Golden Youth

In the wake of the events of Thermidor 1794 and the fall of Robespierre groups of young people assembled to attack known Jacobins and sans-culottes.  These middle class youths would often be accompanied by Merveilleuses, young women of similar political and class background.

Some of these Youth were released prisoners or soldiers who had deserted.  Their political views ranged from monarchists, conservative republicans or simply people who been maltreated by the Revolution.  For a time they were associated with Louis-Marie Stanislas Fréron who made use of them to further his political ambitions.