Interview Script

Andrew Shaw: And Im Andrew, tonight on

60 minutes we get straight into the life of a
man who changed the history of France, he
was a killer of thousands but an inspiration
for millions and was leader of a revolution
yes it is the one and only Maximilien
Robespierre who returns to tell us his story,
we will be interviewing him by a video link.
Andrew: Maximilien Robespierre, now I
believe your childhood was a struggle with
losing your parents at a young age, tell us a
bit about your childhood and how did it
affect your early life?
Robespierre: Well I was born in Arras on
May 6th 1758, my mother Jacqueline
Marguerite Robespierre died when I was six
years old and my father Franois de
Robespierre left soon after her death. It
was really hard when my mother died but
my little brother Augustin Robespierre and I
were really lucky that my grandparents
took us in. After this Tragedy I took
advantage of my education and graduated
from Lyce Louis-le-Grand in 1781 with a

law degree, during my childhood I read

books from Jean-Jacques Rousseau which I
found was a great inspiration on everything
that I stood up for.
Andrew: It must have been awful growing
up with no parents, but your law degree
lead you to becoming a part of the national
committee and alos receiving the nickname
Incorruptible How did you get this
nickname and would you describe yourself
as this:
Robespierre: I got this nickname from
defending the poorest of France and for my
devotion to strict moral values. I would
describe myself as the Incorruptible
because of my wilfulness for all people to
have the same rights that it doesnt matter
if youre a peasant or a king. Also how I was
zealous for everything that I believed in
and that the people saw me as someone
that would not break and I wouldnt.
Andrew: Wow that is amazing and it even
got better from there, on the 27th of June in
1793 it was announced that you were
elected president of the national committee
unanimously, why do you believe you were
elected virtually unopposed?

Robespierre: I believe that I was voted

unanimously because I offered the clearest
vision for France that the national
committee could support. Part of that
vision was that I wanted to get rid of the
absolute Monarchy and replace it with a
republic. Also because I supported the
declaration of the rights of man and of the
citizen, I also opposed the royal veto, the
abuses of ministerial power, and religious
and racial discrimination. Its for these
reasons in why I was elected unanimously.
Andrew: Well when you were president of
the national committee what were your
main ambitions for France and how did you
accomplish them?
Robespierre: My ambition for France was to
have a republic not a Monarchy, so that the
people of France could have freedom and
not feel that they are in bondage with
slavery or the church. Part of the dream for
France is to get rid of the church and
change the months, this all can be
accomplished with fear.

Andrew: But for these dreams to work some

boundaries had to be broken, it is said that
when you were in the national committee
you were against the death penalty, but
recently after you had become president of
the national committee you had a change of
heart towards this, why did you all of a
sudden start using the death penalty?
Robespierre: Yes I did have a change of
heart to the death penalty because the
political situation between the years 17891792 became very weakened and there
were many failures to set up a legal
Monarchy under king Louie the 16th, this
left me with no choice to use the death
penalty to get the people under control.
Andrew: Yes but from using the death
penalty you were the reason for the deaths
of 40,000 people in the age of terror, why
did you kill all of those people.
Robespierre: I killed all those people
because between 1793 and 1794 I wanted
to make sure that the revolution would stay
together, the only way I knew how to do
this was using the method of fear. Fear
would keep the revolution alive, it changed
the monarchy, it consolidated power, it kept

the monarchy from restoring its old self and

controlled the population not to have any
uprisings. That is why I killed all those
people, it was for France.

Andrew: But not only was it just killing in

the age of terror, it is said you also got rid
of the church and replaced it with a new
religion, why did you get rid of the church
and what religion did you replace the
church with?
Robespierre: The church was starting to
look suspicious, its private worship nature
seemed incompatible with values of the
revolution, which looked threating to the
revolution. Also the pope refused to
approve the constitution which even made
the national committee even more
suspicious of the church plus the growing
criticism from members of the national
committee started to cast thoughts on that
the church did not support the revolution,
so immediately the church had to be
removed. But after the Catholic Church was
taken away and most of France Catholic I
had to introduce a new God for the public
to believe in, it was called the Cult of the
Supreme Being was made by me to

educate and enlighten the French people

since the Catholic Church was removed
from the French society. This religion would
educate the French people about the
fundamental connections between religion,
morality and citizenship from participating
in the ceremonies. In the end the French
people were not enthusiastic about this
new religion which was a shame.
Andrew: but shortly after you got rid of the
church you were imprisoned by the national
committee on the 26th of July in 1794, why
and how were you arrested.
Robespierre: I was arrested because the
national committee became very suspicious
of me after I executed my best friends
Danton and Desmoulins, I did this because
they were so popular with the people that it
started to become dangerous, they could
give one single command and the people
would listen, I lost trust in them and I only
had suspicion for them, I thought they were
out to get me so I reacted by putting them
on trial. So from executing them the people
were furious not just for them but for all
the other people I executed, I also tried
them unfairly, but I wasnt just suspicious

of my friends I was also suspicious of the

national committee of public safety
members so suspicious I made a list of
names of who I thought was an antirevolutionist in the convention, so I gave a
speech telling the committees members
that I have a knew list of names and that
these names are national committee
members, then I said I would reveal them
tomorrow the Committee immediately
screamed at me with anger and started to
see me as a dictator and because of this
and the fear of their lifes members from
the national committee allied together to
put me under arrest before I could read the
names on the list.
Andrew: When imprisoned how did you
escape and what happened after the
escape?
Robespierre: After they arrested me and my
allies they took me in the Luxemburg prison
in Paris, but luckily the warden of the
prison refused to jail me there so I ended
up being jailed at the Hotel de Ville, which
is where two armed supporters of mine
broke me out, they wanted me to lead an
armed insurrection against the government
but I refused. After I escaped I immediately

became an outlaw, after this my two

supporters committed suicide to avoid
arrest, I myself attempted suicide but only
succeeded in shattering my jaw and
becoming mute.
Andrew: Then I believe after this you were
taken to be executed, Mr Robespierre my
last question to you is what do you think
were the achievements of the French
revolution?
Robespierre: Well the French revolution
overall was an achievement for France it
changed the social, economic, religion and
political systems. The achievements on the
political side of things were great, the
declaration of rights had been made three
times, France finally had democracy and the
absolute monarchy was demolished giving
the French people freedom and rights. And
for the first time in France the dream of
free land came true, people werent under
the control of nobles anymore and the
Catholic Church remained. These are just
some of the achievements of the French
revolution.

Robespierre: Im Maximilien Robespierre

that is my story
Andrew: Thank you for your time Mr
Robespierre. That is all for 60 minutes
tonight Im Andrew Shaw goodnight