Difference between revisions of "Jacobins"

The '''Jacobin Club''' was a radical society that existed during the [[French Revolution]] and the subsequent  [[Reign of Terror]]. The club had a high entrance fee for members and thus was mostly composed of wealthy [[bourgeoisie]] rather then the working classes and peasants. Despite this, the Jacobin leaders were practical and often were forced to make concessions to the working class ''sans-culottes'' in order to maintain their power base. The most influential Jacobin leader was [[Robespierre]] and under his rule, the Jacobins became the dominant power in revolutionary France for several years. Robespierre was later executed by the other members of the club in the [[Thermidorian Reaction]]. The word Jacobin is used today to describe an extreme radical willing to kill his opponents.