Committee of Public Safety

The Committee of Public Safety (Comité de salut public) became a central organ during the French Revolution. Instituted on 6 April 1793 by the National Convention, it replaced the earlier Committee of General Defence. This body was initially meant to provide protection against internal and external enemies of the Revolution. As the revolutionary fervor intensified, the Committee's power grew immensely. 

The Committee consisted of twelve members, who were elected monthly by the National Convention. Some of its famous leaders included Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Danton, and Lazare Carnot. Their responsibilities extended across various domains such as military, judicial, and economic matters, often overriding other governmental agencies. The members concentrated on national defense (with a particular focus on confronting coalitions of European monarchies), ensuring the stability of the new revolutionary government, and maintaining public order.

Under Robespierre's influence, the Committee adopted radical policies, leading to the Reign of Terror (5 September 1793 – 28 July 1794). During this period, thousands of perceived enemies of the state (including aristocrats, clerics, and political dissidents) were arrested and executed by guillotine. The Law of Suspects (17 September 1793) broadened the definitions of political crimes, leading to widespread arrests and suspicion even among former revolutionaries.

This apparatus wielded significant control over the revolutionary army, managing conscription, supplies, and strategies. Carnot, known as the "Organizer of Victory," played a crucial role in reforming and strengthening the French military forces. Additionally, the Committee implemented measures to control prices and food supplies, known as the Law of the General Maximum (29 September 1793), to curb inflation and prevent famine amidst the economic turmoil.

The Committee operated within a highly centralized system, rendering it almost dictatorial by the height of its power. Its extensive network of agents and officials ensured compliance and quashed dissent across the nation. Regularly, the Committee communicated its decrees and policies through emissaries, solidifying its dominion over France's revolutionary governance.

However, the fall of Robespierre on 28 July 1794 marked a decline in the Committee's influence. The Thermidorian Reaction (which followed Robespierre's execution) saw a reduction in the Committee's powers and a gradual move towards a more balanced government. The Reign of Terror's excesses led to a backlash against those who had enforced its policies, diminishing the Committee's grip over the French political landscape.

Throughout its tenure, the Committee of Public Safety played a crucial role in shaping the course of the French Revolution. Its policies and actions significantly affected the trajectory of revolutionary France, demonstrating the complexities and challenges of maintaining a radical government in times of social upheaval.

• The Committee of Public Safety was established on 6 April 1793, originally intended to protect the Revolution from its enemies both inside and outside France; it became synonymous with the Reign of Terror.
• Maximilien Robespierre, a prominent member of the Committee, believed in the importance of virtue and terror; he famously stated, 'Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible.'
• At its peak, the Committee of Public Safety had nearly 30 members, including renowned figures such as Georges Danton and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just; however, power often concentrated in the hands of a few dominant leaders.
• The Committee essentially governed France during the most tumultuous times of the Revolution, overseeing the establishment of the revolutionary government and implementing radical policies, including the draft that forced conscription of young men into military service.
• One of the most notorious accomplishments of the Committee was the establishment of revolutionary tribunals, which expedited trials for alleged counter-revolutionaries; these courts executed thousands in a swift, ruthless manner.