Was Robespierre in the pay of the British?
score:5
If we're going purely on the evidence presented in Elizabeth Sparrow's "Secret Service" then I'd say that Robespierre wasn't "acting as directed by a British paymaster". Sparrow seems to have researched her subject thoroughly, using not only British and French public and private archives but also others in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden.
The book essentially starts in 1792 with British efforts to manage their own house. The revolution in France had resulted in many French men and women travelling to Britain. Some were Royalist refugees and some were revolutionary agents (both spying on their British & French enemies and stirring up revolutionary feelings in the British lower classes). As a consequence, the British authorities had to put into place laws and establish their own 'police' to keep track of friend and foe, and work out which was which.
By the time that the British were sufficiently organised (in late 1794) to start to form networks of their own spies in Europe and in France itself, the Terror had run its course and Robespierre was dead. There's no mention of him being approached by the British, let alone taking money, or anything else, from them. In fact, he doesn't even merit an entry in the book's index.
Source: Secret Service, British Agents in France 1792-1815, E.Sparrow (Boydell Press, 1999)
Upvote:0
No, it is impossible out of pure logic.
While Robespierre was not yet the leader of the Committee of National Convention, he was not a terrorist. After he became one, together with Saint-Just he became practically a half-dictator of France and absolute rulers, sorry, cannot be bought by money. It would be too expensive.
He could be proposed safety, asylum, but even if he was a paid agent before he got to power, he would never remain one once he had got to it. How could he use these money? French money? Any number could be printed for the sake of revolution if he needed it. British pounds? Having them meant you are a traitor.
Even blackmailing wouldn't work - he could declare it a propaganda, and simply kill the possible witnesses in France. And witnesses outside were all absolutely irrelevant because of the isolation. Was Stalin afraid of any foreign accusations? No! - and USSR was much less isolated than revolutionary France.
As for evidences - His descendants surely could create heaps of them afterwards. And now we can't check them save by logic. Let us use it!
Beria in USSR was also declared as an English agent. I think, no there is not an intelligent being that believe in that. And be sure, there were evidences!
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