Recorded Webinar: Robespierre and Danton: Heroes of the French Revolution?

By Professor William Doyle, published 20th March 2024

One of the oldest myths of the French Revolution is the lethal rivalry between Robespierre and Danton: Robespierre the cold, bloodthirsty dictator who ruled France through Terror, versus Danton, the warm, humane, inspirational orator who wanted to stop Terror. Throughout the 19th century Robespierre was mostly depicted as a villain, Danton as a hero. But for much of the 20th century the picture among historians was reversed, with Robespierre now the incorruptible defender of revolutionary values, and Danton a shifty opportunist, prepared to sacrifice those values to his own ambition. This webinar reviews the evidence in both cases, and invite participants to reach their own conclusions.

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