What were the main reasons for Robespierre's fall from power?

• A. His military defeats in Italy.
• B. He voluntarily abdicated due to health.
• C. Growing opposition within the Convention, fear that he would execute more opponents, and disagreements over the direction of the Revolution, culminating in Thermidor.
• D. Financial scandals.

Answer: (C)

The fall of Robespierre was driven by political opposition inside the National Convention and a fear that his continued use of terror would sweep away more opponents, culminating in the Thermidor coup. By 1794, many deputies and powerful groups—faced with ongoing executions and a direction of the Revolution they no longer supported—began to see Robespierre as the threat, not the savior, of the republic. His relentless denunciations and accusations of conspiracies against various leaders helped create a climate of fear and distrust, pushing allies and rivals alike to resist him. When the Convention and other power centers united to curtail his authority, they orchestrated his arrest and removal, marking a turning point that replaced Radical Jacobin control with a more conservative Thermidorian regime. This sequence—political consolidation by opponents and fear of further purges—best explains his fall, rather than military defeats or financial scandals.