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what is the committee of public safety french revolution

by Delia Hirthe Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The Committee of Public Safety was created by the National Convention in 1793 with the intent to defend the nation against foreign and domestic enemies, as well as to oversee the new functions of the executive government. Members were elected and served for a period of one month.

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What is the Committee of Public Safety in France?

The Committee of Public Safety. The Committee of Public Safety (French, Du Comite de Salut Public) has become a powerful symbol of the French Revolution. It is most closely associated with – and often accused of instigating – the Reign of Terror.

What was the Committee of Public Safety in 1793?

IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION The Committee of Public Safety was a significant organization of the French Revolution that involved several key people and events. Formed in April of 1793, it was established by the National Convention, the revolutionary government of France at the time.

What was the Comité de salut public?

Written By: Committee of Public Safety, French Comité De Salut Public, political body of the French Revolution that gained virtual dictatorial control over France during the Reign of Terror (September 1793 to July 1794).

What was the purpose of the commune of Public Safety?

Committee of Public Safety. The Committee of Public Safety was set up on April 6, 1793, during one of the crises of the Revolution, when France was beset by foreign and civil war. The new committee was to provide for the defense of the nation against its enemies, foreign and domestic, and to oversee the already existing organs...

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What was the role of the Committee of Public Safety?

The new committee was to provide for the defense of the nation against its enemies, foreign and domestic, and to oversee the already existing organs of executive government.

How did the Committee of Public Safety rule France?

On July 27, 1793, Robespierre was elected to the Committee of Public Safety, which was formed in April to protect France against its enemies, foreign and domestic, and to oversee the government. Under his leadership, the committee came to exercise virtual dictatorial control over the French government.

Did the Committee of Public Safety really protect the Revolution?

the committee of public safety were effectively protecting the revolution. they were showing promising strength and would take a lot to stop it. other monarchs wanted it crushed so their people wouldn't get the idea of revolting against them. qall efforts to stop them failed due to a constant show of force.…

What happened to the ideals of the French Revolution under the Committee of Public Safety?

After the arrest and execution of the rival factions of Hébertists and Dantonists, sentiment in the Convention eventually turned against Robespierre, who was executed in July 1794. In the following Thermidorian Reaction, the committee's influence diminished and it was abolished in 1795.

Why did the Committee of Public Safety began the reign of terror?

The foundation of the Terror was the April 1793 creation of the Committee of Public Safety. The National Convention believed that the Committee needed to rule with “near dictatorial power” and gave it new and expansive political powers to respond quickly to popular demands.

What happened after the Committee of Public Safety?

In March 1794 an attempt to overthrow it, led by Hébert, was quashed, but four months later the reaction which overthrew Robespierre marked the end of the Committee's power. It was restricted to foreign affairs until its influence was finally ended in October 1795.

Who was in the Committee of Public Safety?

The most notable members of the committee were Maximillien Robespierre, Georges Couthon, Louis-Antoine Saint-Just, and Lazare Carnot, the “organizer of victory.” Ultimately, fears of the continuing Terror, and of Robespierre's personal power, led to a coup on 9 Thermidor (27 July), which broke the power of the Great ...

Where was the Committee of Public Safety created?

April 6, 1793Committee of Public Safety / Founded

What happened after the Committee of Public Safety?

In March 1794 an attempt to overthrow it, led by Hébert, was quashed, but four months later the reaction which overthrew Robespierre marked the end of the Committee's power. It was restricted to foreign affairs until its influence was finally ended in October 1795.

What was one way the government tried to de Christianize France?

By 1794, the radical revolutionaries had literally attempted to 'de-Christianize' France by closing down churches, forcing priests to resign or emigrate, and inventing new republican cults to replace Christianity.

How did France respond to the ideas of liberty and equality?

Equality, or doing away with privilege, was the most important part of the slogan to the French revolutionists. For equality they were willing to sacrifice their political liberty. They did this when they accepted the rule of Napoleon I. Fraternity, or brotherhood with all men, was also sacrificed.

What was the role of the 12 member Committee of Public Safety created in 1793?

Formed by the National Convention in April 1793, the Committee was intended to function as a war council and de facto executive cabinet. It contained nine seats (later extended to 10, then 12) which were rotated monthly, a procedure intended to stop one individual or faction from accumulating too much power.

How did the Committee of Public Safety prepare France for the invasion of France?

As well, the Committee of Public Safety prepared France to deal with foreign invasions by establishing new armies for the country. Men across France were drafted into these new forces as the Committee sought to stop neighbouring countries from stopping the progress of the revolution.

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

The Committee of Public Safety was a significant organization of the French Revolution that involved several key people and events. Formed in April of 1793, it was established by the National Convention, the revolutionary government of France at the time. In the months before its creation, French revolutionaries were facing intense pressure from foreign threats and invasion by surrounding nations loyal to Louis XVI . As a result, many members of the National Convention became increasingly paranoid from the perceived threat of external and internal challenges to the revolution. To combat these threats, the National Convention established the Committee of Public Safety, and provided it with sweeping powers.

What was the role of the head of the Committee of Public Safety in the National Convention?

As the head of the Committee of Public Safety, which was the executive committee of the National Convention, he and the committee would become well known for carrying out the Reign of Terror . For many months throughout 1794, Robespierre battled against other revolutionaries in the National Convention by questioning each ...

What happened to Robespierre?

For the rest of the day, Robespierre was held captive until he was guillotined without a trial that same afternoon.

Who was the next leader to face the Guillotine?

For example, when Georges Danton, a leading revolutionary, called for an end to the Reign of Terror he was the next to face the guillotine. Finally, on June 4th, 1794, Robespierre was elected the president of the National Convention.

What is the Committee of Public Safety?

The Committee of Public Safety. A French caricature of members of the Committee of Public Safety. The Committee of Public Safety (French, Du Comite de Salut Public) has become a powerful symbol of the French Revolution. It is most closely associated with – and often accused of instigating – the Reign of Terror.

What was the controversy over the Committee of Public Safety?

It is credited, on the one hand, for overseeing the defence of the country and guiding France to victory in war over almost all the other nations in Europe.

How many men were in the CPS in 1793?

3. By September 1793 the CPS had expanded to 12 men and its membership rarely changed. During this month the Convention passed several measures that increased the power of the CPS, such as the Law of Suspects and the General Maximum.

What was the CPS power in 1793?

On December 4th, the Convention formalised the power of the CPS by passing the Law of 14 Frimaire, later dubbed the ‘Constitution of the Terror’ . This law handed the Committee de facto executive power while declaring the National Convention the “sole centre of government initiative”.

When did the CPS descend into authoritarianism?

The Committee’s descent into authoritarianism began with the election of Robespierre to the CPS on July 27th 1793 . The membership of the Committee changed little over the next year; the Convention re-endorsed its members every month and in September voted to increase the CPS to 12 members.

What was the name of the committee that was formed in 1793?

1. The Committee of Public Safety (CPS) was a powerful committee of the National Convention, formed in April 1793 following the defection of General Dumouriez to the Austrians.

What is the function of the CPS?

The function of the CPS was to receive and monitor intelligence, handle the day-to-day business of the war and report weekly to the Convention in session. The CPS was authorised to act on behalf of the Convention but had to report to the Convention weekly.

What was the role of the Committee of Public Safety?

The role of the Committee of Public Safety included the governance of the war (including the appointment of generals), the appointing of judges and juries for the Revolutionary Tribunal, the provisioning of the armies and the public, the maintenance of public order and oversight of the state bureaucracy.

When was the Committee of Public Safety created?

Supplementing the Committee of General Defence created after the execution of King Louis XVI in January 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was created in April 1793 by the National Convention and restructured in July 1793.

What was the name of the committee that led the Girondins to the Vendée?

Closely associated with the leadership of Danton, it was initially known as the Danton Committee. Danton steered the Committee through the 31 May and 2 June 1793 journées that saw the violent expulsion of the Girondins and through the intensifying war in the Vendée.

What was the reason for Dumouriez's defection?

On 5 April 1793, the French military commander and former minister of war General Charles François Dumouriez defected to Austria following the publication of an incendiary letter in which he threatened to march his army on the city of Paris if the National Convention did not accede to his leadership. News of his defection caused alarm in Paris, where imminent defeat by the Austrians and their allies was feared. A widespread belief held that revolutionary France was in immediate peril, threatened not only by foreign armies and by recent revolts in the Vendée, but also by foreign agents who plotted the destruction of the nation from within. Dumouriez's defection lent greater credence to this belief. In light of this threat, the Girondin leader Maximin Isnard proposed the creation of a nine-member Committee of Public Safety. Isnard was supported in this effort by Georges Danton, who declared: "This Committee is precisely what we want, a hand to grasp the weapon of the Revolutionary Tribunal ".

What was the precedent of the American Patriots?

During the American War of Independence, American Patriots formed Committees of safety. That was a recent major precedent of a Republican revolution , well-known to the French revolutionaries.

What powers did the Committee of the Armed Forces have?

As a wartime measure, the committee was given broad supervisory and administrative powers over the armed forces, judiciary and legislature, as well as the executive bodies and ministers of the Convention.

When was Robespierre executed?

After the arrest and execution of the rival factions of Hébertists and Dantonists, sentiment in the Convention eventually turned against Robespierre, who was executed in July 1794. In the following Thermidorian Reaction, the committee's influence diminished and it was abolished in 1795. During the American War of Independence, ...

Reign Of Terror DBQ

The first reason as to why the Reign of Terror was not justified is because Enlightenment ideas were ignored. The national assembly created The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens to give all citizens the same rights: liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression (Doc. A).

Thomas Hobbes Influence On Thomas Jefferson's Declaration Of Enlightenment

One his theories, stated in his book called Leviathan said that people are not able rule themselves because of how selfish mankind is and they need to be ruled by an iron fist. His political theory was that was also stated in Leviathan was that we should respect government authority under all circumstances to avoid violence.

Spanish Civil War Research Paper

The church had enormous power and was opposed to any socialist reforms. The wealth of the Spanish Catholic Church was resented by many, all middle to leftist movements saw the church as an enemy of change, while all the conservatives saw the church as the very heart of the Spanish civilization.

Differences Between The Anti-Federalist And Anti Federalists

This broke people up into two groups: Anti-Federalists and Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were those in favor of strong states’ rights. They disliked the Constitution because they believed that there was a chance that Constitution would destroy the freedoms the colonies fought for.

The Rules In Ayn Rand's Anthem

The rules in Anthem include the word I being destroyed and erased from history being replace by us and we. Anyone who says I will be killed. The government was made with good intentions but eventually it was corrupted. The government originally wanted everyone to be completely equal means that they took the will of the people.

George Washington French Revolution Analysis

People under royal rule were conditioned to believe that the king and the nobility were chosen to become what they are. Thinking in rebellion probably was dangerous in even mentioning it, so, it was either difficult to find people that are brave enough to endure the consequences and all inspiring to the one who do want to stand up.

The Successes And Failures Of The French Revolution

This enormous massacre of people went against Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, all of which the national assembly declared were every man 's right. Much of the killing can be blamed on Robespierre and King Louis XVI. Although it was mostly a failure, some achievements can be seen through the Revolution.

What did the Paris sections call for?

In June 1793, Paris sections took over the Convention, calling for administrative and political purges, a low fixed price for bread, and a limitation of the electoral franchise to sans-culottes alone. The Jacobins identified themselves with the popular movement and the sans-culottes, who in turn saw popular violence as a political right. The sans-culottes, exasperated by the inadequacies of the government, invaded the Convention and overthrew the Girondins. In their place they endorsed the political ascendancy of the Jacobins. Robespierre came to power on the back of street violence.

When was the French government created?

A committee created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793 to form the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror (1793–94), a stage of the French Revolution.

What was the reign of terror?

The Reign of Terror (September 5, 1793 – July 28, 1794), also known as The Terror, was a period of violence during the French Revolution incited by conflict between two rival political factions, the Girondins (moderate republicans) and the Jacobins (radical republicans), and marked by mass executions of “the enemies of the revolution.”

What was the purpose of Jacobin rule?

The year of Jacobin rule was the first time in history that terror became an official government policy, with the stated aim to use violence to achieve a higher political goal. In June 1794, Robespierre, who favored deism over atheism, recommended that the Convention acknowledge the existence of his god. The next day, the worship of the deistic ...

How did Robespierre fall?

His fall was brought about by conflicts between those who wanted more power for the Committee of Public Safety (and a more radical policy than he was willing to allow) and moderates who completely opposed the revolutionary government. Robespierre tried to commit suicide before his execution by shooting himself, although the bullet only shattered his jaw. He was guillotined on July 28. The reign of the standing Committee of Public Safety was ended. New members were appointed the day after Robespierre’s execution and term limits were imposed. The Committee’s powers were reduced piece by piece.

What was the purpose of the reign of terror?

The period of the Jacobin rule known as the Reign of Terror, under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre, was the first time in history that terror became an official government policy with the stated aim to use violence to achieve a higher political goal.

What was the significance of Robespierre's worship of the deistic Supreme Being?

The next day, the worship of the deistic Supreme Being was inaugurated as an official aspect of the revolution. As a result of Robespierre’s insistence on associating terror with virtue, his efforts to make the republic a morally united patriotic community became equated with the endless bloodshed.

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Overview

The Committee of Public Safety (French: Comité de salut public) formed the provisional government in France during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), a phase of the French Revolution. Supplementing the Committee of General Defence created after the execution of King Louis XVI in January 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was created in April 1793 by the National Conventi…

Origins and Evolution

The French Revolution brought about an immense shift in society in which citizens desired to bring about a new age of critical rationality, egalitarianism, and patriotism amongst French men. Revolutionary ideals were spread throughout France and a belief in democracy and civilian government was heralded as the new era of French civilization. 1793 would bring a new republi…

Use of the term during the Algerian War

During the May 1958 crisis in France, an army junta under General Jacques Massu seized power in Algiers on the night of 13 May 1958 and General Salan assumed leadership of a body calling itself the Committee of Public Safety.

See also

• Commissioners of the Committee of Public Safety
• Committee of General Security
• National Convention
• Historiography of the French Revolution

Bibliography

1. Tackett, Timothy (2015). The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution. Cambridge, Mass: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 121. ISBN 9780674425163.
2. Tackett, Timothy (2015). The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN 9780674425163.

Notes

1. ^ "Committee of Public Safety". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
2. ^ Tackett, Timothy (2015). The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution. Cambridge, Mas: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 121. ISBN 9780674425163.
3. ^ Tackett, Timothy (2015). The Coming of the Terror in the French Revolution. Cambridge, Mass: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN 9780674425163.

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