author
Georges Jacques Danton
1759–1794
A thunderous speaker and one of the most memorable figures of the French Revolution, he helped drive the fall of the monarchy and the birth of the French Republic. His story is full of urgency, political risk, and a dramatic fall from power.
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 the French Revolution turned him into a national political force. With his powerful speaking voice and commanding public presence, he became closely associated with the Cordeliers Club and with the growing movement that pushed France away from monarchy.
Danton played an important role in the revolutionary upheavals of 1792 and later served as minister of justice after the monarchy fell. He is often remembered as one of the leading figures in the creation of the First French Republic, as well as for his influence during some of the Revolution's most turbulent early years.
In the last phase of his life, Danton became linked with a more moderate course than some of his rivals during the Reign of Terror. That shift did not save him: he was arrested, tried, and executed in Paris in 1794, becoming one of the Revolution's most famous victims.