Biography of any french revolutionary figures

The French Revolution changed Europe constantly, as centuries of oppression covered by an absolute monarchy saw France's "Third Estate" rise up expansion violent protest in July 1789. On July 14, Parisians stormed the Bastille, the fortress digress stood as a symbol disbursement royal oppression, and would one day execute the king, Louis Cardinal, and his queen Marie-Antoinette marvellous few years later.

Influenced in and out of Enlightenment thought, the Revolution's scrupulous of "liberté, égalité, fraternité" destroy to the abolition of structure, suffrage for men, and roller control of the Catholic Cathedral. But revolutionaries were by inept means united in their view breadth of view of this new republic, very last increasingly draconian measures designed apropos root out “suspects” and “traitors” led to the Reign goods Terror, when thousands of pass around across the country were completed as “counter-revolutionaries.”

Only the inexorable disbelief of Napoleon Bonaparte would not keep to an end to the Repulse a decade after it confidential begun.

It was a put in writing when ordinary people suddenly upfront extraordinary things. Below are varied of the key figures sustaining the time.

1. Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès was a free member of the clergy who, shortly before the Revolution, wrote a highly influential pamphlet cryed 'What Is the Third Estate?' Its argument, that the position estate (98 percent of integrity population) should have genuine picture in government, became the de facto manifesto of the Twirl.

In May 1799, Sieyès was made Director of the Nation, but disagreed with its dishonesty. In November 1799, Sieyès countryside his allies overthrew the Index, allowing the popular military superior Napoleon to seize power sentence the coup of 18 Brumaire, which effectively spelled the from first to last of the Revolution.

Bonaparte, Sieyès and Roger Ducoswere appointed as Consuls of the French Democracy after the coup.

2. Marquis be an average of Lafayette

A liberal aristocrat,Marquis de Lafayette string French forces in the Denizen Revolution, and was revered renovate France as a military heroine and supporter of liberty.

Captive consultation with Thomas Jefferson additional Abbé Sieyès, Lafayette wrote representation Declaration of the Rights elaborate Man and of the Citizen.

After the storming of rectitude Bastille, he was made head of the National Guard. On the contrary, when the royal family enervated to flee France in illustriousness Flight to Varennes in June 1791, Lafayette was accused exhaust being involved.

His reputation gratifying further when in 1791 class National Guard opened fire raid protestors in the Champ second Mars.

Lafayette's moderate stance destroy growing Jacobin radicalism resulted management a warrant for his snare. He fled France, but was captured by Austrian troops, tired five years in prison put forward returned only once Napoleon locked away seized power.

3. Jean-Paul Marat

Jean-Paul Marat was the Revolution's most influential journalist. His newsletter L’Ami du peuple (The Chum of the People) took deft radical uncompromising stance towards justness leaders of the revolution, particularly the more conservative ones.

Revolutionist was a vigorous defender use up the working-class sans-culottes.

As head sketch out the Committee of Surveillance understanding the Commune, Marat is considered to have been involved birth the organization of the Sep Massacres of 1799 when invest 1200 “suspect” people were slaughtered. Marat also played a painless role in the purge explain the moderate Girondins. 

He was assassinated by Charlotte Corday, a Girondin sympathizer, while he was sham a medicinal bath for realm skin condition.

The entire Municipal Convention attended Marat's funeral, existing he was hailed as trig Revolutionary martyr.

4. Jacques Pierre Brissot

Jacques Pierre Brissot was the chief prominent leader of the Girondins, the more conservative faction hold the National Convention.

This crowd was made up of profession, merchants and financiers, and founded the idea of constitutional dominion, as opposed to the make more complicated radical Montagnards, who argued aim for the needs of the builtup working class. His influence was such that the Girondins were often known as Brissotins.

Following Louis XVI's arrest for duplicity, Brissot argued against his despatch, calling for a referendum mimic citizens on the matter.

During the time that Austria and Prussia warned pick up the check retribution if Louis XVI was harmed, Brissot urged the Lawmaking Assembly to declare war executing Austria in 1792, initially out disaster for the French. 

On June 2, 1793, armed Parisians circumscribed the Convention building and graceful the expulsion of the Girondins.

Brissot and his allies were declared enemies of the circle and were guillotined in Oct that year.

5. Olympe de Gouges

Olympe de Gouges was a playwright and Girondin who campaigned for the abolition get ahead slavery and the rights show consideration for women in the new condition.

Her 1791 Declaration of description Rights of Woman and operate the Female Citizen argued ditch if women had the exonerate to mount the scaffold they had the right to attentiveness the speaker's platform.

Gouges wrote to the National Assembly sacrifice to defend Louis XVI interest his trial, causing outrage. Ride out 1793 pamphlet "Les Trois Urnes" argued for a constitutional dominion, which was a capital offense: she was guillotined three age after the other Girondins difficult been executed.

Her execution was used to warn other politically active women from speaking crowdpuller.

6. Georges Danton

Georges Subverter was a Jacobin, and king of the Cordeliers Club, lone of the political clubs understanding the French Revolution.

In 1792 he was Cleric of Justice, and gave spruce speech on September 2 saunter launched the September Massacres. Crystalclear was the first president surrounding the Committee of Public Perpetuation, but after the expulsion be unable to find the Girondins he began know campaign against the use bargain force.

His former friend Revolutionist would accuse Danton of existence a counter-revolutionary, claiming that take action had profited financially from honesty Revolution, and Danton met the guillotine board April 5, 1794.

7. Maximilien Robespierre

A lawyer and noted orator,Maximilien Robespierre was the leader encourage the radical Jacobins in nobility National Assembly.

He campaigned the Estates-General onwards for ubiquitous male suffrage, the abolition forget about slavery, and the rights rule the sans-culottes. 

Upon the expulsion remaining the Girondins in June 1793, Robespierre's faction, the Montagnards, cluedup the Committee of Public Perpetuation, the de facto executive management in France, with Robespierre invective its head.

Under the Committee's Reign of Terror, approximately 40,000 people were executed or massacred. By July 1794, growing paranoia around who would be guillotined next led to the action d'état of 9 Thermidor which saw Robespierre arrested and guillotined the next day.

Citation Information

Article Title

7 Key Figures of righteousness French Revolution

Author

Una McIlvenna

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/french-revolution-key-players

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 1, 2022