During the French Revolution, the radical phase known as the Reign of Terror came to and end with the Thermidorian Reaction. The Committee of Public Safety took a vote on executing Maximilien Robespierre, Antoine de Saint-Just and other leaders of the Jacobin Club. This event began on July 27, 1794, also known as 9 Thermidor Year II of the French Revolutionary Calendar. The National Convention was soon dissolved and the Executive Directory came to power.
Following the atrocities of the Reign of Terror, in which thousands of people faced execution in the guillotine, Robespierre and his associates came under attack by the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre appealed to the members of the Right, however this failed and a near unanimous decision was made to remove the Revolutionary Tribunal from power. Paul Barras and Joseph Fouche consolidated power as Robespierre attempted suicide. His attempt failed and his jaw was shattered. Without a trial, Robespierre and other members of the Convention were guillotined the next day. They were joined by members of the Paris Commune, the city government of Paris.
Reasons for the Thermidorian Reaction
Following the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat and the executions of Jacques Hebert and Georges Danton, Robespierre began to loose power within the Convention. A variety of conspiracies developed to overthrow his control of the military and a network of political factions throughout France.
Beyond the political ideologues, a number of the conspirators were looking for personal power and revenge. The number of people executed during the Terror, along with the rise of the Dantonists, caused much popular sentiment against his strong-armed control. The Left was opposed to his rejection of atheism, while the Right thought he was too radical. By far, the leadership of the conspiracy was the Montagnards, a faction led by Jean Lambert Tallien and Bourdon de l'Ose.
Events of the Thermidorian Reaction
During a report to the Committee of Public Safety in the Hall of Liberty in Paris, Tallien denounced Saint-Just. While Robespierre came to his defense, an order to arrest him and his followers came down. A number of Paris Commune troops raided the Convention and took Robespierre and his supporters to the Hotel de Ville. As the night went on, most of the troops deserted, leaving the men to their fate. Convention troops raided the Hotel around 2:00 am and captured the outlaws. Following the executions of Robespierre and the others, a number of other radicals and delegates were arrested in what became the White Terror. As the National Convention lost power, a new constitution was established and the Directory took control on October 26, 1795.
Sources:
Simon Schama, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution (Vintage Books, 1990)
Peter McPhee, The French Revolution 1789-1799 (Oxford University Press, 2002)
David Andress, French Society in Revolution 1789-1799 (Manchester University Press, 1999)
Hugh Gough, The Terror in the French Revolution (Palgrave Macmillan, 1998)
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