...When it comes to the controversy about whether if Robespierre was a "bloodthirsty charlatan" or a "defender of the Republic", differently people hold different opinions. Some people assert that Robespierre effectively used dictatorship to stop the spread of evil; others rebut the aforementioned claim, espousing the idea that Robespierre adapted extremely violent means to gain his own absolute power. As far as I am concerned, the latter opinion seems to be more appealing to me -- I think Robespierre should be called as a "bloodthirsty charlatan", since the end can never justify the means. First and foremost, according to Girondins, free speech and liberty should be defended all the time, "otherwise, the French Revolution is not worth fighting...
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...In Defense of Maximilien de Robespierre Throughout the years since the French Revolution and, more specifically, the Reign of Terror, the name Maximilien Robespierre has become associated with those of tyrants and oppressive rulers. His image has been crafted with the likeness of a ruthless, bloody dictator, leader of the Jacobins, who sent thousands of French citizens to the guillotine. Such a man was vilified by his contemporaries and is still treated as such by much of prosperity, and his political agenda is regarded as that of a tyrannical leader. However, this is an unfair demonization of Robespierre, for his true beliefs and ideals mark him as a man who ardently believed in the revolutionary cause, and was willing to do what he could to elevate the rights of men in France. Maximilien de Robespierre was not corrupt and tyrannical as popular belief makes him out to be, but instead a revolutionary who acted in the name of democracy. The first of many accusations against Robespierre derives from the popular notion that he had enough power and authority during the Revolution to be properly labeled as a tyrant. This was not necessarily true. Far from wielding the power of an authoritarian dictator, or even a monarch, the only true position of power that Robespierre had ever held, aside from the presidency of the National Convention, was as a member of the Committee of Public Safety. The Committee of Public Safety consisted of twelve men who presided over the security of the...
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...Maximilien De Robespierre During the period of the French Revolution a man became widely known. This man is known as Maximilien Robespierre. Maximilien Robespierre is widely known around the world and while some consider him a murderer and cruel man others call him a saint. He is most famously known for his hand in The Reign of Terror. Just like many others before him and after him, Maximilien led a very full life with a variety of accomplishments and downfalls. Maximilien De Robespierre was born on May 6, 1758 in Arras,, France (Maximilien Marie Isidore De Robespierre). He was the oldest child in his family (Maximilien Marie Isidore De Robespierre) but after the demise of his family he and his siblings were raised by their grandparents (Bouloiseau, Marc). After being much of the family role model during his life Robespierre received his law degree in 1781 (Maximilien Marie Isidore De Robespierre). Once he had received his law degree Maximilien worked as a lawyer in Arras, France (Maximilien Marie Isidore De Robespierre)....
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...Source one shows a quote by Maximilien Robespierre. This quote means that you cannot just pass unjust laws and consider them to be just. Robespierre was the leader of the Reign of Terror, and during the beginning of the French Revolution he believed that laws should obey fundamental rights according to this quote. Throughout the revolution however, his views changed drastically, and this is clearly shown in his speech to the National Convention regarding his justification for the Reign of Terror. His speech includes his justification for wanting France to be a republic and why the Reign of Terror must take place. The speech follows a format that goes from inspiring to contradictory very quickly. In the beginning of his speech, he outlines the aims, objectives and goals that the revolution set out to achieve as: liberty, equality, and brotherhood, however these were not achieved during the Reign of Terror.During the middle of the speech, Robespierre contradicts his previous goals/aims/objectives of liberty, equality, and justice by saying that the Reign of Terror was necessary to root out anyone who opposed the republic or die with them, because being a republic was what Robespierre believed was best for the nation of France. Robespierre believed that France needed the “virtues and miracles” that a republic conveyed, and they needed to do away with the “vices and snobbishness” that a monarchy displayed, as well as he wanted to be a model for the other nations of the world. His...
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...Jacques-Louis David was highly respected during the reign of terror (September 5, 1793, to July 28, 1794). The original painting was put on display at the National Convention of Deputies. After the execution of Robespierre on March 30, 1794, Jacques-Louis David sought his painting. David then went to Belgium where he lived for twenty-one years before his own death. The Death of Marat was restored as art roughly twenty years after David’s death. In today's society, this painting would look like a suicide. Charlotte Corday stayed after murdering Marat, thus leading to Corday’s execution. Knowing the history, we still find a common value from leaders. Marat was a leader who was loved and hated. If I were to compare them you can still find a common interest like the assassination of President Lincoln. He was assassinated for his role as a leader. Eighty years after Lincoln’s death, Hitler’s reign of power lasted 10 years longer than Marat’s before Hitler committed...
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...Reign of Terror lasted from September 1793 until the fall of Robespierre in 1794. Its purpose was to purge France of enemies of the Revolution and protect the country from foreign invaders. Phase of the French Revolution. It began with the overthrow of the Girondins and the ascendancy of the Jacobins under Robespierre. Against a background of foreign invasion and civil war, opponents were persecuted and 16000 executed by the guillotine. The reign of terrors methods were used , and losing a lot of their population using forces like the guillotine, as in document F the methods were way too harsh the guillotine was Between June 1793 and the end of July 1794, there were 16,000 death sentences in France . However, the total number of deaths in...
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...September 5, 1793 was the end of Louis XVI rule and the start of the Reign of Terror where 40,000 people were executed. In France, Louis XVI has just been guillotined and everyone is deranged and confused. This marked the 18-month period of the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror was lead by Maximilien Robespierre and the government proceeded to execute a large number of people. The government was targeting individuals that were considered to be enemies of the revolution. One of those targets was the Catholic Church which they saw as outdated. While outside the country there was tension that escalated into war. They were facing problems inside and outside the country. Was this method of execution during the Reign of terror justified. The reign of terror was not justified because the outside threat did not require it, the inside threat did not deserve it, and the the methods were to extreme. External threats did not require it. An example of this is that they closed the churches by revolutionary government and that is wrong because people should always be able to choose what they believe in (Document A). Another example is the government denies legal counsel to accused enemies of the revolution (Document A). It not right to treat people disrespectfully for thinking differently than the...
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...Voltaire: exigía tolerancia religiosaMontesquieu: desarrollo la teoría de la separación de poderesRousseau: consideraba la propiedad privada como un mal necesario.(factor intelectual de la revolución francesa) | Cambio en el pensamiento de los burgueses (banqueros, arrendatarios, etc.) búsqueda de liberta igualdad y fraternidad. | Deseo de obtener privilegios como el clero y la nobleza (ascenso).La revolución francesa fue más una revolución social. | María Antonieta y el Rey Luis 16 apoyaron junto con España la independencia de E.U.A., y a su vez derrochaban el dinero de la corona lo que provoco una crisis financiera. | Luis XVI convoca una asamblea de nobles para pedirles que paguen impuestos a lo cual estos se negaron por lo que junto con Necker considero necesario convocar a los estados generales. | Se otorgan 300 lugares para nobles, 300 lugares para el clero y 600 lugares para el 3er estado (burgueses comerciantes, obreros y campesinos), con el fin de que apoyen a que los nobles paguen impuestos. | Los campesinos y los burgueses querían mayor libertad para hacer negocios y que no se les cobraran tantos impuestos al ver que el clero y la nobleza no pagaba impuestos | El 17/junio/1789 Se convocan los estados generales y el al ver que el 3er estado toma las riendas de la asamblea juran no disolverse hasta redactar una constitución y abolir la monarquía absolutista. | 14/jul/1789 Estalla la revolución con la toma de la bastilla la cual era una cárcel con prisioneros que...
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...Western Civilization 242 February 22, 2013 Anatole France’s Mindset of the French Revolution Anatole France’s The Gods will have Blood took place in the late time period of the French Revolution. He used this story to depict the cultural and social impacts that this time period had upon the French society. All classes at this time were targeted and were given little to no cause of justification. France uses characters to portray this time era and their struggle for the embodiment of power and whether it is good or evil. Throughout The Gods will have Blood, Gamelin speaks of his beliefs within the revolution and on his trust within the ideas of Marat and Robespierre. He used the theme of violence that eventually helped progress into an inspiration leading to the Revolution. Throughout this novel, we find that Robespierre and Gamelin are two very influential people because not only do their actions characterize power, they show how power is a corrupting force when put in the hands of a few. During the years of the French Revolution there were blasts of changes that were being made that would perpetually change history. Anatole France’s The Gods will have Blood took place during the terrifying time of terror in which many were executed for the belief that it was justice to kill those who were no longer loyal to the Republic. This time period caused such a stir of emotions within society because it targeted anyone and showed little mercy. A new tool during the terror time period...
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...entire population. The Third Estate was everyone else in the country: the peasants, poor city dwellers, and the “middle class”. The Third Estate was the largest group, and had little to no power, even though it was the largest group. In order to pay off national debts, Louis XVI increased taxes in the Third Estate, which impacted many of their lives. Because of the taxes, industry started to lag, and there were bread shortages in many places. They barely had any food and had to live of bread. King Louis XVI was a bad king and the people had every right to hate him and his wife. The people didn’t have any freedom. They had to live in poverty and they wanted to do something about it so someone did. That someone is called Maximilien Robespierre. Robespierre was the leader of the Committee of Public Safety, the executive committee of the National Convention, and the most powerful man in France. He explained how terror would lead to the Republic of Virtue in a speech to the National Convention:...
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...The acceptance of the National Assembly’s constitution by Louis XVI in September 1791, Robespierre stated that the French revolution was over, but France ended up going in a radical direction with terror occurring home, war with foreign powers and changes in the French government. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were arrested when they tried to go out of France to obtain foreign support for the invasion of France. The deputies of the Legislative Assembly called the Jacobin club declared war on Francis II, the Habsburg monarch and after removing the king from the throne, the Legislative Assembly confirmed France as a republic instead of a monarch which gave the people sovereign power. The Mountain a group within the Jacobins went on to execute Louis XVI for treason in 1793...
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...Louis XVI was executed by a guillotine on January 17, 1793 in Place du Reunion, the National Convention established a war dictatorship instead of a democracy. The war dictatorship government was lead by few men to govern the country and wage war during a time of crisis. The Convention created watch committees, which imposed strict regulations on foreigners and citizens. The new government imposed the Levee en Masse. It said that the government can conscript anyone in France and that everyone has a part in the war effort. By April 1793, the Committee of Public Safety came under control of Maximilien Robespierre, who led The Reign of Terror. The Committee of Public Safety was led by Terror 2 Robespierre, who executed ordered people executed to protect the democracy. George Danton, who led the 1792 uprising against the King, was another influential member in the Committee. Robespierre removed...
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...to death while the streets were lined in blood. Early in the Revolution countless people still supported the monarchy, which brought on accusations of treason in opposition to the new republic. The Reign of Terror was a portion of time in the French Revolution characterized by murderous suppression and executions intended to demolish counter revolutionaries and conspirators. An innovative stable government was required to end the chaos, and the Committee of Public Safety was created with 12 members in the Committee and overseen by Maximilien Robespierre. His goal was to create a “republic of virtue” in which the government would compel the people to be converted into virtuous republicans through an immense reeducation program. “Terror is nothing else than swift, severe, indomitable justice; it flows, then, from virtue”-Maximilien Robespierre. It resulted in the deaths of around 20 000 to 40 000 people and was viewed by Robespierre as an unavoidable period to stabilize France. It was a time of violence and murder with a direct correlation to the French Revolution with its goal to aid in the survival of the revolution. Even though, the rationale of the reign was to institute a new diplomatic government, though eliminating all those in opposition to the revolution and the new government, they believed the most valuable way that of violence. The purpose of the Reign of Terror was to eliminate the opposition and to intimidate citizens into defiance. However, the Reign...
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...Michael Warne Revolutions Spring 14 French Revolution Factors The French Revolutions The French Revolution was a long, bloody ordeal faced by the French populace in the late 18th century. There were a number of factors which led to the outbreak of this particular conflict. The factors which led to this particular revolution were first pointed out by James Defronzo, in Revolutions and Revolutionary Movement. Defronzo writes how a few different factors typically lead to the outbreak of a revolution. These factors are; mass frustration, dissident elites, severe state crisis, international context and unifying motivation. I will address each one of these factors and clarify how they correlate to the French Revolution. It is imperative to understand what exactly leads to revolution, and how we can use what we already know to prevent violence and social strife in the future. First of all, France was plagued by mass frustration following hundreds of years of unjust monarchal rule. Mass frustration is when the majority of the populace is dissatisfied by the government. In the case of French citizens in the late 1700s, they understood how badly they were being treated by their own government. They also understood, however, that they deserved better. Due to the recent “Enlightenment Age,” an increasing number of people were becoming aware of their societal status. During the enlightenment period, people began to turn away from everything they thought they "understood"...
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...1. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette deserved their execution because of their failures to meet people’s demands. By taking from others through taxes on the third estate left people barely capable of supporting themselves. Anyone in the third estate had to result to crime our just starve due to the fact that the tax took a lot of the money for their wages. Finally, he only favored first and second classes and relieved him from taxes while he should have been treating everyone equally. 2. Robespierre was a shrewd lawyer and politician that took charge of the Public Committee of Safety. Robespierre led the Reign of Terror and was the creator of the new policy that “liberty cannot be secured unless criminals lose their heads.” Through this...
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