Robespierre Is Arrested: The Fall of the Architect of the Reign of Terror
On July 27, 1794 (9 Thermidor Year II in the French Revolutionary calendar), Maximilien Robespierre, one of the most powerful figures of the French Revolution, was arrested as his political enemies turned against him. Once a leading voice of the revolutionary government, Robespierre had become closely associated with the Reign of Terror, a period of mass executions aimed at defending the Republic from its enemies.
The arrest came after members of the National Convention accused Robespierre and his allies of tyranny and abusing revolutionary power. After a failed attempt to resist, Robespierre was captured and taken into custody. The following day, he was executed by guillotine along with several of his supporters.
Robespierreâs downfall marked a major turning point in the French Revolution. The end of his leadership brought the collapse of the most radical phase of the Revolution and opened the way for a more moderate government known as the Thermidorian Reaction.
