What are some of the contributions Robespierre brought to society?

Question

This is for a homework paper. Please don't answer anything about creating mass terror, I know that... reasonable answers only please. What aspects of French society did he start, or create, or... you know, what significant contributions to society did Robespierre bring?

Thanks to all answerers!

Oui. Thanks to my first two reviewers, but I wasn't asking about Robespierre's character, but rather how his influence in the Revolution affected French society. I've got some help from friends: free thought, freedom of the press, personal liberty for citizens, equal taxation, and whatnot... Can anyone answering this question add any more?

Answer 1

Hmmm - - - am hard pressed to say anything nice about Robespierre. He was a prickly arrogant tyrant who spoke grandly about Liberty & Democracy while scheming and intriguing his way to a position as Dictator. His main contribution was to form a network of spies who were quick to denoune citizens as being subversives. Robespierre was a near perfect role model for Stalin and Hitler, all accept that part about being guiliottined....
If you want lofty ideas then read Rousseau, it was his lofty ideas & rhetoric Robespierre regurgitated in his efforts to seize power and to empower his use of the guiliottine to kill thousands. Robespierre contributed nothing but death to soiety.

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/robespierre.html

http://www.loyno.edu/history/journal/1983-4/mcletchie.htm
"""A final problem is found in Robespierre's epithet, "the Incorruptible." He was smug, self-righteous, honest, and, by all accounts, contemporary and modern, completely and incorruptibly moral; the kind of man others almost love to hate. His own personal integrity was instrumental in formulating much of his policy. Robespierre desired to found the French Republic on his own high moral standards of integrity and virtue. <7> R. R. Palmer ascribes to him the virtues and faults of an inquisition: he allowed no room in himself for the possibility of error, and those disagreeing with him were seen as purely wrong; he was generally quick to denounce his opponents by calling their motives into question and charging them with self-serving motivations, of which he himself was, of course, entirely free""

(was NOT , he was very self serving)

Peace.............

Answer 2

Well, he ruled by terror, helped by a kind of secret police operation. He was not the first person in history to do so but certainly France had never experienced that type of regime before.

Answer 3

A quick and painless method of mass murder, the guillotine.