Was Robespierre's fall due to rain?

July 27, 1794 was a very hot and humid day. Robespierre, best known as the Reign of Terror in France, planned to speak in an attempt to change public opinion against him. Because among those who took part in the French Revolution, there were rumors of a demise of the man who wielded "Terror." On the day of the speech, Robespierre was not feeling well and even his voice was faint. Just in time, a torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning scattered the crowd gathered to hear the speech. Losing his last chance, Robespierre was arrested by soldiers while writing an appeal to the Commune of Paris, and vanished at the dew of the guillotine that very day.

There is no history free from weather. The author looked at the effect of weather that appeared at every turning point in world history from ancient to modern times. In the summer of 1944, it was due to unusually calm waves and storms that the Allied Forces were able to land on Normandy during World War II. Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 was prevented mostly by the coldest winter and heavy snowfall in Russian history. It is interesting to note that the weather events, such as floods, droughts, and cold waves, has had a great impact on the prosperity or downfall of human societies.

The last case the author mentioned is the destructive hurricane Katrina, which struck the Atlantic Ocean in 2005. Katrina claimed 1,400 lives in New Orleans alone. New Orleans was equipped with various facilities to prevent flooding, such as levees, canals, and pumps. Katrina was a rude awakening for Americans who then realized that Mother Nature cannot be appeased by any advanced technology. Although the author admitted that humans have played a part in climate change, he wrote, "Climate can change suddenly, due to natural, non-human factors." It also reminded us that climate change repeats itself throughout human history.


beborn@donga.com