Question about Robespierre and The Terror

[fromrequired.livejournal.com]

 I don't have much knowledge about the French Revolution (as you can tell by looking at my userpic, I'm more of a WWII fangirl) but I'm greatly interested in it. 

So in my AP Euro History class, we had to watch this documentary about the French Revolution. I'll post a part of it below:

I'm sort of lost because I thought Robespierre originally was for the rights of the poor and the ordinary people? It doesn't seem plausible to me that he can just turn into a sanguinary dictator overnight. Even in my textbook it says that Robespierre killed everyone whom he deemed unfit for his "Republic of Virtue," but history is never that simple. I know, I study WWII ;)

Anyways, can y'all people enlighten me about the cause of The Terror and Robespierre's role in it? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.


EDIT: Here's the part that succeeds it. It basically describes the fall of Robespierre and says he inspired later dictatorships and revolutions. 

Comments

[francoisejeanne.livejournal.com]

"Then again, I don't see the necessity for the Cult of Supreme Being (indeed, I shouldn't judge him from a 21st century American perspective), but I guess that was one of his ways of achieving Rousseauian ideals."

I thought the same until I actually read The Social Contract. Then I realized how the idea of civil religion is completely reasonable and acceptable. Rousseau explained it really well.

Regarding your other questions, I can only agree with the previous posts. The Terror was a necessity no matter how harsh it sounds. People often forget the circumstances in France at that time. France was in danger in every way. So, as the French would say, à temps exceptionnel, mesures exceptionnelles. No matter what the revisionists might think of it...