author
Georges Jacques Danton
1759–1794
A towering voice of the French Revolution, he helped drive the fall of the monarchy and the birth of the French Republic. His career moved fast and ended violently, making him one of the era's most dramatic figures.
1 Audiobook
Discours Civiques de Danton
by Georges Jacques Danton
About the author
Born in Arcis-sur-Aube in 1759, Georges Jacques Danton trained as a lawyer before rising to prominence in Paris during the French Revolution. Known for his powerful speaking and bold political energy, he became a leading figure among the revolutionaries and played an important part in the events that led to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1792.
Danton went on to serve as minister of justice and later joined the first Committee of Public Safety. He was closely associated with the early, urgent defense of the new republic at a time of war and internal crisis, and many historians remember him as one of the Revolution's great orators.
In the Revolution's increasingly dangerous final phase, he came to be seen as too moderate by his enemies. Arrested during the Reign of Terror, he was tried and guillotined in Paris on April 5, 1794. His life has remained a symbol of the Revolution's energy, ambition, and deadly instability.