Robespierre, Maximilien de (1758–1794)

Maximilien Robespierre was the most important leader of the French Revolution during its most radical phase, and therefore arguably the most important historical figure of the Revolution in its entirety. As the principal organizer of the political party that dominated the Convention and created the Jacobin Republic in 1793–4, his was the guiding hand in the Revolution's most deeply transformative events. For the most part, however, his historical reputation has not been that of a revered revolutionary hero. The conservative Thermidorians who overthrew him condemned him as a dictatorial tyrant, and successfully transmitted that image of Robespierre to later generations. One positive aspect of his reputation survived, however. Robespierre had been widely known as “the Incorruptible” and even the Thermidorians were unable to refute that characterization.