Famous French Revolutionaries

Haitian general,  Toussaint Louverture, was the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. A revolutionary leader, he was devoted to the cause of Haitian independence and fought hard until he was killed by the French in a treacherous manner. The revolution continued after his death, leading to Haiti’s independence. He is now known as the Father of Haiti.

Charlotte Corday was an important figure of the French Revolution. She is remembered for murdering Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, for which she was executed by guillotine. Her action changed the political position and role of women at the time. She was also considered a hero by those who opposed the teachings of Jean-Paul Marat.

A significant figure of the Paris Commune, Louise Michel was born as an illegitimate child of a maid. She had initially been trained to be a teacher but later began developing an interest in revolutionary socialist ideas. She was also once sent behind bars for inciting riots.

The wife of Jean-Marie Roland, Madame Roland was a leading French revolutionary and often hosted significant political meets at her salon. She often directed her husband’s political actions and was responsible for creating a rift between the Jacobin and Girondin factions. She was later arrested and guillotined.

Jacques Pierre Brissot was a French journalist and publisher. He was one of the most important members of the Girondins, who played a prominent role during the French Revolution. Brissot is also credited with founding the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, an abolitionist society, which aimed at abolishing the institution of slavery.

Louis Auguste Blanqui was a French socialist who gave rise to Blanquism, a form of radicalism. While he initially studied both medicine and law, he later stepped into politics. He had been imprisoned for more than three decades and died of a stroke after a political speech at age 75.

Helene Rytmann was a French sociologist and revolutionary who played an important role in the French Resistance. Widely regarded as a historically important Jewish woman, Helene Rytmann was murdered by her husband Louis Althusser. The case was never properly investigated and the scandal of Rytmann's murder inspired the 2002 novel Shroud which was written by Irish novelist William John Banville.

French revolutionary Jean-Baptiste Carrier is remembered for his radicalism, his actions during the the War in the Vendée, and his notorious atrocities against counter-revolutionaries, such as the murder of thousands of people at Nantes. He was eventually found guilty of mass murder by the Revolutionary Tribunal and guillotined.

Henri Grégoire, or Abbé Grégoire, was not just a Catholic priest but also a revolutionary. He first gained prominence with his Essay on the Regeneration of the Jews. A radical Jacobin, he was the first priest of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and also presided over the National Convention.

Revolutionary leader Louis Charles Delescluze was a significant figure of the Paris Commune. As a student activist, he joined the Amis du Peuple and briefly fled to Brussels after being accused of plotting to kill King Louis-Philippe. He was eventually shot to death at the Commune barricades.

French politician Georges Bidault had not only led the French Resistance during World War II but had also been a three-time foreign minister and a two-time prime minister. Initially a history teacher, he later started the Mouvement Républicain Populaire. He was eventually charged with conspiracy for being associated with the OAS.

Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois was a French actor, essayist, dramatist, and revolutionary. He played an important role during the Reign of Terror, serving as one of the most important members of the Committee of Public Safety. Although he is credited with saving Madame Tussaud from the Guillotine, Collot d'Herbois oversaw the execution of over 2,000 people in Lyon.

Jean-Lambert Tallien was a French politician who played an important role during the French Revolution. Although he initially supported the Reign of Terror, Tallien became known as an influential leader of the Thermidorian Reaction that led to the downfall of the Reign of Terror's leader Maximilien Robespierre, which eventually resulted in the end of the Terror. 

François Hanriot was a Sans-culotte leader and street orator. He played an important role during the French Revolution, commanding the National Guard. He played a crucial role in the insurrection of May 31 to 2 June 1793 which resulted in the fall of the Girondins. François Hanriot’s arrest and execution went a long way in ending the Reign of Terror.

François de Charette was a Breton soldier and politician who played an important role during the American Revolutionary War, serving in the French Royal Navy. He was one of the leaders of the War in the Vendée and fought against the revolutionary regime. His life inspired the creation of Le Dernier Panache at a theme park named Puy du Fou.

Pierre Napoléon Bonaparte was a French nobleman, politician, and revolutionary. He played an important role during the Revolutions of 1848, serving as a member of the Constituent Assembly. He also played a prominent role in helping his cousin Louis Napoleon become the first president of France.

Pierre Gaspard Chaumette was a French politician who played a prominent role during the French Revolution. Chaumette played a key role in the inception of the Reign of Terror during which he was serving as the president of the Paris Commune. A vehement critic of Christianity, Chaumette led the dechristianization of France during the revolution.

Jacques-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne was a French lawyer and politician of the Revolutionary period. An influential personality, Billaud-Varenne played an important role during the Reign of Terror and is regarded as a key architect of the Reign of Terror. One of the most important members of the Committee of Public Safety, Billaud-Varenne worked with influential figures like Maximilien Robespierre and Georges Danton.

Isaac René Guy le Chapelier was a French politician and jurist of the Revolutionary period. He oversaw the abolition of feudalism in France, which was later added to the Constitution of 1791, a majority of which was drafted by him. Le Chapelier is also remembered for introducing a motion in the National Assembly which forbade trade unions, guilds, and compagnonnage.

Antoine Christophe Merlin was a French politician and a member of many legislative bodies during the French Revolution. He took an active part in the Demonstration of 20 June 1792 and played an important role in the subsequent Insurrection of 10 August 1792. Antoine Christophe Merlin is also remembered for showcasing great courage during the defense of Mainz.

Marguerite-Élie Guadet was a French politician who played an important role during the Revolutionary period. During the French Revolution, Guadet led the Girondin faction of working-class revolutionaries. An ardent supporter of the democratic monarchy, Marguerite-Élie Guadet opposed the ministers of Louis XVI.

Jacques Roux was a French Roman Catholic priest. During the French Revolution, Roux expounded the ideals of the classless society and popular democracy to working class wage earners, Parisian sans-culottes, and shopkeepers, turning ordinary men into a revolutionary force. He is thus remembered as a radical revolutionary who went on to lead a popular far-left in France.

André Boniface Louis Riqueti de Mirabeau was a French soldier who served as a reactionary leader at the beginning of the French Revolution. As a colonel, he commanded the Touraine Regiment under Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur in the American Revolution. He was part of many sea fights with the British, including the famous Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

Gustave Flourens was a French writer and Revolutionary leader who played an influential role in the Great Cretan Revolution. Counted among the most active leaders of the Cretan insurrection of 1866-1868, Gustave Flourens wrote numerous fugitive pamphlets before he was killed by Captain Jean-Marc Démaret.

François René Mallarmé was a French statesman and an ardent supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte. Although he initially supported the Reign of Terror, he went on to betray its leaders which led to the downfall of Maximilien Robespierre which in turn ended the Reign of Terror. He went on to support the reactionary régimes that followed the Reign of Terror.

Simon Caboche was a French revolutionary leader who played a prominent role in the Cabochien Revolt of 1413. Simon Caboche and his men blamed King Charles VI’s officials for the taxation and corruption that were prevalent at that time. Caboche led a mob and successfully besieged Bastille in April 1413, forcing Charles VI to issue an ordinance for administrative reform.

Sambucuccio d'Alando was a Corsican revolutionary who fought against the local partisans and feudal lords of the king of Aragon. Widely regarded as a local hero on Corsica, Sambucuccio d'Alando's efforts and the reforms advocated by him were a prominent step in abolishing feudalism in the area.

Jean Cavalier was a French religious leader who led the Camisards, French Huguenot insurgents, from 1702 to 1704. Although he was born in the Kingdom of France, Jean Cavalier fought with the British and was made a brigadier in the British army.