Conspiracy of Equals

Quick Facts: Who was Conspiracy of Equals?

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Conspiracy of Equals

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Failed 1796 coup advocating absolute equality and abolition of private property in revolutionary France.

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Origins & Early Life

The Conspiracy of the Equals (French: Conjuration des Égaux) of May 1796 was a failed coup d'etat during the French Revolution. It was led by François-Noël Babeuf, who wanted to overthrow the Directory and replace it with an egalitarian and proto-socialist republic, inspired by Jacobin ideals. It was the attempts of the Directory to deal with the economic crisis that gave Babeuf his historical importance. The new government was pledged to abolish the system by which Paris was fed at the expense of all France, and the cessation of the distribution of bread and meat at nominal prices was fixed for 20 February 1796. The announcement caused the most widespread consternation.

Career & Major Achievements

Not only were the workmen and the large class of proletarians attracted to Paris by the system, but rentiers and government officials, whose incomes were paid in assignats on a scale arbitrarily fixed by the government, saw themselves threatened with starvation. The government yielded to the outcry; but the expedients by which it sought to mitigate the evil, notably the division of those entitled to relief into classes, only increased the alarm and discontent. The universal misery gave point to virulent attacks by Babeuf on the existing order, and gained him a hearing. He gathered around him a small circle of followers known as the Societé des égaux, soon merged with the rump of the Jacobin Club, who met at the Panthéon; and in November 1795 he was reported by the police to be openly preaching "insurrection, revolt, and the constitution of 1793". Seven men joined Babeuf to direct the conspiracy: Philippe Buonarroti, Augustin Alexandre Darthé, Sylvain Maréchal (who was in charge of writing The Manifesto of the Equals), Félix Lepeletier, Pierre-Antoine Antonelle, Debon, and Georges Grisel.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

A network of military agents was created by Jean Antoine Rossignol, who placed revolutionary agents in every district of Paris. Philippe Buonarroti’s works L’analyse de la Doctrine de Babouf and La response a M.V. both demonstrate why he can be considered "the major theoretician and ideologue of the Equals movement". Buonarroti believed that taking any political stance implied even taking action. He was one of the major exponents of Leftism at the end of the 18th Century, in France. Babeuf and he were both inside Plessis Jail in 1797.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1795: 1795 Milestone — He gathered around him a small circle of followers known as the Societé des égaux, soon merged with the rump of the Jacobin Club, who met at the Panthéon; and in November 1795 he was reported by the police to be openly preaching "insurrection, revolt, and the constitution of 1793".
2. 1796: 1796 Milestone — The Conspiracy of the Equals (French: Conjuration des Égaux) of May 1796 was a failed coup d'etat during the French Revolution.
3. 1797: 1797 Milestone — Babeuf and he were both inside Plessis Jail in 1797.

Notable Quotes by Conspiracy of Equals

“We aspire to live and die equal, the way we were born: we want real equality or death; this is what we need. And we’ll have this real equality, at whatever the cost.” (1796)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Conspiracy of Equals

True or False: “The Conspiracy of the Equals advocated for universal equality that included colonial slaves in its foundational principles.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Manifesto of the Equals only championed equality for those they considered the 'People of France' and failed to include colonial slaves.

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