27th July 1794: Thermidorian Reaction begins in France with the arrest of Maximilien Robspierre

Описание: By the middle of 1794, the Reign of Terror had reached its peak. This period of the French Revolution had seen Robespierre, a leading figure in the Committee of Public Safety, orchestrate a campaign of political purges and executions aimed at eliminating perceived enemies of the Revolution. However, his increasing power and the mass executions led to growing unease and resentment among the other revolutionaries.

On 26 July 1794, or 9 Thermidor Year II, Robespierre made a speech to the National Convention in which he announced the existence of a number of internal enemies, but refused to name them. The following day members of the National Convention, including some who had previously supported Robespierre, conspired against him. Fearing a purge of the Convention that threatened their own safety, they accused Robespierre and his allies of tyranny and plotting against the Revolution. Unable to defend himself against the charges amidst the cries of ‘Down with the tyrant!’ the Convention ordered the arrest of Robespierre, along with key allies including Louis Antoine de Saint-Just and Georges Couthon.

After a failed attempt by the Paris Commune to liberate the men, Robespierre and his followers were surrounded at the Hôtel de Ville. In an attempt to evade capture Robespierre only succeeded in shattering his jaw when he reputedly attempted to shoot himself with a pistol, and spent the rest of the night on a table in the Committee of General Security. The next day, 28 July 1794, he and his followers were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal and were executed by guillotine, bringing to an end the Reign of Terror.