I don't like that documentary very much. It leaves out too many important things/events/people and is generally more like a (very brief) summary of the Revolution. If you want to learn more about Robespierre or the French Revolution in general, you should perhaps read something about it. There are many books available in English that deal with the Terror... Palmer's "Twelve who Ruled" is probably the best.


I agree with what has already been said: Robespierre was not a "sanguinary dictator". He was an idealist who supported the rights of the poor and oppressed. The Terror was a reaction to the double threat of war external war (with half of Europe) and civil war organized by the aristocracy/clergy (for example in the Vendée). It is impossible to understand why the Terror happened without keeping this circumstances in mind. Robespierre (and others too, it's not like he was the only person to support the Terror!) advocated the use of "terreur" (not "reign of terror", that phrase was invented by historians) to deal with the counterrevolutionary threat. I'm not saying that everyone who was guillotined in year II actually was a counterrevolutionary or that they all deserved to die. But you should keep in mind why it happened and that it would be too easy to just blame Robespierre for everything when the situation at that time was very difficult and complex.