Thermidorian Reaction

The Thermidorian Reaction was a pivotal moment in the history of the French Revolution. It brought an end to the Reign of Terror that had paralysed France for nearly a year and marked the fall of Maximilien Robespierre, one of the most infamous figures of the Revolution.

But how did this happen? How was such a fierce regime of terror brought down, and by whom? What were the consequences of the Thermidorian Reaction, and what was its impact on the French Revolution? Let's find out!

Key Dates

Below is a table of key dates for the Thermidorian Reaction.

Thermidor Meaning

When the French Revolution began in 1789, the Revolutionaries instituted a new calendar for the Republic to use. This new calendar had 10 days in a week, and all the months were renamed. The period from 20 July to 20 August was named the month of Thermidor. Since the Reaction occurred on 27 and 28 July, in this period, it was named the Thermidorian Reaction.

Fig. 1 - An allegory of the month of Thermidor, an illustration by Louis Laffite

Those who took part in the Thermidorian Reaction became known as 'Thermidorians'.

Thermidorian Definition

The Thermidorians, also known after the Reaction as the Thermidorian Convention, were the group of people who revolted against Maximilien Robespierre and the Reign of Terror in 1794.

The faction did not have one singular ideology. The rate at which Robespierre had been arresting and executing those he perceived as 'enemies' was becoming distressing, even to those who had previously aligned themselves with Robespierre and had supported the Terror. Those close to Robespierre were scared that they would be next to go to the guillotine.

Therefore, those who formed against him were not just his obvious opposition of Moderates, but equally, Montagnards, who had previously supported the Terror, now felt it was going too far. Members of the powerful Committee for Public Safety and Committee for General Security also joined the coup, along with many of the independent deputies, who sat in the middle of the Moderates and the Montagnards.

Thermidorian Reaction Dates

On 27 July 1794, Robespierre was shouted down by Thermidorians at the National Convention as he tried to make a speech. This became known as the Thermidorian Reaction.

Background: Causes of the Thermidorian Reaction

Now we will look at why the Thermidorian Reaction happened and why Robespierre lost so much support in the years 1793-4. He lost support from three important groups: the Catholics, the sans-culottes, and the Revolutionary committees.

Catholics

Although Robespierre did not like the Catholic Church, he was still religious and believed in a God, and therefore he disliked the anti-religious ideas that were prominent among the sans-culottes. He wanted to unite all of France under a new religion called the Cult of the Supreme Being.

Fig. 2 - Statement of belief of the Cult of the Supreme Being, 'The French people recognise the supreme being and the immortality of the soul’

This new religion was not popular with anyone. The Catholics, obviously, feared the abolition of their right to worship and were also concerned about the loss of ritual, doctrine, and deference to the Pope. Equally, even those in the Committee for General Security who held anti-clerical views were against it; they felt that this new religion would simply be a replacement for Catholicism and would be used to maintain power over the people and aid Robespierre's political agenda.

Sans-culottes

Despite being a traditionally strong area of support for Robespierre, by July 1794, he was losing favour with the sans-culottes. This was due to several reasons:

• Execution of the Hebertists: The Hebertists were a popular political faction that strongly supported the Terror and controlled the Paris Commune. After a slew of accusations against them as well as denouncements from important figures, including Robespierre, the leaders were executed on 24 March 1794. The Hebertists had been popular among the sans-culottes, so this purge was not welcomed.

• End of the War: The war against Austria had been the main reason for instigating the Terror. However, by spring 1794, all foreign troops had been driven from French soil, and government authority had been restored. Many people began to question whether extreme measures were really necessary anymore and became disturbed at the prolonging of government-supported violence.

• Changes to the Maximum: The General Maximum, a tax which had been introduced to control prices, was raised in March 1794 - this led to increased inflation and devaluation of the currency. The Maximum was also introduced for wages, which meant people received less money, which was not popular.

Revolutionary Committees

The Committee for General Security (CGS) and the Committee for Public Safety (CPS) were dominant in the government of the Terror. However, by the beginning of 1794, they had become rivals rather than allies.

Firstly, the CPS had set up its own police bureau to find and prosecute officials if needed. The CGS saw this as an unacceptable incursion into their own remit of security and worried that the CPS would use this against the CGS to gain more power.

Many in the CGS were also becoming increasingly concerned with Robespierre's actions, especially his desire to introduce the Cult of the Supreme Being as the new state religion. The executions of former friends and allies of Robespierre, like Georges Danton, also made others worry about Robespierre's power to have them arrested and executed.

Thermidorians

On 27 July 1794, Robespierre was shouted down in the National Convention as he tried to make a speech. The Convention then voted to arrest Robespierre as well as several of his allies, including his brother Augustin and Hanriot, the Commander of the Paris Commune.

It was ordered that Robespierre and his supporters be taken to prisons that were controlled by the Paris Commune. However, the Commune, who still supported Robespierre, refused to allow them to be imprisoned there, and they were released. In the ensuing confusion, both the National Convention and the Paris Commune called on the National Guard to defend their causes.

Fig. 3 - Painting by Jean-Joseph Francois Tassaert, depicting the arrest of Robespierre during the Thermidorian Reaction

Only 17 of the 48 sections of the National Guard arrived. For a while, it looked as if the coup would fail, as several sections rallied behind Hanriot. Yet, it did not remain so for long. Robespierre was unwilling to act, as he doubted that the rebellion would succeed, which gave the Convention time to come up with a plan of action.

The decisive moment came when it was proposed that Robespierre and the other prisoners be named 'outlaws' due to their escape. This decree encouraged more sections of the National Guard to defend the Convention rather than the Paris Commune. Robespierre and the others were recaptured with ease and sent to the guillotine the next day.

Thermidorian Importance

With Robespierre and his supporters now safely out of the way, the Convention put their minds to dismantling the legislation of the Terror and reforming the structure of government so that an event like the Terror could not happen again. The following table details the measures taken by the Convention and their impact.

Aftermath

The Thermidorian Reaction was a significant event in the history of the French Revolution. Although many were glad at the end of the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian regime and the new Directory that followed still faced many difficulties.

The harsh winter of 1794-95 and the removal of price controls led to widespread hunger, and people took their anger out on the National Convention. This resulted in the Germinal Uprising on 1 April 1795 and the Prairial Uprising on 20 May 1795, which presented a considerable threat to the Convention. Outbreaks of White Terror around the country also gave the Convention more problems to deal with.