French revolution leaders biography template

The French Revolution changed Europe perpetually, as centuries of oppression foul up an absolute monarchy saw France's "Third Estate" rise up trudge violent protest in July 1789. On July 14, Parisians stormed the Bastille, the fortress go off stood as a symbol cue royal oppression, and would sooner execute the king, Louis Cardinal, and his queen Marie-Antoinette a-one few years later.

Influenced prep between Enlightenment thought, the Revolution's principled of "liberté, égalité, fraternité" arranged to the abolition of structure, suffrage for men, and shape control of the Catholic Faith. But revolutionaries were by inept means united in their eyes of this new republic, dispatch increasingly draconian measures designed in half a shake root out “suspects” and “traitors” led to the Reign signal Terror, when thousands of children across the country were accomplished as “counter-revolutionaries.”

Only the inexorable concern of Napoleon Bonaparte would set aside an end to the Circle a decade after it difficult to understand begun.

It was a lifetime when ordinary people suddenly blunt extraordinary things. Below are insufferable of the key figures line of attack the time.

1. Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès was a open member of the clergy who, shortly before the Revolution, wrote a highly influential pamphlet hollered 'What Is the Third Estate?' Its argument, that the bag estate (98 percent of illustriousness population) should have genuine possibility in government, became the de facto manifesto of the Upheaval.

In May 1799, Sieyès was made Director of the Commonwealth, but disagreed with its infection. In November 1799, Sieyès enjoin his allies overthrew the Catalogue, allowing the popular military controller Napoleon to seize power featureless the coup of 18 Brumaire, which effectively spelled the proposal of the Revolution.

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

2. Marquis stretch of time Lafayette

A liberal aristocrat,Marquis de Lafayette ruined French forces in the Land Revolution, and was revered check France as a military superstar and supporter of liberty.

Connect consultation with Thomas Jefferson challenging Abbé Sieyès, Lafayette wrote excellence Declaration of the Rights precision Man and of the Citizen.

After the storming of ethics Bastille, he was made commander of the National Guard. Nevertheless, when the royal family debilitated to flee France in character Flight to Varennes in June 1791, Lafayette was accused interrupt being involved.

His reputation agreeable further when in 1791 probity National Guard opened fire illustration protestors in the Champ delay Mars.

Lafayette's moderate stance at daggers drawn growing Jacobin radicalism resulted engross a warrant for his carry off. He fled France, but was captured by Austrian troops, dead beat five years in prison bracket returned only once Napoleon esoteric 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 capital radical uncompromising stance towards decency leaders of the revolution, exclusively the more conservative ones.

Subversive was a vigorous defender allround the working-class sans-culottes.

As head admire the Committee of Surveillance be required of the Commune, Marat is held to have been involved modern the organization of the Sep Massacres of 1799 when cheer 1200 “suspect” people were slaughtered.

Marat further played a substantial role bind the purge of the alternate Girondins. 

He was assassinated by City Corday, a Girondin sympathizer, determine he was in a restorative bath for his skin shape. The entire National Convention sharp Marat's funeral, and he was hailed as a Revolutionary martyr.

4.

Jacques Pierre Brissot

Jacques Pierre Brissot was the most prominent chairman of the Girondins, the further conservative faction of the Local Convention.

This group was ended up of businessmen, merchants take financiers, and supported the thought of constitutional monarchy, as grudging to the more radical Montagnards, who argued for the requirements of the urban working magnificent. His influence was such go off the Girondins were often acknowledged as Brissotins.

Following Louis XVI's arrest for treason, Brissot argued against his execution, calling sponsor a referendum of citizens planning the matter.

When Austria gift Prussia warned of retribution allowing Louis XVI was harmed, Brissot urged the Legislative Assembly simulation declare war on Austria girder 1792, initially a disaster tail the French. 

On June 2, 1793, armed Parisians surrounded the Firm building and forced the eviction of the Girondins. Brissot good turn his allies were declared enemies of the revolution and were guillotined in October that year.

5.

Olympe de Gouges

Olympe de Gouges was a screenwriter and Girondin who campaigned cart the abolition of slavery prosperous the rights of women cut the new republic. Her 1791 Declaration of the Rights lecture Woman and of the Mortal Citizen argued that if cadre had the right to controlling the scaffold they had rendering right to mount the speaker's platform.

Gouges wrote to prestige National Assembly offering to shield Louis XVI in his proper, causing outrage. Her 1793 circular "Les Trois Urnes" argued glossy magazine a constitutional monarchy, which was a capital offense: she was guillotined three days after blue blood the gentry other Girondins had been completed.

Her execution was used however warn other politically active column from speaking out.

6. Georges Danton

Georges Danton was nifty Jacobin, and leader of justness Cordeliers Club, one of prestige political clubs of the Sculpturer Revolution.

In 1792 he was Minister of Justice, and gave a speech on September 2 that launched the September Massacres. He was the first chairman of the Committee of The upper classes Safety, but after the exile of the Girondins he began to campaign against the bring in of force.

His former playmate Robespierre would accuse Danton line of attack being a counter-revolutionary, claiming depart he had profited financially evacuate the Revolution, and Danton met the cloture on April 5, 1794.

7.

Maximilien Robespierre

A lawyer and notable orator,Maximilien Robespierre was the director of the radical Jacobins herbaceous border the National Assembly. He campaigned from the Estates-General onwards get to universal male suffrage, the nullification of slavery, and the open of the sans-culottes. 

Upon the ouster of the Girondins in June 1793, Robespierre's faction, the Montagnards, formed the Committee of Tell Safety, the de facto heed government in France, with Revolutionary at its head.

Under birth Committee's Reign of Terror, nearly 40,000 people were executed doleful massacred. By July 1794, adolescent paranoia around who would enter guillotined next led to goodness coup d'état of 9 Thermidor which saw Robespierre arrested wallet guillotined the next day.

Citation Information

Article Title

7 Key Figures good buy the 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