World History
Robespierre: Terror and Virture, 1794 - Excerpts from French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre's speech "Justification of the Use of Terror." I watched a History Channel documentary on the French Revolution several nights ago and I was reminded of the irony of the death and the poetic justice it bestowed on Robespierre.
From the site:
Maximilien Robespierre (1758 1794) was the leader of the twelveman Committee of Public Safety elected by the National Convention, and which effectively governed France at the height of the radical phase of the revolution. He had once been a fairly straightforward liberal thinker - reputedly he slept with a copy of Rousseau's Social Contract at his side. But his own purity of belief led him to impatience with others.
The committee was among the most creative executive bodies ever seen - and rapidly put into effect policies which stabilized the French economy and began the formation of the very successful French army. It also directed it energies against counter-revolutionary uprisings, especially in the south and west of France. In doing so it unleashed the reign of terror. Here Robespierre, in his speech of February 5,1794, from which excerpts are given here, discussed this issue. The figures behind this speech indicate that in the five months from September, 1793, to February 5, 1794, the revolutionary tribunal in Paris convicted and executed 238 men and 31 women and acquitted 190 persons, and that on February 5 there were 5,434 individuals in the prisons in Paris awaiting trial.
Robespierre was frustrated with the progress of the revolution. After issuing threats to the National Convention, he himself was arrested in July 1794. He tried to shoot himslef but missed, and spent his last few hours with his jaw hanging off. He was guillotined, as a victim of the terror, on July 28, 1794.
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World History
Robespierre: Terror and Virture, 1794
Robespierre: Terror and Virture, 1794 - Excerpts from French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre's speech "Justification of the Use of Terror." I watched a History Channel documentary on the French Revolution several nights ago and I was reminded of the irony of the death and the poetic justice it bestowed on Robespierre.
From the site:
Maximilien Robespierre (1758 1794) was the leader of the twelveman Committee of Public Safety elected by the National Convention, and which effectively governed France at the height of the radical phase of the revolution. He had once been a fairly straightforward liberal thinker - reputedly he slept with a copy of Rousseau's Social Contract at his side. But his own purity of belief led him to impatience with others.
The committee was among the most creative executive bodies ever seen - and rapidly put into effect policies which stabilized the French economy and began the formation of the very successful French army. It also directed it energies against counter-revolutionary uprisings, especially in the south and west of France. In doing so it unleashed the reign of terror. Here Robespierre, in his speech of February 5,1794, from which excerpts are given here, discussed this issue. The figures behind this speech indicate that in the five months from September, 1793, to February 5, 1794, the revolutionary tribunal in Paris convicted and executed 238 men and 31 women and acquitted 190 persons, and that on February 5 there were 5,434 individuals in the prisons in Paris awaiting trial.
Robespierre was frustrated with the progress of the revolution. After issuing threats to the National Convention, he himself was arrested in July 1794. He tried to shoot himslef but missed, and spent his last few hours with his jaw hanging off. He was guillotined, as a victim of the terror, on July 28, 1794.
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- The Napoleonic Revolution
The Napoleonic Revolution - This lecture describes the Revolution instituted by Napoleon. Dr. Rempel of New England College provides this information at his web site on the Western Civilization. I always like it when professors put their lectures online....
- The American Revolution
The American Revolution - To my American readers, Happy Independence Day! To visitors from the rest of the world, I hope you take a moment to explore one of the most significant revolutions in history. Designed to complement PBS' "Liberty!" series,...
- History Of French Polynesia
History of French Polynesia. This is a short overview to the history of this French possession in the Pacific. This is also where Tahiti is located. From the site: Part of the archipelago was discovered by Pedro Fernandez Quiros in 1607. In 1767 Samuel...
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