laura/antoine, 18, intj, from italy (but half french). bigender (she/her/hers - he/him/his) and hellenic polytheist. history, art, social justice. also les misérables and star wars trash. ( )

Thermidor: Another Point of View

rbzpr:

In The Fall of Robespierre and other essays, Mathiez offers a narrative of the night of 9 Thermidor that seems much more plausible regarding the sources, and I wonder why modern biographers didn’t adapt it. He rejects the idea that Robespierre was interrupted in signing the “call to arms” by the troops of the Convention storming the room, and states instead that the letter was successfully delivered before 11 o’clock, bearing Robespierre’s abbreviated signature: Ro.

Using Mathiez work, I will try to construct a timeline for his narrative. All time indications are for means of orientation, not to be taken as exact statements.

9 Thermidor

  • 5 o’clock: the arrested are brought to the rooms of the CSG, Hanriot’s rescue attempt fails and he is arrested, they are brought to premises of the Secretariat, where they are served dinner until 7 o’clock; then, they are sent to separate houses of detention: Maximilien Robespierre is sent to Luxembourg; Augustin to Saint-Lazare, where he is turned away for lack of room and is sent to La Force; Lebas is sent to the prison of the departmental tribunal; Saint-Just to Ecossais; Couthon to La Bourbe
  • between 7 and 8 o’clock: the Luxembourg prison refuses to receive Robespierre; consequently, he is sent to the Mairie, where he arrives around 8.30
  • 8.45: Augustin is rescued and taken to the Hôtel de Ville
  • 9 o’clock: Hanriot is rescued by Coffinhal and his troops and leave for the Hôtel de Ville; on their way they meet a delegation from the Commune and join them on their way to Robespierre
  • between 9.30 and 10 o’clock: they arrive to liberate Robespierre, but he refuses to come along
  • 10.30: Chappin’s report arrives at the Hôtel de Ville, informing them that the Convention was gathering troops and that the leaders of the revolt were about to be outlawed; they send a letter to Robespierre, telling him of the news, whereupon he finally agrees and arrives at the Hôtel de Ville around 10.45
  • 11.00: Maximilien, Augustin and Saint-Just send a letter to Couthon, asking him to join them at the Hôtel de Ville; they send several other letters, like the one to the École de Mars

10 Thermidor

  • 1 o’clock in the morning: Couthon finally agrees and goes to the Hôtel de Ville, where he joins the others who are about to write a letter to the armies
  • 1.00 - 2.00: the troops of the Commune gradually disassemble and leave the Place de Grève
  • 2.30: the troops of the National Convention seize the Hôtel de Ville. Lebas commits suicide; Maximilien Robespierre, either by a failed suicide attempt or a gunshot from a soldier, is severely wounded; Augustin tries to commit suicide by jumping out of the window, but survives; Couthon falls down the stairs and is badly injured; Saint-Just allows himself to be led away without a word

What do you think, citoyens? Why is this narrative not used in more recent books?

  1. arthurianbisexual a reblogué ce billet depuis jeanpaulmarat
  2. rbzpr a reblogué ce billet depuis saintjustitude et a ajouté :
    saintjustitude: I see where my mistake lies; sorry for not expressing coherently. The difference is that all historians...
  3. jacobinenjolras a reblogué ce billet depuis rbzpr
  4. eleonorefournier a reblogué ce billet depuis rbzpr
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