Maximilien Robespierre: Encyclopedia II - Maximilien Robespierre - Foundation of the Committee of Public Safety

Maximilien Robespierre - Foundation of the Committee of Public Safety

The royalist insurrection in Lyon exasperated the men who were working for the Republic, and the armies who were fighting for her. On July 27, 1793, when the struggle was practically decided, the Convention elected Robespierre to the new Committee of Public Safety, a position he had not sought.

Danton and other practical politicians saw that France needed the existence of a strong executive government to forestall the intervention of foreign armies. The means for establishing this were found in the Committee of Public Safety.

The Convention, pleased with its efficiency in suppressing the Norman insurrection, was swift in strengthening its powers. The Committee of General Security which sat beside it was strengthened and given the management of the internal police of the country.

The Committee was not finally constituted until the September 13, when the last two of the twelve who held office until July 1794 were elected. Of these twelve at least seven—Lazare Carnot, Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois, Prieur Duvernois (of the Marne), Prieur (of the Côte d'Or), Jean Bon Saint-André and Robert Lindet—were essentially men of action. Of the other four, Hérault de Séchelles was a Dantonist, Barère de Vieuzac was an eloquent Provençal, who was ready to be the spokesman to the Convention of any view which the majority of the Committee might adopt. Only Georges Couthon and Saint-Just, devoted to Robespierre, sustained his policy. As time progressed, Robespierre was to systematically weaken and remove his opponents within the Committee, thus enhancing both his position and his powers.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Foundation of the Committee of Public Safety", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki