1. What arguments does Robespierre make to support the use of terror? Which of the 17 specified rights are put on hold during this use of terror?

    Robespierre argued that his revolutionary government was necessary because he believed that the Republic and virtue were inseparable he believes that the public could be saved only by the virtue of its citizens and that care was for choice because it attempted to maintain the Revolution and the Republic. He believed that it was his duty as a public servant to push the revolution forward. He called for blood to be shed in the name of political quality, suffrage and abolition of privileges

    17 rights included in the Declaration of the Rights of Man I believe many were put on hold because Robespierre and the committee were the only “law” during the time of terror so he decided what was right and wrong and was jury and executioner.

    1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. I believe he put this on hold because men do not have equal rights because no one is allowed to disagree with him
    2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. There was no security during this time because of him
    3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation. He was not elected democratically
    4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. Nobody had the freedom to think what they wanted everyone had to agree with him
    5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law. No one has the freedom that was talked about and many were forced to do things that they didn’t believe in
    6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents. No one was equal in the eyes of the law as everyone had to agree with him
    7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense. He arrested and killed many people with his arbitrary orders
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    8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense. He chopped off people’s heads which is not obviously necessary
    9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner’s person shall be severely repressed by law. He decided who was guilty and killed them
    10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. Anyone who disagreed with him was in trouble
    11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. Nobody was allowed to disagree with him
    12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be entrusted. The military force was being used against its own people and not public but for the committee’s benefit only

  2. How does Robespierre differentiate between the role of government in times of peace compared to in times of revolution?

    Robespierre believed the role of government in times of peace were very different than in times of revolution. During times of revolution a stable government was needed to stabilize the cover. He was collect it to the committee of Gen. security that began to manage the country’s internal police and terror was formally instituted as a legal policy in September of 1793. He writes in his Speech on Revolutionary Government that “the object of constitutional government is to preserve the Republic, the object of revolutionary government is to establish it” in this quote he is saying that once the government has been set up it will be a time of peace but setting up the government itself can only happen through a time of war.

  3. Make a case for or against Robespierre:

    Robespierre is no different than Hitler because he believed his way was the only way that was “right.” In my opinion his defense of violence to secure the gains of revolution are unacceptable. The French Revolution was based on his ideas of what the French Republic should be. He thought himself to be of high moral standards, with integrity and virtue. He never admitted anything he ever did was wrong and everyone who disagreed with him he saw as wrong. Which is kind of ironic when you think about it because that is exactly the opposite of what he supposedly was fighting for. In a free and democratic nation with freedom of press and freedom to think anyway you want and not the under the government was what the French Revolution was supposed to be all about. Robespierre literally chopped off the heads of anyone who disagreed with them. It is exactly the opposite of what enlightenment was all about. He murdered thousands of people some were great supporters of a revolution yet they didn’t think exactly like him or they didn’t act quickly enough for his liking so he killed them. In his speech to the national convention titled The Terror Justified he says “where the nation safeguards the welfare of each individual” he is doing nothing to safeguard individual rights. I would argue that he is taken away people’s right to be an individual because now everybody has to agree with him for fear of death. He writes “it is necessary to conclude the war of liberty against tyranny and to pass successfully through the storms of revolution” but he himself has caused a war on liberty and he is causing the tyranny against the people and the only storm of revolution is the fear of being caught and punished by him. He took vantage of his position on the committee by having any opposition to his ideas permanently disposed of by beheading. Even if he thought he was acting in the best interest of France his motives may have felt right to him but his methods were bloody.