Maximilien Robespierre: “On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy” (1794)
The Jacobin French politician Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794) came to dominate the National Convention (the French governing body) during the period of 1793–1794. The Jacobins were a political club established in 1789, during the French Revolution, which met in Paris. The Jacobins began as political moderates and initially supported the monarchy, but after the fall of Louis XVI (1792) and under the direction of Robespierre the party became far more radicalized. While they were initially a minority group in the early National Convention, their desire to establish the principles of the revolution in France saw them grow in popularity. “On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy” was Robespierre's address to the convention on February 5, 1794, in which he justified the policy of “Terreur” (“Terror”) to control the numerous internal factions in France. The use of “Terror” to defend the new republic led to the death of thousands of people as the convention...
