In your opinion, who were the true Thermidorians who supported Robespierre’s fall, approved of it, or truly despised him
I’m sorry, but I’ll surely forget quite a few names. Moreover, it's true that from a historical standpoint, some may be considered "good." Still, here are a few figures—though some are speculative due to the lack of written evidence:
Gilbert Romme, who supported the Cult of Reason and the de-priesting of certain figures like Gobel. Although he was absent during the Thermidorian events, it’s reasonable to assume he approved of Robespierre’s fall due to their deep religious disagreements.
Abbé Grégoire, who, I believe, approved of Robespierre’s downfall even if he didn't have a role in these.
Joseph Bodson, a Hébertist, was one of the most prominent and famous left-wing opponents of Thermidorian politics. He was one of the four key figures of the Club électoral alongside Varlet, Legray, and Babeuf, opposing the rightward turn of the Convention led by men like André Dumont, Fréron, Tallien, and a bit later, Guffroy. This group could be called "neo-Hébertists," though it was quite heterogeneous—especially since Varlet came from the Enragés faction. Another nickname was “the left-wing Thermidorians.” Bodson was close to Chaumette and Hébert and never forgave Robespierre for their executions, which even led to debates with his friend Babeuf when the latter resumed admiration for Robespierre. Later, Bodson became one of the main “lieutenants” of the Babouvist conspiracy and later a famous neo-Jacobin under the Directory. Unfortunately, I don’t know what became of him under the Consulate or when he died.
The Babouvist Hébertists Clémence and Marchand.
Albertine Marat, though not involved in Thermidor, deeply disliked Robespierre and believed her brother (Jean-Paul Marat) was in no way comparable to him. She preferred Danton, although it’s quite clear she fully supported theClub électoral (which is not incompatible with her leftist political stance for example Pache—according to Pierquin—was an Hébertist who reportedly regretted for the rest of his life that he failed to reconcile the Dantonists and Hébertists). Albertine wrote a letter against Fréron, which Babeuf published in his newspaper (possibly also targeting Guffroy), and she even offered refuge to Babeuf with Simone Simone Évrard during his political break with Guffroy according to him . (For more on this, see this link).
Marie-Angélique née Lequesne, widow of Ronsin and later wife of General Turreau. According to "Mémoires, 1760–1820" by Jean-Balthazar de Bonardi du Ménil, she was imprisoned on 1 Germinal during the repression of the Hébertists but released in Brumaire Year III. She returned to ultra-revolutionary circles and married Turreau, a former associate of Ronsin in the Vendée operations. In Vendémiaire Year V, she was seen dressed as an Amazon at the head of a column of Jacobins from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, congratulating the Directory on its victory. According to Raymonde Monnier, she was a subscriber to Le Tribun du Peuple, suggesting strong ties to the Left Electoral Club. Ironically, her husband later became the adoptive father of Babeuf’s son—I wonder what role she played in that. Given her support for dechristianization and her first husband Ronsin’s execution, she likely disliked Robespierre. Still, she should be seen as a sincere revolutionary opponent. Geneanet (though to be taken cautiously because they said false things) claims she even served as a canteen woman in the french army during the Belgian campaign. Her Amazonian persona and opposition to the Directory’s right-wing policies, despite many hardships, make her seem like a female counterpart to Drouet during this period for me (though Drouet opposed Thermidor and was absent, being imprisoned by the Austrians). Later, like Drouet, she rallied to Bonaparte. She had flaws, of course, but I still include her here. I’ll write a separate post about her—there’s much to explore about her character, strengths, and weaknesses.
Cambon. Although he participated in Thermidor, he was previously one of the most progressive figures on the Committee of Finances. He pushed for policies like forced loans, effectively taxing the wealthy. He considered the Committee of Public Safety too lax and became one of Robespierre’s opponents after the latter’s speech on 8 Thermidor. He played a role in Robespierre’s fall but remained loyal to Montagnard principles. He opposed Tallien and company from the outset and, even when isolated as one of the “Crêtois,” gave a speech in support of them. He paid for his convictions with exile after the Year III uprisings to avoid arrest. It’s worth noting that some historians say he regretted Robespierre’s execution.
Pierre Antoine Antonelle, best friend of Félix Le Peletier and a former noble as committed as he was. A far-left juror on the Revolutionary Tribunal, later an important Babouvist and neo-Jacobin, he was a staunch opponent of the Directory and later of Bonaparte. I’ve written about him here: Antonelle’s political career His role as a juror Although these posts don’t cover his entire career. According to historian Pierre Serna, he strongly disliked Robespierre—and the feeling was mutual. Serna claims Robespierre was among those responsible for Antonelle’s arrest.
I’ve forgotten many more (so don't hesitate to add others people), but my aim was to show that there were numerous politically left-leaning figures—sometimes even further left than Robespierre—who either contributed to his fall, approved of it, or simply disliked him. This doesn’t mean Robespierre was bad—on the contrary. The problem is that the "black legend" surrounding him remains so strong, despite the work historians have done to rehabilitate his image, that we often focus more on refuting falsehoods about him than on understanding the sincere revolutionaries who opposed him—some of whom were even more socially radical or politically committed.
Sources:
Antoine Resche
Pierre Serna
Jean Jaurès
Dommanget
Jean-Marc Schiappa
Raymonde Monnier
Tomasso Jean-Jacques
To learn more about Drouet, whom I mentioned earlier, you can visit this link: https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/789529983972507649/life-of-drouet-jean-baptiste?source=share
And for Varlet, Bodson, and Legray, check this article (although it's in French, you can translate it if needed): https://shs.cairn.info/revue-annales-historiques-de-la-revolution-francaise-2014-2-page-179?lang=fr&tab=texte-integral
