Conspiracy of the Equals

Conspiracy of the Equals
A 1796 engraving, denigrating the conspiracy (1796)
Native name Conjuration des Égaux
DateMay 1796
LocationFrance
TypePolitical plot
CauseDissatisfaction with the Directory
Organised byFrançois-Noël Babeuf
Philippe Buonarroti
Sylvain Maréchal
OutcomeConspiracy discovered and repressed
Arrests245 presumed conspirators
SentenceCapital punishment

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.