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Content: Although Robespierre was from one
point of view only one of twelve members of the committee he was
the only one who, through the full support he enjoyed from the
Jacobin Clubs and the Commune of Paris, represented a close link
to the more radical supporters of the Revolution. France was in turmoil, and with the aim of restoring order and
reducing the danger of invasion from abroad, Robespierre, backed
by the committee, proceeded to ruthlessly eliminate all whom he
considered to be enemies of the Revolution, both extremists and
moderates. This policy led to the so-called Reign of Terror and
to the execution of the revolutionary leaders Jacques René
Hébert (March 24th 1794) and Georges Jacques Danton (April
6th 1794). Both Hébert and Danton were politicians whose
preferred policies were inconsistent with the pure Rousseauism
that was Robespierre's guiding principle. The Hébertists
had been suspected of preparing for a coup d'état and this
may have contributed to the harshness with which they were
treated. Danton was one of several prominent persons who were
suspected of financial corruption thus polluting the virtue of
the Revolution. Whilst the aims of the Terror were perhaps
laudable from Robespierre's revolutionary perspective the means
adopted towards those ends were terrible indeed. On May 7th, at Robespierre's insistence, the National
Convention proclaimed as an official religion the Cult of the
Supreme Being, which was based on Rousseau's theory of Deism. This decree antagonized both Roman Catholics and atheists, but
Robespierre still had the powerful backing of the Commune of
Paris. A Grand Fête in honour of the Supreme Being was
celebrated on 8th June 1794 where Robespierre, who had been
elected as the President of the Convention four days previously,
played a major role.