During the Terror, which body centralized executive power, and who was its most influential leader?

• A. The National Convention, led by Danton
• B. The Jacobin Club, led by Robespierre
• C. The Directory, led by Carnot
• D. The Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre

Answer: (D)

During the Terror, executive power was centralized in the Committee of Public Safety, which acted as the de facto government directing war, policing internal security, and enforcing revolutionary measures. Its most influential leader was Robespierre, whose dominance over the committee and its policies defined the period. The National Convention set the powers of the committee, but daily decisions and the enforcement of the Terror came from the Committee of Public Safety itself. The Jacobin Club was a radical faction, not the governing body; the Directory arose later after Robespierre’s fall; Danton and Carnot were important figures but did not control the central executive in this era. Thus, the combination of centralized executive authority in the Committee of Public Safety and Robespierre’s leadership best explains who ran the Terror.