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8 June 1794Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

The Cult of the Supreme Being

Robespierre stages a state religion and casts himself as its high priest

On the timeline · around 8 June 1794 · Thermidor to BrumaireRepublic and TerrorThermidor to BrumaireThe Cult of the Supreme Being17941795

Quick facts

Location
Champ de Mars, Paris
Date
8 June 1794
Attendance
Over half a million
Central figure
Maximilien Robespierre, as high priest

What happened

Uneasy with the Hebertists' atheism, Robespierre pushed the Convention in May 1794 to recognize the existence of a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul as revolutionary doctrine. On 8 June 1794, over half a million people attended a Festival of the Supreme Being centered on an artificial mountain built on the Champ de Mars. Robespierre, dressed for the occasion, played the role of high priest, a display of personal prominence that struck many observers, including fellow deputies, as an unsettling bid for religious as well as political authority.

Why it matters

The festival's scale and Robespierre's central role in it deepened suspicion among other Convention deputies that he intended to set himself above the collective leadership the Committee of Public Safety was supposed to embody. That suspicion fed directly into the conspiracy that would remove him from power seven weeks later.

How we know

World History Encyclopedia's account of the festival, including the attendance figure and Robespierre's role as high priest, is drawn from contemporary description of the Champ de Mars ceremony.

Sources

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