table: opposition to the Terror

left-wing: herbert and his followers, the hebertistes, used to support the radical ideas of the revolutionary government. hebert’s left-wing newspaper ‘Le Pere Duchesne’ advocated the execution of more hoarders and the redistribution of property. the hebertistes didn’t have many supporters in the actual convention but did amongst the paris commune, the revolutionary armies and the sans-culottes. robespierre resented their political extremism and even felt their leading part in the de-christianisation measure of the ‘Religious Terror’ had taken things too far, turning Catholics against the Republic

• hebert tried to become marat’s successor after marat’s assassination in july 1793

• hebertists grew in popularity » increasing influence worrying for danton and robespierre (esp coz of hebertists’ atheism)

• dec 1793: camille desmoulins: defamed the hebertists in Le Vieux Cordelier » bitterness between camille and hebert = downfall of both

• hebertists attempted to revolt (like the 1 for the girondins’ downfall)

• strengthen because extreme on this side’s influence lessened by newspaper

right-wing: opposition from the right, centred around georges danton, a former colleague of robespierre in the cps and a leading montagnard/jacobin, and camille desmoulins, a jacobin journalist. danton headed up a new movement known as the indulgents, who wished to see a relaxation of the Terror and end the centralisation of power imposed during this period. to do this, danton argued that the revolutionary wars must come to an end, as they were a primary cause of the Terror. in desmoulins’ newspaper ‘Le Vieux Cordelier’, he called for the release of ‘200,000 citizens who are called suspects’. danton had a far larger following in the convention than hebert and there were worries that his call for an end to the Terror and the wars might pave the way for the return of the monarchy.

• danton resigned from the cps in july 1793

• political opponents raise long-standing allegation about danton’s corruption n bribe-taking

• many believed that danton was now trying to become political leader/king