Early Life and the Estates-General
Born in 1758 in Arras, France, Maximilien Robespierre met tragedy early on with the death of his parents. Learning how to read and write, he eventually obtained a scholarship to secondary school where he learned about the Roman Republic and the Enlightenment.
After law school, Robespierre became a criminal judge in 1782. He soon became a prolific writer and widely-known orator, eventually being elected deputy to the Estates-General in 1789. After the establishment of the Constituent Assembly, he became the voice for the left wing representatives of the fledgling republic.
Jacobins and Louis XVI
Soon, Robespierre became the voice for the Jacobin Club, a radical organization that had constituted itself in the early days of the French Revolution. He joined with other like-minded politicians known as the Montagnards in their opposition to the status quo and counter-revolutionaries.
In December of 1792, Louis XVI was put on trial in front of the Legislative Assembly. Robespierre called for his execution, citing the King's attempt to flee the country and orchestrate a coalition of nations against the republic. Louis XVI was put to death using the guillotine on January 21 the following year.
Committee of Public Safety
In early 1793, twenty-two leaders of the Girondists, primary political rival of the Jacobins, were arrested on charges of counter-revolutionary activities, leaving a power vacuum in the National Convention. The Jacobins seized control by addressing the riots and food shortages on the streets of Paris, and foreign armies poised for invasion at the gates of the nation.
One of the first things the Jacobins did was to establish new ruling bodies within the National Convention. The most famous of these was the Committee of Public Safety, which acted as the executive branch of the government. Robespierre attained membership on the Committee and used his influence to become de facto voice to the Revolution.
Reign of Terror
With Robespierre in control of the National Convention, virtue became the key to completing the Revolution. With this focus, he instituted the Terror across Paris and France, believing it would drive counter-revolutionary elements out of existence. Citizens were encouraged to denounce their neighbors if they were against the Revolution. These citizens would be given a short trial in the Revolutionary Tribunal and executed by guillotine the following day.
Robespierre also introduced conscription to build a massive military force to defend against the coalition of countries assembled at France's borders. He built a public eduction system to teach children basic skills and established France's secular traditions by dismantling the power of the church, executing much of the clergy, and bringing a final end to feudalism throughout the country with the collapse of the nobility.
Downfall of Robespierre
On July 26, 1794, Maximilien Robespierre gave his final speech at the National Convention. Charges of tyranny and power abuse had been stemming from the deputies for a time and Robespierre took the opportunity to deliver a two hour long speech defending himself against the allegations. The following day, the Convention broke into disarray, calling for the arrest of Robespierre and his associates. Troops from the Paris Commune came to his aid as the group retreated to the Hotel de Ville.
At approximately 2AM on July 28, Convention troops moved onto the grounds to arrest Robespierre and his compatriots. The group committed mass suicide by whatever means necessary, most jumping to their deaths. Robespierre, himself, was found with a gunshot wound to his head, separating his jaw from the rest of his skull. After being captured, Robespierre, along with sixteen of his followers were guillotined.
Sources:
Scurr, Ruth. Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution. Macmillan, 2006.
Dart, Gregory. Rousseau, Robespierre, and English Romanticism. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
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