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In the spring of 1794, Revolutionary France was plagued with political strife.

By late March, the Girondins and the Hébertists (on the right and left respectively) had been purged and a power struggle was being waged between the (relatively) moderate Indulgents headed by Georges Danton and the extreme section of the Montagnards led by Maximilian Robespierre.

Finally on the night of March 30, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, and the rest of the Indulgents were arrested by Robespierre. Over the next few days, a public trial was held in which Danton and Desmoulins defended themselves publicly and won the support of the urban mob. The trial was highly political (on the charges of corruption which were possibly true) and the jury was rigged against him. Eventually, fearing Danton’s supporters would rally the sans-culottes mobs against the Montagnards, the judge ordered the trial to be carried out in the absence of the defendants and they were pronounced guilty swiftly after.

On the 5th of April 1794, Danton and his supporters were guillotined and the party of Robespierre reigned supreme. Only two months later, the extreme Montagnards would pursue the dechristianization of France and purge of opponents too vigorously and a coalition formed to oust them from power.

In late July, Robespierre, Saint-Juste, Couthon, and the rest of the radicals were overthrown in the famous Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory took over. After that, Napoleon would overthrow the Directory in the Coup of Brumaire and lead France to great triumphs and then to defeat and ruin.


My question posed here is this: what if Georges Danton either outmanouevered Robespierre first or the sans-culottes rallied to his side more actively and toppled Robespierre during his trial?

This could lead to all sorts of butterflies on French and world history. The Reign of Terror would have certainly been dialed down, Dechristianization would have been ceased, and the circumstances for the establishment of the Directory are gone. I find it unlikely the popular Danton would have provoked the disparate factions of French Politics to come together like they did in Thermidor so is it possible he holds on to power (but for how long?)

Would Napoleon have ever risen? Would Danton make peace with his enemies or continue the war? Perhaps some blunders like Egypt could be avoided and more energies be focused against different powers (the failed landing at Bantry Bay during the 1798 Rising in Ireland comes to mind).

I think it’s an interesting question that changes 19th century history in a big way. What do you guys think?
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