Maximilien Robespierre

I’m sure you’re all going to agree that This lecture was very much to the style of Maximilien Robespierre (MR) style of speaking. MR was a man who was known for his rambling speeches in which he was not taken seriously!

In the first 31 years of MR’s life not a lot was known about him. He was born in May 1758 in the French town Arras. He was the son of a lawyer and received a scholarship to study law. MR became a lawyer and went to establish a reputation as a lawyer who would represent the probono cases that he felt the system was unfairly treating these people of lower class.
MR was a man of roughly 5ft 2; he held his body upright, often clenched his fists, neck and shoulders. His clothes were also very neat, traditional and fashionable. His eyes were dull and melancholy; he also wore green tined glasses. He was not a good public speaker. He had the appearance of and insignificant man and one of which people did not trust. MR had shown and voiced how he thought the estates general should a representation of the people of France. MR was successful in his election. At his first huge appearance in the states general in 1789 he was ignored or laughed at. This was because of his meandering speeches and it made him notoriously ineffective.

Soon RM got involved in the Jacobin club; this was a club of like minded deputies from parliament which was the first modern political party, this became a sensation and was the first political venue that MR was effective in his speeches.

So really how does a young liberal lawyer in 1789 become a killer?

In the summer of 1789 the people of Paris rose up and stormed the Bastille to retrieve guns and weapons. MR was willing to excuse violence and he sided with the majority public. In 1791 MR opposes the war because to many political people were in favour of it and he figured it was a conspiracy. He felt that France should deal with the enemies within before dealing with foreign enemies; which they were beginning to form across Europe. The events of the revolution had finally led to the over throw of the monarch. In 1794 MR signs the death warrant of his old school friend “Des Moulins”. Des Moulins was the best man at MR’s wedding yet MR signs his death warrant. Des Moulins is beheaded twenty four hours later. This is a key event it marks the change from the liberator to an extremist. At this stage there were public killings of officials for being involved in the resistance against the people. There was also resistance from the aristocrats and the clergy men as they were loosing privileges with every step MR took. This all builds up enemies inside and outside France and war becomes eminent.

France declared war in 1794 with Austria this went extremely badly for France by 1792 Austria had gained control of nearly the whole of France. This evolves to the biggest war Europe had ever seen. This was a war between France and the whole of Europe. This then lead to World War one was a new type of war one in which the world had never seen before. MR believed in going to war Full heartedly and the Million strong Army came about. During this time MR becomes involved in his own religion “the cult of supreme being” and begins setting himself as a political messiah and begins excluding large groups of society there was a quote from an onlooker who said “look at that bugger he thinks he’s the pope” this was the beginning of his downfall. People started to believe he wanted a dictatorship. In the midst of all of this mayhem MR has a breakdown MR experienced periodical depression and went into hiding through out his life time. This arguably may have been for strategic reasons or simply to deal with this depression; or possibly both. When he returns he begins to speak of alleged conspiracies but will not reveal who the perpetrator is so the people loose faith in him. MR resorts to an attempted suicide but he is not successful and just blows his jaw off however the next day he is executed.