The Terror of the French Revolution

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Want to watch the whole series right away? Become a member of the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYK0BJZF3yNb2fw1EdAXUQ/join This is part of our ongoing history of the French Revolution, the entire series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbAHi3fZpuHM2K49x2je9j0Pg1qhq5ni Where did Maximilien Robespierre come from and what led him to rise from provincial obscurity to play a major role in the French Revolution? Why is he considered the central figure in the Reign of Terror? And how did a fastidious man opposed to violence become the chief proponent of bloodshed? Join Tom and Dominic as they describe how Maximilien Robespierre became one of the most powerful figures of the French Revolution, and his role in initiating the Terror, which saw thousands beheaded in Paris, and butchered throughout France. This episode is sponsored by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Try Claude for free today at http://Claude.ai/restishistory. Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Social channels: https://www.instagram.com/theresthistory/ https://www.tiktok.com/@theresthistory https://x.com/TheRestHistory https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social https://www.threads.com/@theresthistory 00:00 Robespierre: The Face of the Terror 04:47 The Man Who Opposed the Death Penalty 10:25 Robespierre’s Childhood 17:17 Meeting Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette 20:03 The Ideas That Shaped Robespierre 26:20 Robespierre’s Rise to Power 33:20 Anthropic 34:31 France on the Brink 40:21 Robespierre’s “Omni-Conspiracy” 42:19 Couthon and Saint-Just 46:53 The Revolution’s New Constitution 49:33 Why Robespierre Embraces Terror 55:32 France Mobilises for Total War 59:26 “Let Terror Be the Order of the Day” 1:01:51 The Law of Suspects 1:04:38 Lyon Falls 1:06:04 Robespierre Turns on the Girondins 1:09:46 The Trial of the Girondins 1:12:20 Madame Roland Goes to the Guillotine 1:14:22 Marie Antoinette Is Next Video Editor: Jack Meek, Harry Swan & Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Aaliyah Akude & Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Digital & Social: Sam Oakley