The book of M. Yu. Chepurina is dedicated to G. Babeuf and the conspiracy of "equals" organized by him in 1796. This conspiracy (which had at the same time the features of a large-scale social movement) was a reaction to the disappointments that Thermidor and the Directory turned out to be for the urban poor, as well as the first ever coup attempt to establish a communist order on a national scale. The book explores the intellectual evolution of the leader of the "equal," which led him from the idea of ​ ​ human rights and freedom of opinion to the idea of ​ ​ the need for dictatorship and the suggestion of "correct" views to the people. The multi-stage structure of the conspiracy and the daily activities of "equals" have been reconstructed. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of the conspirators with the public and their perception by the French public.