The Estates-General was divided into three parts. First Estate, clergy, Second Estate, Nobility, Third Estate, the commons. Robespierre served in the Third Estate. From the beginning he made his mark, speaking articulately over 500 times in the National Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination. In 1790 he became closely identified with a left-wing political club, the Jacobins, named for their meeting place, a ancient Catholic monastery. The Jacobins acted something like a political party or radical pressure group within the National Assembly and along with their confederates sat high on the left side of the Chamber. In 1791 King Louis and his family tried to flee the country and then was proven to be plotting with the foreign enemies of France. After the outbreak of war with Austria and the so-called Second Revolution in 1792, Robespierre successfully argued for the King's execution.
In the Spring of 1793, France faced a series of problems that would have broken any other power. A coalition of European armies threatening the border, food riots in Paris, a peasant revolt in the southwest, the City of Lyon in rebellion and the Mediterranean naval base at Toulon surrendered to the British. A Committee of Safety was formed and by summer it was led by Robespierre, but for the first time since Louis XIV, France had a government determined to rule.
Leading the Committee was Maximilien Robespierre, a north country lawyer turned radical politician. He faced a set of daunting challenges. A coalition of European armies were massed on the border determined to crush the Revolution. Peasants were in revolt, the City of Lyon had rebelled and the Mediterranean naval base at Toulon had been surrendered to the British. To deal with the external threat, the Committee called the entire nation to arms, the so-called levee en masse. By 1794 850,000 men were under arms, dwarfing and defeating enemy armies. The peasants were suppressed and Lyon retaken with brutal tactics. In the south, a young artillery officer, Napoleon Bonaparte, recaptured the Toulon naval base and at 23 was promoted to brigadier general and his first taste of national acclaim.
To rid the country of internal dissent the Committee instituted the Reign of Terror. Aristocrats, uncooperative priests, monarchist politicians, unsuccessful generals, anyone too moderate or not extreme enough had their necks shaved by the guillotine. Robespierre's journalist friend Desmoulins, wrote of this period, "the gods are thirsty." By the summer of 1794 an estimated 40,000 had died. Robespierre was elected President of the National Convention on June 4th, but his overweening power made enemies and allies very nervous. A plot emerged and he was arrested on July 27th. Revolutionary justice is swift and the next day the heads of he and 22 of his followers rolled into the bloody baskets on the Place de la Revolution. Caught in the death machine of his own creation, Robespierre would in the early years be condemned as a bloodthirsty tyrant, but later historical reflection softened this analysis and he is also remembered as a champion of the poor, destitute and politically oppressed.
Should Maximilien Robespierre be considered a hero or tyrant? Explain.
Your response must be at least 2 paragraphs.
A.Q.
ReplyDeleteMaximilien Robespierre should be considered a tyrant because, the more power he got the more selfish he became. For example, in the article it says “Robespierre used to serve in the Third Estate. He spoke on the behalf of lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination.” In the beginning Robespierre was a hero but later on when he got more power and authority from leading the Committee of Safety, he got more selfish. This time of period was called Reign of Terror.
Robespierre became like a dictator of France, because France at that time was very unstable and they needed a leader to help France get out of their crisis. However, Robespierre took this to another level. He invented the guillotine to get rid the country’s traitors and he wanted to tell people not to mess with France or your consequences will be death. Robespierre’s method didn’t work because a lot of innocent people died because of conspiracies. In the article it states “Aristocrats, uncooperative priests, monarchist politicians, unsuccessful generals, anyone too moderate or not extreme enough had their necks shaved by the guillotine.” Also, more than 40,000 people had died from the guillotine. Robespierre’s power was so great that even his enemies and allies were nervous. People started revolting against him but he didn’t care. In conclusion Robespierre is considered a tyrant
I believe that Maximilien Robespierre should be considered more of a tyrant than a hero. One reason I think he was a hero was because he helped the poor. He spoke over 500 times in the National Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination. Other than that I believe he is a tyrant.
ReplyDeleteHe was a tyrant because he introduced the the Reign of Terror. The war was already enough and he decides to kill even more people. he decides to kill the uncooperative people and and innocent people by the guillotine. By 1794, an estimated amount of 40,000 had died. He may have helped the poor but he killed many people, some were even innocent.
D.C.
HW
ReplyDeleteH.J
I think that he is a tyrant, because of several reasons. Having everyone share equal rights is good but, you don't need to kill innocent people who are "supposed" to be against the revolution. Robespierre even killed Louis the XVI with the guillotine. This led fear into every street of France, which led to thousands of killing by the guillotine. And was called the "Reign of Terror".
He was a tyrannical hero in one sense because he also gave the people the rights and also killed innocent people. This was spreading and even the Austrian people fought because it was a good time and they even had a reason. Anyone too moderate or not extreme enough had their necks shaved by the guillotine. This was non-sense, this was leading to even more fear and forcing the people to fight against the dictatorship. In conclusion, Robespierre was a tyrannical ruler who was executed by his own guillotine.
Robespierre should be considered as a tyrant. Because he did in fact helped out with France recapturing of Toulon. But his power characterized him as a tyrant. because he had too much power. Which in the begging kind of started the revolution with the different estates.
ReplyDeleteAlso how he made the peasants of france be in arms. And fight for France. Which they were forced to do so. Also how they mention in the passage that how other countries rulers were afraid of him. So it gives you an idea of what other countries thought of him. thats why Robespierre is considered a tyrant.
GAR
I say that Robespierre was not a tyrant but a hero. Robespierre served in the Third Estate. From the beginning he made his mark, speaking articulately over 500 times in the National. Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination. That is the definition of a hero loyal .
ReplyDeleteRobespierre would in the early years be condemned as a bloodthirsty tyrant, but later historical reflection softened this analysis and he is also remembered as a champion of the poor, destitute and politically oppressed. that is a statement that was described him as a tyrant but then researched seen him a champion a hero.
A.P
SEPT/20/14
I think that Maximilien Robespierre would be considered a tyrant because he went from a server of the third estate to a radical leader of the reign of terror. He killed over 40,000 probably innocent people for the reason of being a traitor or for no reason at all. Robespierre used the guillotine as often as he breathed. For ever person that head was cut off by the guillotine was just another step deeper into the road that none of the citizens wanted to go down.
ReplyDeleteThe citizens and supporters of the revolution began to question if this is what they signed up for. And when the realized it wasn't, it was too late. Lots of people died and lots of people killed for the wrong reasons. If your neighbor didn't like you then they would send your name to Robespierre was a traitor and have you killed by the next day. It got to a point where you didn't have to be a traitor to be guillotined. If you were human, you were a possible "traitor." Robespierre created this reign of terror so that the people would be intimidated but the guillotine and not go against the revolution. That the people would not only be intimidated by the guillotine but by him himself. Clearly it did not end this way and it was completely ironic. Robespierre was guillotined himself. The people there were clapping loudly which would probably mean that they wanted him dead. If he was a hero, they would not want him dead would they? G.M.
Maximilien Robespierre should be considered a tyrant because he gained power unfairly. By sparking the revolution, he gained an excuse to eliminate the absolute monarchy and place himself in power. In addition, Robespierre's decision to rule with Marat completely defeated the purpose of the revolution. The revolution's goal was to eliminate the absolute monarchy, and place a fair government in place. Though the absolute monarchy was eliminated, a fair government was never formed. Robespierre forced his way to power without anyone else giving their opinion on who and how France was going to be governed.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to taking power by force, Robespierre wasn't fair to the people of France. Part of the revolution's goal was to also grant people the ability to express themselves in whatever way they wished. However, according to the text in this blog, "Aristocrats, uncooperative priests, monarchist politicians, unsuccessful generals, anyone too moderate or not extreme enough had their necks shaved by the guillotine." This statement shows how a person had to believed, or be forced to believe, in certain principles in order to avoid death. A real hero would let people do whatever they wanted to do. Only a tyrant would kill innocent people to savor his position in power.
- K.R
9/21/14
ReplyDeleteMaximilien Robespierre should be considered a tyrant because of the things he did back then. An example would be the time he successfully executed the king. He also wanted to rid the country of internal dissent the Committee instituted the Reign of Terror. Anyone who was too moderate or not extreme enough had their necks shaved by the guillotine .
Some of these people are aristocrats, uncooperative priests, monarchist politicians, and unsuccessful generals. By the summer of 1794 there was a estimate of 40,000 people dead. Then a plot emerged and he was arrested on July 27th. At the end he was known as a bloodthirsty tyrant which is why I think he should be considered as a tyrant.
IL
Robespierre was a villain.
ReplyDeleteHe was a person that believed strongly in the everyone being equal and believed that people that were against everyone being equal had to die. At the same time he created the reign of terror sending thousands of men, woman and children (and even the King and Queen of France) to the guillotine. The guillotine was a machine that beheaded people faster and less painful. He killed everyone that thought differently than him.
I personally think that Robespierre's ideas about equality were rather okay, but the way he acted because of them is very wrong. He send everybody that did not agree with his ideas (and were still devoted to the monarchs) to the guillotine (he sent thousands to the guillotine, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette). He went too far in acting out his ideas. Eventually the French turned against him and send him to the guillotine himself, without a trial.
-AN
ReplyDeleteI believe that Robespierre should be considered a tyrant. This is because, according to the reading, he was a bloodthirsty tyrant. At first, he might have sounded like he was a hero because he served the Third Estate and defending the Jews, slaves and religion discrimination, but that was completely turned around later on. Robespierre was a leader of a committee, and as the leader of that committee he decided to start the Reign of Terror.
The Reign of Terror was a very negative thing to have happened because during this event, thousands of innocent people, mostly of the Third Estate were killed. According to the reading, 40,000 people were killed by 1794. All of these people were killed by the guillotine. This was completely unfair and cruel, which is why I consider Robespierre a tyrant.
-c.h
I think that Maximilien Robespierre to be considered a hero because of 2 things. First, he was speaking for the third estate and defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination. France at that time was very strict about slaves and religion everything and he stood up for them. Also, when the king was fleeing the country, he argued that king should be executed because the king was corrupted
ReplyDeleteSecond, i think that Maximilien Robespierre be considered as a hero because he was the head of committee and he led his people on a second revolution with 850,000 men. Also he started the reign of terror to had their necks shaved by the guillotine. I think what he did was right because they need to behead all those people who were useless and harmful to his government.At last, i think maximilien Robespierre is a hero because he contributed a lot to french and if it weren't for him french were probably still a monarchy. J.Y
Maximilien Robespierre should be considered both a tyrant and a hero. He did many things throughout the Revolution time period to both benefit and harm the people. He was known as the guy from the third estate who would speak on behalf of his people. He was a man who stood up for the minority such as Jews, black slaves etc. One thing about Robespierre was that he was not afraid to go to extreme measures.
ReplyDeleteMaximilien was also not the nicest of the bunch. He was one of those people who called for the execution of the monarch (King Louis XVI). He was that “north country lawyer turned radical politician” because he had brutal tactics up his sleeves. He was the leader of the committee and encouraged the citizens to arm themselves and fend off the foreign threats. He was eventually executed himself by the guillotine on July 28th.
-W.C.
Should Maximilien Robespierre be considered a hero or tyrant?
ReplyDeleteI believe tha Maximilien Robespierre should be considered as a tyrant. His propaganda for the French Revolution was to protect the rights for Jews, black slaves and many other class in poverty. But eventually, Maximilien Robespierre did not kept his word completely. He did form the new constitution that defend the rights for people from the third estate and furthermore, the lower class. However, his commitee and himself had started the reign of terror in France.
He strongly argued to execute the King Louis 16, not just him, but many other nobles and relatives of Louis 16. This is unreasonable and totally a signal of attemp monopoly. Plus, Maximilien Robespierre indirectly lead the reign of terror in France. Which lead thousands of people, included innocent ones and the condemned ones. His radical rules and concept had lead many innocent one' life ended in the guillotine.
W.H
Maximilien Robespierre was an enlightened thinker , but was vicious and blood thirsty with how he commenced his ideas. He killed nearly forty thousand innocent people which was absolutely despicable. I think he is to be considered a tyrant. Anyone who was to be considered a threat to him was removed from his path by the guillotine. Many people were killed each and every day causing the Reign of Terror to commence itself upon the people of France. He showed no mercy towards these people and even killed men that were working on his side. No "hero" would be have the heart to be so cold-hearted and cruel towards these innocent lives that were being shattered within a blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteRobspierre's qualities weren't all detestable. He was a part of the Third Estate and spoke on behalf of all the people. He was defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination. He wanted equality for the people of the nation, but his actions are what lead to him being imprisoned. He may have began as a hero but his power consuming quality resulted in him as a tyrant. His power and qualities became more frightening when he was elected president. People were hungry causing them to believe that Robspierre could commence a change upon the people, but he abused his power and used it in a terrible way. This abuse towards his power lead to his downfall. Robspierre should be considered a tyrant due to the fact he had redeeming intentions, but committed wrong actions. These actions cause him to be imprisoned and killed.
Maximilien Robespierre should be considered a hero. He should be considered a hero because he always spoke for the lower classes. The lower classes who didn't have anyone to speak for them weren't alone while Maximilien was there for them. Maximilien spoke over 500 times in the National Assembly on behalf of the lower classes.
ReplyDeleteHe always clearly showed his feelings toward the lower class people and defended them. He defended the rights of jews, black slaves, and actors. Robespierre was strictly against and opposed Religious Discrimination. He even opposed the Royal Veto for the lower classes. Maximilien Robespierre should be considered as a hero and looked at for his good actions not bad.
Maximilien Robespierre should be considered a hero. I believe Maximilien should be considered an hero for many reasons. One reason is, Maximilien was someone who spoke and stood up for the third estate. For example, “speaking articulately over 500 times in the National Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination.” Maximilien defended all races, and he spoke on the behave of the third estate.
ReplyDeleteAnother example on why Maximilien should be considered an hero is, “After the outbreak of war with Austria and the so-called Second Revolution in 1792, Robespierre successfully argued for the King's execution.” This is an example on why Maximilien is a hero because the king and his family were trying to flee the country because they were plotting with the enemies of France. Maximilien helped get King Louis executed. I do not consider Maximilien a tyrant because he killed many people with the guillotine. I do not consider him an tyrant because many people were suspected of being an enemy or spy for other countries and Robespierre used the guillotine as a way to get rid of the suspected traitors or spies and create order.
-J.M.
After reading the article, it is clear that Maximilien Robespierre should be considered a tyrant. He should be considered a tyrant because he was a person that made very radical decisions. When the king was found trying to flee from France, Robespierre was the person that argued for the execution of the king. Although it true the king was trying to plot with other countries, there was no need to have the king executed. Having the king stripped of his power would’ve been a sufficient enough punishment. The execution of the king was just overkill.
ReplyDeleteMaximilien Robespierre can also be thought of a tyrant because he forced 850,000 men to go out and fight. This caused the bloodshed of many French citizens who might not have wanted to fight. Also the Reign of terror could’ve been blamed on him. Because of him 40,000 people were killed, many of those people innocent lives. Also once Robespierre was elected President of the National Board he was quickly removed because people feared what he was capable of.
M.R.
I think that Maximilien Robespierre should be considered as a hero, because he fought for people's freedom. His actions, though, might be too extreme. Himself, believed that everyone should be equal, and that everyone against that equality has to die. I agreed with his thoughts of everyone being equal, and maybe someone should be punished to warn the others. However, he had gone too far.
ReplyDeleteHe fought bravely for people's freedom, as a soldier, he is one of the best. On the other hand, as a ruler, his action were just too brutal. He gained freedom for people, he centralized a well-developed government for people, he solved many challenges along the way. But he also killed thousands of people because they are against his idea of being equal. I think he's a brutal hero that's also a tyrant.
SC
I think Maximilien Robespierre should be considered a hero because he's done so much for France. Originally, he was in charge of the Third Estate. "From the beginning he made his mark, speaking articulately over 500 times in the National Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination." This proves that he's done much work around other areas to spread a voice for the lower classes. In 1793, France started to become corrupt and unstable with riots, etc.
ReplyDeleteNext, a Committee of Safety was formed and by summer it was led by Robespierre, but for the first time since Louis XIV, France had a government determined to rule. The Committee of Safety leader was led by Maximilien. At the time, he was a North Country lawyer. Maximilien tried hard to fix things, but apparently things were too messed up and was unfixable. In some matters, Maximilien made wrong decisions that led to wrongful acts.
D.L.
ReplyDeleteMaximilien Robespierre should be recognized as both a hero, and a tyrant. In the text, it stated, "....he made his mark, speaking articulately over 500 times in the National Assembly in behalf of the lower classes, defending the rights of Jews, black slaves, actors, opposing the royal veto and religious discrimination." This shows that he worked hard for the rights of other groups. Although it seemed as if he were part of the upper class, that did not stop him from helping others. He should be recognized as a hero because he wanted equal rights and freedom for all individuals. Both his courage and knowledge helped him achieve many goals.
However, he should also be known as a tyrant. In the passage it says that France faced a series of problems in the Spring of 1793. In order to rid the country of any more internal disagreements, Robespierre's committe had sent aristocrats, uncooperative priests, unsuccessful generals, monarchist politicians, and anyone not extreme enough to have their necks shaved by the guillotine. This time was known as the Reign of Terror. I believe Robespierre should have found a better, and more humane solution to the country's issue. 40,000 people were estimated to have died during this reign.
-Y.M
Robespierre: Hero or Tyrant?
ReplyDeleteRobespierre played a very significant role during the French Revolution. What he did and his political power made many look up to him. Throughout his life Robespierre helped the people, mostly those who were in the third-estate with little to no power. He defended the rights of black slaves, Jews, actors and religious discrimination. He was a man of equality. He was a great leader and public speaker as well. He is indeed a hero.
Robespierre should be considered a hero because he has given and dedicated most of his life and work for the equality of the people. Robespierre also led and gave some order in the times of the chaotic reign of terror and climaxes of the revolution. If it wasn’t for him the people of Europe would have been in a more devastating state then they were in. He helped argue the execution of King Louis and created a Committee of Safety to protect and make a government of just power which helped France through these rough times.
WGA