Opening of the Estates-General, May 5, 1789

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Maximilien Robespierre

Q: Who was Maximilien Robespierre?

Maximilien Robespierre was a radical democrat and key figure in the French Revolution of 1789. Robespierre briefly presided over the influential Jacobin Club , a political club based in Paris . He also served as president of the National Convention and on the Committee of Public Safety .

Q: How did Maximilien Robespierre come to power?

Maximilien Robespierre began his political career in 1789, when he was elected to represent the Third Estate of Artois in the pre-Revolutionary Estates-General . As a representative of the Third Estate, Robespierre promoted the interests of the lower classes. He and other representatives of the Third Estate joined together to form the short-lived National Assembly , which was eventually replaced by the Legislative Assembly and, later, the National Convention . Robespierre reached the height of his power under the National Convention.

Q: What is Maximilien Robespierre known for?

Maximilien Robespierre came to dominate the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror . The Reign of Terror took place between September 5, 1793, and July 27, 1794. During the Terror, the committee exercised virtual dictatorial control over the French government. It targeted and systematically executed perceived enemies of the Revolution . In all, the committee oversaw some 17,000 official executions.

Q: When and how did Maximilien Robespierre die?

Maximilien Robespierre lost his head—literally. On July 27, 1794, Robespierre and a number of his followers were arrested at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris . The next day Robespierre and 21 of his followers were taken to the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde ), where they were executed by guillotine before a cheering crowd.

French revolutionary

Also known as: Maximilien-François-Marie-Isidore de Robespierre

Written by Marc Bouloiseau

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 • Article History

Maximilien Robespierre

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Category: History & Society

In full:: Maximilien-François-Marie-Isidore de Robespierre

Born:: May 6, 1758, Arras, France

Died:: July 28, 1794, Paris (aged 36)

Title / Office:: National Convention (1792-1794); Third Estate (1789-1789)

Political Affiliation:: Jacobin Club; Montagnard

Role In:: French Revolution; Reign of Terror

On the Web:: History Today - The Birth of Robespierre (Mar. 28, 2024)

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Who was Maximilien Robespierre?

How did Maximilien Robespierre come to power?

What is Maximilien Robespierre known for?

When and how did Maximilien Robespierre die?

Maximilien Robespierre (born May 6, 1758, Arras, France—died July 28, 1794, Paris) was a radical Jacobin leader and one of the principal figures in the French Revolution. In the latter months of 1793, he came to dominate the Committee of Public Safety, the principal organ of the Revolutionary government during the Reign of Terror, but in 1794 he was overthrown and executed in the Thermidorian Reaction. Robespierre was the son of a lawyer in Arras. After his mother’s death, his father left home, and Maximilien, along with his brother and sisters, was raised by his maternal grandparents. From 1765 he ...(100 of 2701 words)

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