Committee of General Security
Encyclopedia
The Committee of General Security was a French parliamentary committee which acted as police agency during the French Revolution
that, along with the Committee of Public Safety
, oversaw the Reign of Terror
.
The Committee supervised the local police committees in charge of investigating reports of treason
, and was one of the agencies with authority to refer suspects to the Revolutionary Tribunal
with authority to execute by guillotine
.
The Committee of General Security was established as a committee of the National Convention
in October 1792. It was designed to protect the Revolutionary Republic from its internal enemies.
By 1794 the Committee became part of the opposition to Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety and elements were involved in the 9 Thermidor coup d'etat
.
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
that, along with the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
, oversaw the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
.
The Committee supervised the local police committees in charge of investigating reports of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, and was one of the agencies with authority to refer suspects to the Revolutionary Tribunal
Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal was a court which was instituted in Paris by the Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders, and eventually became one of the most powerful engines of the Reign of Terror....
with authority to execute by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
.
The Committee of General Security was established as a committee of the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
in October 1792. It was designed to protect the Revolutionary Republic from its internal enemies.
By 1794 the Committee became part of the opposition to Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety and elements were involved in the 9 Thermidor coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
.
Prominent members
- Marc-Guillaume Alexis VadierMarc-Guillaume Alexis VadierMarc-Guillaume Alexis Vadier was a French politician of the French Revolution.-Early career:Son of a wealthy family in Pamiers, Ariège, he served in the army of the king Louis XV, taking part in the Seven Years' War and the Battle of Rossbach on 5 November 1757...
- Jacques-Louis DavidJacques-Louis DavidJacques-Louis David was an influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era...
- Jean-Pierre-André AmarJean-Pierre-André AmarJean-Pierre-André Amar or Jean-Baptiste-André Amar was a French political figure of the Revolution.-Early activities:...
- Philippe-François-Joseph Le BasPhilippe-François-Joseph Le BasPhilippe-François-Joseph Le Bas was a French revolutionary.- Life :The son of a notary, intendant to the prince de Rache, avocat to the parliament of 1789, companion and collaborator of Saint-Just, in 1792 Le Bas was elected député to the National Convention for the Pas-de-Calais, sitting among...
- Jean-Henri VoullandJean-Henri VoullandJean-Henri Voulland was a politician of the French Revolution. Originating from a Protestant family, he originally studied law. One of his offices was as deputy for Gard in the National Convention, to which role he was elected on 5 September 1792. In September 1793 he was elected as a member of...