Other meanings of Committee of Public Safety
History
The Committee of Public Safety (French: Comité de salut public), created in April 1793 by the National Convention, was the de facto executive government of France during the Reign of Terror, a period of the French Revolution characterized by mass conscription and political repression. It was tasked with defending the nation against foreign and domestic enemies, and it wielded near-absolute power until its dissolution in 1795.
The Committee of Public Safety was created on 6 April 1793 by the National Convention, in the midst of military defeats and internal revolts. Its initial purpose was to supervise the executive council and to coordinate war efforts, but it quickly evolved into the central authority of the revolutionary government.1 The committee was composed of nine members (later expanded to twelve), elected monthly by the Convention, and was intended to be a temporary measure to address the crisis.
The committee exercised broad executive and legislative powers, including the direction of military operations, the administration of justice, and the implementation of revolutionary laws. It oversaw the Reign of Terror, which aimed to suppress counter-revolutionary activities through mass arrests and executions. The committee also managed the economy, including the requisition of food supplies and the enforcement of the Maximum, a price control measure.
Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Danton, and Jean-Paul Marat were among the most prominent members, though Marat was assassinated in July 1793. The committee was divided into factions, notably the Montagnards (radicals) and the Dantonists (moderates), leading to internal power struggles. Robespierre's influence grew until his fall in July 1794 (Thermidorian Reaction).
From September 1793 to July 1794, the committee orchestrated the Reign of Terror, during which tens of thousands of suspected enemies of the revolution were executed, including Queen Marie Antoinette and many former revolutionaries. The Law of Suspects (17 September 1793) allowed for the arrest of anyone suspected of counter-revolutionary activity.2 The committee also established the Revolutionary Tribunal, which conducted swift trials.
Beyond its notorious repression, the committee played a crucial role in military innovation, introducing the levée en masse (mass conscription) which created a large, motivated army that turned the tide against foreign invaders. It also promoted scientific and educational reforms, such as the creation of the metric system and the establishment of the École Polytechnique. The committee's correspondence with provincial representatives on mission (représentants en mission) reveals a complex network of surveillance and administration.
The committee's power waned after the fall of Robespierre on 27 July 1794 (9 Thermidor). The Thermidorian Reaction led to the dismantling of the Terror and the reduction of the committee's authority. In 1795, the National Convention replaced the committee with a new executive structure, the Directory, marking the end of the revolutionary government.3
The Committee of Public Safety remains a symbol of revolutionary governance and the dangers of unchecked executive power.
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