Maximillian Robespierre

Maximillian Robespierre was arguably, the most influential leader of the French Revolution. He was one of the drafters of the Declaration of The Rights of Man. However, once he took power, amidst social and civil unrest, counter-revolution, and foreign invasion, he suspended the Declaration, and instituted a reign of terror where around 20,000 French were executed, and the people lived in fear, because anything they said or did, could lead them down a path that would serperate their head from their body. Sooooooo, my question to you is, do you guys think Robespierre, who was said to have been incorruptable, became corrupt with power, or do you think he actually believed he was doing what was right for France and her people, despite all the bad he did?

I think he was great when he began the French revolution but after the booting of the king he went bananas and started to kill the people he fought for becoue he became paranoid.

He did THINK his plans would be good for the french but they were just horrible murders of thousands who had other beliefs.

Did he abolish slavery?

I think he tried to. I know he abolished religion.

And introduced some cult called the "Cult of the Supreme Being".

I don't think killing hundreds of people in the guillotine makes you a good leader. We could call him a Machiavellian leader. (in which the ends justifies the means)

Not actually. The Cult of the Supreme Being believed in God (or the Supreme Being or The Great Architecht of the Universe, whatever you want to call it) but like deism (the religious philisophy defended by Robspierre), they believed that God created the Universe but lets it to run withouth any intervention of "His" part.

At first I think his actions were to help France, but after Robespierre was elected to the Commitee of Gerneral Security, which started the Reign of Terror in France and after creating the Cult of the Supreme Being, in which he pretty much made himself a god. As I quote, Jacques-Alexis Thuriot,“Look at the bugger; it’s not enough for him to be master, he has to be God.” So yes, I think he became corupt. The most ironic thing is that Robespierre met his end, by the blad of a guillotine.

I think he thought he was doing France good, yet he failed to realize where he went wrong. Guillotining people, all that stuff, he thought it was sending France in the right direction. He was simply insane, smart, yet he has crazy mixed in there somewhere. Regardless an interesting figure to learn about and my personal "favorite" Revolutionary leader.

I'll have more on this later, Since im actually doing a report on the French revolution, well after mine on Frederick the Great is over. but hey you got to love Robespierre fucking an hero.

I think that he had France's best intentions at heart, but was a little heavy handed. He thought the Terror was necessary, and thought the CSB would unite France. I'll post more when I have time.

I agree for the most part.

Would that make him corrupt though? I understand that we can look at it with hindsight and say that corrupt evil son of a bitch! But we really have to think about if he thought he was doing the right thing or not, which in my opinion the answer to that is yes.

Even though we obviously know it was not in the best interest of the people, I think he had gone so crazy that he actually believed he was still doing what was in the best interest of the people.

Like I said, his methods and beliefs were wrong. But he truly believed he was doing what was in the best interest of the people in my opinion. That execution was definitely not in the best interest of France or the people, but I think he thought it was. He wasn't called "the incorruptible" for no reason.

This man was paranoid, guillotining people left and right because he thought they could oppose his power. So I would say he is corrupt.