Robespierre, The French Revolution And The Symbol Of Evil...

Those people of the past that are studied as â€Å"historical figures† – major and minor – make up a virtually insignificant portion of the people that have inhabited the earth since the beginning of civilization. And yet to die without a memorable legacy is much more desirable a fate than to be remembered with enduring hatred for what one accomplished and stood for during life. Certainly, there are many who deserve to be remembered with spite – people whose beliefs and actions were unacceptable whether evaluated in a modern context or that of their own period. And yet still some are hated for centuries, mainly due to having made powerful enemies while alive. Maximilien Robespierre, who is often regarded as the leading figure of the French Revolution and the symbol of violent excess during that period, was one such person. Although the view of Robespierre within the historical community has softened (to a certain degree), he remains a personification of ev il in the public mind. For example, the first result of a quick Google search for â€Å"most evil people† includes a list of 25 historical figures, with Robespierre at no. 17, ahead of others such as Adolf Eichmann, Heinrich Himmler, and Osama bin Laden. While this website is by no means a scholarly source, it serves to underline the way in which the average person views Robespierre in a grossly inaccurate fashion. The legacy that was created for Robespierre by political opponents who used him as a scapegoat is not at all one thatShow MoreRelatedHow Revolutionaries Consolidated their Political Power in France During The French Revolution1096 Words   |  5 PagesEvaluate the view that revolutionaries consolidated power: Introduction Following the French Revolution, the National Convention and Robespierre as the head of the Committee of Public Safety, employed drastic measures to achieve their goals, however managed to successfully consolidate power as demonstrated by the overall success of the revolution. Whilst the revolution itself was a momentous undertaking, nothing was quite as dramatic as the execution of King Louis XVI that was orchestrated by theRead MoreThe War Of The Revolution1951 Words   |  8 PagesKay Chop Concide Hacher 10/5/17 In a futile attempt to protect the French Revolution from utter destruction, the revolutionary radicals decreed the Terror the â€Å"order of the day† (Danton 45) in an effort to â€Å"force people to be free.† The Terror did not pervert Revolutionary ideals but was a result of a necessary amplification of these ideas in order to ensure the safety of the Revolution. Louis Antoine Saint-Just, a French revolutionary stated that â€Å"what produces the general good is always terrible†Read MoreThe Implementation of Jean-Jacques Rousseaus Philosophy by Maximilien Robespierre and His Purposed Reaction Had He Lived to Witness It6564 Words   |  27 PagesPerhaps one of the most influential figures during the French Revolution was a man by the name of Maximilien Robespierre. Instrumental especially at the onset of the Revolution, a period referred to as the Reign of Terror, Robespierre drew on the insights of many Enlightenment philosophers and was a strong advocate f or the left wing bourgeoisie. However, despite his efficacious leadership and sentiment, much of what he encouraged to the masses is based off the writings and teachings of one EnlightenmentRead MoreCommunism And The Communist Manifesto3222 Words   |  13 Pagesterrible mistreatment of the Bourgeoisie (elite). Many leaders did not take the Communist Manifesto seriously, and followed and practiced Marxism. Possibly one of the most prominent people who did so was Mao Zedong, Mao was quoted, â€Å"If there is to be revolution, there must be a revolutionary party. Without a revolutionary party, without a party built on the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary theory and in the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary†. Mao was all for Marxism and followed what Marx said to do.(RevolutionaryRead MoreEssay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails6177 Words   |  25 Pagessecond generation Romantics like Shelleys Ode to the West Wind or The Mask of Anarchy to verify this. The same is true of Romantic Gothic which arose around that unique period in European history posthumously defined by the French Revolution but significant for its trans-European massive cultural and social upheaval indicated in part by repeated rioting in Britain (Lowe, vii) and a widespread clamour for various reforms. Victor Sage writes, English Gothick of the eighteenth