The maximum number of members of the Committee of Public Safety was 12. The committee began with nine members in April 1793 before the National Convention expanded it to twelve.
Created during a military and political emergency, the committee was intended to coordinate France’s defense and supervise the government. Its authority grew rapidly during the Reign of Terror, especially after the Law of 14 Frimaire centralized administration under its direction.
The committee did not always contain the same individuals. Members were elected by the National Convention and could be replaced, so the membership changed over time even though its established maximum was twelve. Important figures included Maximilien Robespierre, Lazare Carnot, Bertrand Barère, and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just.
The Committee of Public Safety is often confused with the Committee of General Security, which handled policing and political surveillance. The two bodies sometimes clashed, but they were separate institutions. The Committee of Public Safety was dissolved in October 1795 as the National Convention gave way to the Directory.