History Essay
Maximilien Robespierre: Hero of the Revolution or Villain to the People?
Outline:
Intro: The casualties and horror caused by Robespierre’s “Reign of Terror” did not justify his motive to advance the revolution.
The Reign of Terror
Why did it start?
What were the effects of the Reign of Terror?
The Revolution
Was the Reign of Terror justified?
Paragraph One: How the Reign of Terror Started
Robespierre’s life
Robespierre’s rise to power
Background information about the revolution Start of the Reign of Terror
Paragraph Two: The Reign of Terror:
What was the Reign of Terror?
What were the effects of the Reign of Terror?
How did the people react to the Terror?
What were some important events of the Terror?
Paragraph …show more content…
He became a lawyer, and also became a public speaker in his town. When he was thirty five years old, Robespierre was elected to be a representative for the Third Estate in the Estates General. Robespierre followed and admired the Social Contract of Jean Jacques Rousseau, and was known for defending the rights of the lower class (Sans-culotte). Robespierre was deeply inspired for Jean Jacques Rousseau for almost his entire life, and Robespierre even based his political actions on the Social Contract. Robespierre was part of the Jacobin club, a radical group in France, and he insisted that all men should have rights. In 1791, the National Convention declared France a Republic, and the Jacobins gained control as the National Convention. They tried the previous king Louis XVI for treason, found him guilty, and executed him by guillotine. Now that the Jacobins assumed power, it was their job to deal with the ongoing war against Austria and Prussia. Because of the panic caused by the execution of the king, many people in France were furious towards the National Convention. To add to the rage and shock of the French people, the National Convention drafted about 300,000 men to the army so France could fight in the war. The people people of France were terrified and ready to rebel. The French population became an additional enemy to the National Convention. Rebellions were planned against the National Convention, and they needed