I couldn't pass up a chance to comment on this since I listed him as one of my interests and stumbled across this discussion while browsing.
Some months ago I was lucky enough to find a copy of Arthur Conte's biography of Billaud-Varenne (_Billaud-Varenne, Geant de la Revolution_) and I was left with the impression of a man who had a very clear idea of where he wanted the Revolution to go and how to get it there (According to Conte BV was way ahead of the other major players in wanting to get rid of the monarchy, for example).
Up until the elimination of Danton it was a question of things not going far enough. But then with Hebert and then Robespierre it became a matter of things going too far off track...as much as it was also a matter of self-preservation. The problem was that even if, from BV's poing of view, the Robespierre faction had to be disposed of control could not be maintained without it...and so BV also ended up falling. But at least he kept his head in Haiti!
Re: Billaud-Varenne
Some months ago I was lucky enough to find a copy of Arthur Conte's biography of Billaud-Varenne (_Billaud-Varenne, Geant de la Revolution_) and I was left with the impression of a man who had a very clear idea of where he wanted the Revolution to go and how to get it there (According to Conte BV was way ahead of the other major players in wanting to get rid of the monarchy, for example).
Up until the elimination of Danton it was a question of things not going far enough. But then with Hebert and then Robespierre it became a matter of things going too far off track...as much as it was also a matter of self-preservation. The problem was that even if, from BV's poing of view, the Robespierre faction had to be disposed of control could not be maintained without it...and so BV also ended up falling. But at least he kept his head in Haiti!