French lawyer and politician (1759–1794), Danton is a major figure of the French Revolution. Known for his eloquence and charisma, he played a key role in revolutionary events before being executed during the Terror.
Danton(1759 — 1794)
Georges Jacques Danton
France
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« We need audacity, and yet more audacity, and always audacity!»
« The revolution devours its children.»
Key Facts
- 1789: Actively participates in the events of the French Revolution and becomes Minister of Justice in 1792
- September 1792: Plays an important role during the September Massacres as a minister
- 1793: An influential member of the Committee of Public Safety, he advocates for moderation in the face of revolutionary radicalization
- March 1794: Arrested along with the Dantonists, accused of corruption and excessive leniency
- April 5, 1794: Executed by guillotine, a victim of the Terror he had helped to unleash
Works & Achievements
Danton fut l'initiateur de la création du Tribunal révolutionnaire, destiné à juger les ennemis de la Révolution, institution qui finira par le condamner lui-même.
Danton contribua à fonder cet organe exécutif chargé de défendre la République menacée par les guerres et les insurrections intérieures. Il en fut le premier président.
Ce discours célèbre mobilisa la nation face à l'invasion prussienne et devint un symbole de la résistance patriotique révolutionnaire.
Danton mena avec Desmoulins le mouvement des Indulgents, réclamant la fin de la Terreur et un retour à la modération politique.
En tant que membre du Comité de salut public, Danton tenta des pourparlers secrets pour mettre fin à la guerre avec certaines puissances coalisées contre la France.
Anecdotes
Danton was terribly disfigured in his childhood: he was gored by a bull, trampled by pigs, and nearly drowned. His face bore the scars of these accidents, giving him an imposing appearance that his political adversaries were quick to mock.
On September 2, 1792, as Prussian armies were marching on Paris, Danton delivered his famous speech before the Legislative Assembly: "Boldness, more boldness, always boldness, and France is saved!" This phrase became one of the most celebrated utterances of the Revolution.
On the cart taking him to the scaffold on April 5, 1794, Danton is said to have called out to the executioner Sanson: "Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing." This remark illustrates the courage and pride that characterized him until his final moments.
Danton married Louise Gély, aged sixteen, as his second wife, only a few months after the death of his first wife Gabrielle. To obtain the consent of the young woman's father, a devout Catholic, he agreed to a clandestine religious ceremony — in the midst of the revolutionary de-Christianization movement.
During his trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal in April 1794, Danton defended himself with such vehemence that his voice could be heard as far as the banks of the Seine. The tribunal had to pass a special decree to silence him and condemn him before he could finish his defense.
Primary Sources
We need audacity, more audacity, always audacity, and France is saved!
Let us be terrible so as to spare the people from being so. Let us organize a tribunal, not a good one — that is pointless — but the least bad one possible.
Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing.
I am Danton, well enough known in the Revolution. I am thirty-four years old. My home will soon be nothingness, but my name will live in the Pantheon of history.
Key Places
Danton's birthplace in Champagne, where he grew up in a lower middle-class family. He kept land there and returned regularly.
The Parisian district where Danton lived and was politically active. The Cordeliers convent housed the political club of which he was the charismatic leader.
Meeting place of the National Convention where Danton delivered his most celebrated speeches, notably that of September 2, 1792.
The site where Danton was guillotined on April 5, 1794. This square was where many condemned of the Terror were executed.
Prison where Danton was held before his trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal in April 1794.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Organisation du Tribunal révolutionnaire
10 mars 1793
Création du Comité de salut public
6 avril 1793
Discours pour la levée en masse
2 septembre 1792
Politique de clémence (Indulgents)
Hiver 1793-1794
Négociations diplomatiques avec les puissances européennes
1793
