Jacobins

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The Society of Friends of the Constitution, more commonly known as the Jacobin Club, was a radical left-wing political party during the French Revolution.

It got its name from the place where they were regularly meeting three times a week, the church of convent near the National Assembly building, which monks were reformed Dominicans who were also called the Jacobins. The club was initially formed by Breton deputies in 1789. Other deputies, non-deputies and even foreign nationals immediately joined and it grew to over 7000 chapters with nearly half a million members.

During the constitutional monarchy, which they supported, the Jacobins' main enemies were the dominant party, the moderate Girondins, whom they eventually toppled, along with former King Louis XVI in 1793.

For the first two years of its existence, the party was more politically moderate than it would later become, and was lead by the Assassin Mentor, the Comte de Mirabeau. However, after his death in 1791, the club was taken over by and served as the main guise of the Templar Order's radical faction under the leadership of François-Thomas Germain, who fought for supremacy with the Order's conservative wing led by Élise de la Serre, daughter of the usurped Grand Master François de la Serre. Many moderate members founded their own party around this time, the Feuillants.

When the Jacobins prevailed against the Girondins in June 1793, Germain gave the reins of government to a fellow Templar, Maximilien de Robespierre, who initiated the Reign of Terror, wherein thousands of French people were executed on increasingly questionable charges. The Jacobins, under Robespierre and backed by common Parisians, ruled the country for nearly a year.

As the citizens turned against the Jacobins, Robespierre was hunted by Élise and her adopted brother, the Assassin Arno Dorian, both of whom were seeking vengeance against Germain for Grand Master de la Serre's death and reasoned Robespierre would be the most likely to know where he was. Robespierre was captured by revolutionaries on July 27th 1794, but was freed by his supporters as he was being escorted to prison.

Pursued by Arno, he subsequently fled to the Hôtel de Ville where he sought refuge until reinforcements arrived, but was discovered by Arno, who was soon joined by Élise. When Robespierre refused to tell them anything, Élise shot him in the jaw and told him to write instead. Robespierre finally disclosed that Germain was hiding in the Temple. With this information, Élise and Arno left, unseen, just as revolutionaries arrived to arrest Robespierre.

The following day, Robespierre was guillotined, and a less radical government was established under the Directory. In the evening next day, a crowd lead by Théroigne de Méricourt raided a Jacobin hideout. Remaining Jacobins planned to flee through tunnels to Corsica with an Italian help but Arno with fellow Assassins killed their leaders. The Jacobin party collapsed without Robespierre's leadership, and it was closed and outlawed in November 1794. Though attempts were made to re-establish it in various forms as late as 1799, none lasted more than a few months.

Notable Jacobins

• Maximilien de Robespierre (leader)
• François Hanriot
• Georges Danton
• Didier Paton
• Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras
• Aloys La Touche
• Jean-Paul Marat
• Jacques Pierre Brissot
• Toussaint Louverture
• Jacques-Louis David
• Frédéric Rouille
• Antoine Fouquier-Tinville
• Charles Cochon de Lapparent
• Madeline Leclair
• Philippe Rose
• Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau (formerly)
• Théroigne de Méricourt (formerly)
• Chauvelin
• Louis Antoine de Saint-Just
• Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
• Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Unity