40 Robespierre Quotes For Your French Revolution Studies

Maximilien Robespierre is considered the father of the French revolution.

He became famous as the leading member of the committee of public safety in 1973. He also served as the president of the National Convention.

Robespierre believed in the general desire of the public as the basis of political reforms. His views incorporating the needs of the public made him a revered political figure in France. Reign of terror is defined as the period during the French revolution which led to thousands of mass executions encouraged by Robespierre in response to revolutionary fervor. This played an important role in the arrest of King Louis XVI. Find the best Maximilien Robespierre quotes in this article to know more about the important role he played.

If you like this article about Robespierre quotes, you may also want to check our other quotes articles on Napoleon quotes and Charles de gaulle quotes.

‍

Here are the best Maximilien Robespierre quotes.

1. "To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency; to forgive them is cruelty."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

2. "The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

3. "One could say that the two contrary geniuses that have been depicted here battling for control of the realm of nature, are fighting in this great epoch of human history, to shape irrevocably the destiny of the world."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

4. "France is the theater of this redoubtable contest."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

5. "Our strength gives us the ascendancy of the truth over deception, and the rights of public interest over private interest."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

6. "Our weakness rallies against us all the vicious men, all those who in their hearts plot to despoil the people."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

7. "The goal of constitutional government is to maintain the Republic; that of revolutionary government is to found it."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

8. "The National Convention is installed on the basis of a democratic franchise. Its first action was to declare France a Republic."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

9. "Everyone seems to agree that there is in France a powerful faction which directs the maneuverings of the executive power with the objective of reviving ministerial influence at the expense of national sovereignty."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

10. "It was necessary to examine scrupulously, determine the motives behind it, foresee its consequences, take stock of oneself, and adopt the measures."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

11. "Why be afraid even to touch so many powerful enemies, who must be unmasked and defeated? Why preach confidence when it is out of the question? I too demand war; but I will tell how and on whom it must be waged."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

Here are the best quotes about the French revolution.

12. "The most extravagant idea that can be born in the head of a political thinker is to believe that it suffices for people to enter, weapons in hand, among a foreign people and expect to have its laws and constitution embraced. No one loves armed missionaries; the first lesson of nature and prudence is to repulse them as enemies."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

13. "Does your government, therefore, resemble despotism? Yes, as the sword that gleams in the hands of the heroes of liberty resembles that with which the henchmen of tyranny are armed ."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

14. "The revolution is the war of liberty against its enemies. The constitution is the rule of liberty against its enemies. The constitution is the rule of liberty when victorious and peaceable."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

15. "The king must die so that the country can live."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

16. "This great purity of the bases of the French Revolution, the very sublimity of its object is precisely what makes our strength and our weakness."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

17. "Terror is less a distinct principle than a natural consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing wants of the country."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

18. "If the attribute of popular government in peace is virtue, the attribute of popular government in revolution is at one and the same time virtue and terror, virtue without which terror is fatal, terror without which virtue is impotent."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

19. "Terror is only justice: prompt, severe, inflexible; it is, therefore, an emanation of virtue."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

20. "Terror is nothing but a principle of despotic government."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

21. "Is it to be thought unreasonable that the people, in atonement for wrongs of a century, demand the vengeance of a single day?"

- Maximilien Robespierre.

22. "Revolution as a titanic struggle between the people who were endeavoring to found a Republic based on virtue and those who conspired against it."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

Here are some of the most famous quotes by Robespierre.

23. "Again, it may be said, that to love justice and equality the people need no great effort of virtue; it is sufficient that they love themselves."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

24. "The government must weigh heavily upon its parts."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

25. "The revolutionary government owes to the good citizen all the protection of the nation; it owes nothing to the Enemies of the People but death."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

26. "The leaders of intrigue have been identified; their plan has been unfolded; the whole of France has, on a fatal occasion, become acquainted with their character and their principles."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

27. "Any law which violates the inalienable rights of man is essentially unjust and tyrannical; it is not a law at all."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

28. "The government in a revolution is liberty's despotism against tyranny."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

29. "One can...never create freedom by an invading force."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

30. "If there exists a representative body, a highest authority constituted by the people, it is up to it to inspect and ceaselessly control all the public functionaries."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

31. "The general will rules in society as the private will governs each separate individual."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

32. "Atheism is aristocratic; the idea of a great Being that watches over oppressed innocence and punishes triumphant crime is altogether popular."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

33. "Under a constitutional regime, it is sufficient to protect individuals against the abuses of public power."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

34. "Under a revolutionary regime, public power is obliged to defend itself against all the factions that attack it."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

35. "The intentions of the country being obviously suspect, what decision should have been made on the war proposal? Applaud, worship, preach confidence, and give millions?"

- Maximilien Robespierre.

36. "Yorck talks of humanity! What! Yorck, a tyrant, a soldier of George, the orator of a government which has filled the universe with its crimes and its infamies…How odious is a tyrant therefore while he talks of humanity!"

- Maximilien Robespierre.

37. "French people; their language and their conduct were too blatantly in concert with the court; the rebels were too openly its satellites and friends; it had too constantly favored their efforts and their insolence."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

38. "The combatants were battling for control of the realm of nature…to shape irrevocably the destiny of the world."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

39. "I have seen in the conduct of a consistently followed plan for destroying the rights of the people and reversing, as much as possible, the work of the revolution."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

40. "We have proved recognizing the plot woven by the internal enemies of our liberty who provoke us to war, and of choosing the best means of checkmating them."

- Maximilien Robespierre.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Robespierre quotes, then why not take a look at Baron de Montesquieu quotes, or revolution quotes.

Main image credit: neftali / Shutterstock.com

Article image credit: Maysam Bizaer / Shutterstock.com