Maximilien Robespierre

Lore & Background

Robespierre was baptised on 6 May 1758 in Arras, Artois. His father, a lawyer, married Jacqueline Marguerite Carrault in January 1758; Maximilien was the eldest of four children. His mother died on 16 July 1764 after delivering a stillborn son. About three years later, his father left the children in Arras. Maximilien and his brother were raised by their maternal grandparents. Demonstrating literacy early, he began education at Arras College at age eight. In October 1769, recommended by the bishop Louis-Hilaire de Conzié, he secured a scholarship at the prestigious Collège Louis-le-Grand in Paris, where he developed a profound admiration for the Roman Republic and the rhetorical skills of Cicero, Cato, and Lucius Junius Brutus. In 1776 he earned the first prize for rhetoric. He was drawn to Rousseau's concepts of the general will as the foundation of political legitimacy. During his three-year study of law at the Sorbonne, he distinguished himself academically, graduating in July 1780 with a special prize of 600 livres. Admitted to the bar, he was appointed one of five judges in the local criminal court in March 1782 but soon resigned due to ethical discomfort with capital cases, stemming from his opposition to the death penalty. He was elected to the literary Academy of Arras in November 1783. The following year, the Academy of Metz honoured him with a medal for his essay on collective punishment. In 1786 he addressed inequality before the law, criticising indignities faced by illegitimate children and denouncing lettres de cachet. In August 1788, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General. Robespierre advocated that the customary mode of election would fail to represent the people. On 26 April 1789, he secured his place as one of 16 deputies representing French Flanders in the Estates-General. On 6 June 1789, he delivered his introductory speech targeting the hierarchical structure of the church. By 13 June, he aligned with deputies who proclaimed themselves the National Assembly. On 22 October, he opposed property requirements for voting and holding office. Through December and January, he drew attention to marginalised groups including Protestants, Jews, people of African descent, domestic servants, and actors. He lived at 30 Rue de Saintonge in Le Marais and associated with the Jacobin Club. On 31 March 1790 he was elected president of the Jacobin Club. On 19 June he was elected secretary of the National Assembly. On 5 December he delivered a speech on the National Guard, stating: 'To be armed for personal defence is the right of every man, to be armed to defend freedom and the existence of the common fatherland is the right of every citizen.' He also coined the motto 'Liberté, égalité, fraternité' by adding the word fraternity on the flags of the National Guard.

Reader's Guide

Robespierre's significance lies in his dual role as a champion of democratic principles and a key figure in the revolutionary violence of the Reign of Terror. He fervently campaigned for voting rights for all men, the right to petition, the right to bear arms in self-defence, and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade—progressive views for his time. However, his leadership on the Committee of Public Safety and his advocacy for harsh repression of opponents led to his downfall and execution. His legacy remains controversial, with academic and popular discourse debating his ideas of virtue in relation to revolutionary violence.

Did You Know?

• Robespierre resigned as a judge in March 1782 due to his ethical discomfort with capital cases, stemming from his opposition to the death penalty.
• In 1776 he earned the first prize for rhetoric at the Collège Louis-le-Grand in Paris.
• He coined the famous motto 'Liberté, égalité, fraternité' by adding the word fraternity on the flags of the National Guard.
• Robespierre was arrested and executed without trial on 9 Thermidor (28 July 1794) along with about 90 others.
• He secured a scholarship to the Collège Louis-le-Grand in October 1769, recommended by the bishop Louis-Hilaire de Conzié.