Jean Paul Marat, a journalist and member of the Convention, has become one of the most famous and charismatic figures of the French Revolution. His newspaper "Friend of the People" was the most important publication of his era. Marat, no doubt, was the master of the minds and made many opponents. The turbulent era engulfed the famous publicist - he was stabbed to death by a fanatical supporter of the enemy party.
Doctor's career
The future revolutionary Jean Paul Marat was born on May 24, 1743 in the Swiss town of Budri. His father was a famous doctor, which determined the future career of the boy. Jean Paul was left without parents quite early, and from his youth he had to lead a completely independent life. He constantly changed his place of residence and way of earning.
For ten years, Jean Paul Marat was torn between Holland and England. He was a medical practitioner and publicist. In 1775, the specialist became a doctor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh. In addition, Marat worked for eight years as a doctor at the court of Count d'Artois - the future king of France, Charles X.
The beginning of journalistic activity
By the age of 30, the writer had become quite famous in the philosophical field and had already openly polemicized with Voltaire. He published not only scientific works on physiology and medicine, but also became interested in social issues. In 1774, the Chains of Slavery, one of the most high-profile and popular brochures of its time, appeared from Marat’s pen. The writer corresponded to the spirit of the times - in Western Europe, and especially in France, anti-monarchical sentiments grew. Against this background, the publicist, with his loud proclamations, fell into the sick nerve of society over and over again and gradually became more and more famous.
Jean Paul Marat has established himself as a principled critic of absolutism. Bone European regimes, he considered despotic and inhibit the development of society. Marat not only scolded the monarchy, he examined in detail the historical evolution of absolutism and its forms. In The Chains of Slavery, he proposed, as an alternative to the outdated regime, a new construction of a society with equal economic and political rights. His idea of egalitarianism was opposite to the then widespread elitism.
Critic of the old order
In his views, Jean Paul Marat was recognized by many as a loyal supporter of Rousseau. At the same time, the student managed to develop some ideas of his teacher. A prominent place in the work of the thinker was the study of the struggle between the old feudal nobility and the bourgeoisie, which was a supporter of liberal ideas. Noting the importance of this rivalry, Marat emphasized that the antagonism between rich and poor poses a more serious danger to peace in Europe. It was in social inequality that the writer saw the causes of the growing crisis.
Marat was generally a consistent defender of the interests of the poor, peasantry and workers. It was for this reason that his figure became so cult among the left-wing parties. Many years later, this revolutionary will be exalted in the USSR - the streets will be named after him, and his biography will be the subject of many monographs.
"Friend of the people"
In 1789, when the revolution began in France, Marat took up the publication of his own newspaper, "Friend of the People." The publicist was already popular before, and in the hectic days of civic activism, he became a figure of a truly enormous scale. They began to call Marat "a friend of the people." In his newspaper, he criticized any authorities for their oversights and crimes. The publication was constantly under the state press. But whenever it came to trial, Marat (the only editor) managed to get out of the water dry. His newspaper was wildly popular among the workers and petty bourgeoisie of Paris.
The monarchy with the royal family, and all kinds of ministers with members of the National Assembly equally got from the publication. The “Friend of the People” has become one of the most important reasons for the widespread spread of radical revolutionary sentiment in the French capital. The newspaper was so popular that even fake publications appeared that tried to defame her or take advantage of the attention of her audience.
Emigration and homecoming
With each month of active journalistic activity, Jean-Paul Marat acquired an increasing number of ill-wishers. A brief biography of this revolutionary is an example of a constantly hiding and hiding person. He avoided not only representatives of the authorities, but also various fanatics who attempted his life. At the height of the revolution, at the end of 1791, Marat even emigrated to England.
However, in London, the journalist was uncomfortable - he was used to being in the thick of things. After a short absence, the popular publicist returned to Paris. It was April 1792. Fermentation continued, but for several years of civil unrest, change could not improve the situation of discontented layers of the population.
Evolution of views
Many participants in the French Revolution constantly changed their views. Jean Paul Marat was no exception. A brief description of the evolution of his beliefs is as follows. At the first stage of the revolution, Marat advocated the preservation of the monarchy in a limited form and the dispersal of the National Assembly. In addition, he was contemptuous of the idea of a republican system. In July 1791, the king tried to escape, another unrest began, and one of the demonstrations was even shot. After this episode, the editor of "Friend of the People" joined the supporters of the overthrow of the Bourbons.
When Louis was arrested for yet another attempt to flee the country, Marat opposed the desire of the masses to crack down on the monarch without trial. The master of minds tried to defend the idea of the need to comply with all legal formalities in assessing the guilt of the king. Marat was able to influence the Convention and force him to raise the issue of punishment by a roll-call vote. 387 of the 721 deputies supported the execution of Louis.
The fight against girondins
Since its inception, the Convention has needed such prominent speakers as Jean-Paul Marat. There was still no photo in those days, but paintings and newspaper clippings alone demonstrate how he was able to capture the attention of the public. Charisma politics demonstrated another case. Among all the revolutionary parties, Marat chose and supported the Montagnards, from whom he was elected to the Convention. Their opponents Girondins criticized the journalist every day.
The enemies of Marat even managed to bring him to court for saying that the Convention had become the abode of counter-revolution. However, the deputy was able to use the public process as a tribune and proved his own innocence. The Girondins believed that the star of Marat was about to finally go down. However, in April 1793, after the court won, he, on the contrary, returned with triumph to the Convention. Unsinkable and ubiquitous for his contemporaries was Jean Paul Marat. In short, if not for premature death, his fate would have been completely different.
Leader of the Jacobins
In June 1793, at the request of angry Parisians, MPs expelled the Girondins from it. Power for some time passed to the Jacobins, and more precisely, to their three leaders - Danton, Marat and Robespierre. They headed a political club, which was distinguished by its radical commitment to breaking the old feudal and monarchist system.
The Jacobins were supporters of terror, which they considered a necessary means to achieve their political goals. In Paris, they were also known as the "Society of Friends of the Constitution." At the peak of its popularity, the Jacobin movement included up to 500 thousand supporters throughout France. Marat was not the founder of this movement, however, having joined it, he quickly became one of its leaders.
Murder
After a triumphant victory over the Girondins, Marat was greatly weakened by his health. He was struck by a severe skin ailment. The medications did not help, and in order to somehow alleviate his suffering, the journalist constantly took baths. In this position, he not only wrote, but even received visitors.
It was in such circumstances that on July 13, 1793, Charlotte Korda came to Marat. Unfortunately for her victim, she was a fierce supporter of the Girondins. The woman stabbed a weakened and helpless revolutionary. The bathtub where Jean Paul Marat was killed was depicted in his famous painting by Jacques Louis David (his painting “The Death of Marat” became one of the most famous works of art dedicated to that turbulent era). First, the body of the journalist was buried in the Pantheon. After the next change of power in 1795, he was transferred to an ordinary cemetery. One way or another, but the murder of Jean Paul Marat became one of the most high-profile in the entire French Revolution.