Joseph Fouché facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Count of the Empire Joseph Fouché Duke of Otranto LH
Portrait as Minister of Police by Claude-Marie Dubufe, after an original by René Théodore Berthon
President of the Executive Commission
In office 22 June 1815 – 7 July 1815
Monarch	Napoleon II
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Office abolished (Talleyrand as Prime Minister)
Minister of Police
In office 20 July 1799 – 3 June 1810
Preceded by	Claude Sébastien Bourguignon-Dumolard
Succeeded by	Anne Jean Marie René Savary
In office 20 March 1815 – 22 June 1815
Preceded by	Jules Anglès
Succeeded by	Jean, comte Pelet de la Lozère
In office 7 July 1815 – 26 September 1815
Preceded by	Jean, comte Pelet de la Lozère
Succeeded by	Élie, duc Decazes
Deputy of the National Convention
In office 20 September 1792 – 2 November 1795
Constituency	Nantes
Personal details
Born	(1759-05-21)21 May 1759 Le Pellerin, France
Died	26 December 1820(1820-12-26) (aged 61) Trieste, Austrian Empire (now Italy)
Political party	Jacobin (1789–1795) Girondist (1792–1793) Montagnard (1793–1794) Thermidorian (1794–1799) Bonapartist (1799–1814)

Joseph Fouché (born May 21, 1759 – died December 25, 1820) was an important French politician. He was a key figure during the French Revolution and later served as the Minister of Police under Napoleon Bonaparte. Fouché was known for his strong actions in government. He was also famous for his role in the Lyon uprising in 1793. He held the police minister position under different French governments. These included the Directory, the Consulate, and the Empire. In 1815, he led France's temporary government after Napoleon stepped down. His title is often translated as the Duke of Otranto.

Early Life and Education

Fouché was born in Le Pellerin, a small village near Nantes, France. His parents were Julien Joseph Fouché and Marie Françoise Croizet. He studied at a college run by the Oratorians in Nantes. He was very good at studying literature and science.

Fouché wanted to become a teacher. He went to a special school in Paris for this purpose. He quickly improved and soon became a tutor at several colleges. These included schools in Niort, Saumur, and Arras. In Arras, he met Maximilien Robespierre before the French Revolution began.

In 1790, Fouché was moved to the Oratorian college in Nantes. This was because he supported revolutionary ideas. But he became even more of a democrat there. His skills and anti-religious views made him popular in Nantes. He became a leader in the local Jacobin Club. When the Oratorian college closed in 1792, Fouché left the order. He had never taken any major religious vows.

Becoming a Revolutionary Leader

After the French monarchy fell in August 1792, Fouché was elected as a representative. He joined the National Convention, which declared France a Republic in September.

Fouché first connected with the Girondists, a political group. But they did not fully support executing King Louis XVI. So, Fouché joined the Jacobins, who were more radical. He strongly believed the king should be executed right away.

In 1793, France declared war on Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. This made Fouché a powerful Jacobin leader in Paris. Royalist farmers in western France also started a revolt. The Convention sent Fouché and a colleague to stop this uprising. He was very strict in carrying out these duties. This earned him a strong reputation. He then became a commissioner in the Nièvre area.

Fouché helped start a movement to remove religion from public life in 1793. In Nièvre, he took valuables from churches. He sent them to the government treasury. He also helped create the Cult of Reason. He ordered that "Death is an eternal sleep" be written over cemetery gates. He also fought against luxury and wealth. He even wanted to get rid of money. This new cult was celebrated at Notre Dame de Paris. Fouché was a key figure in this movement.

Fouché in Lyon, January 1794

In November 1793, Fouché went to Lyon with Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois. Lyon had rebelled against the Convention. The two men declared Lyon in a "state of revolutionary war." They formed a special commission to supervise the city. They brought in nearly two thousand soldiers from Paris. This started a period of harsh actions. Fouché became known as "The Executioner of Lyons." Over 1,800 people were executed in the following months. Fouché said that "Terror... is now the order of the day here." He believed it was their duty to make "impure blood flow" for humanity's sake.

Many people, including bankers, scholars, and aristocrats, were taken from jails. They were killed in a field called Brotteaux. Fouché's actions were very severe. When he returned to Paris in April 1794, he said that "The blood of criminals fertilises the soil of liberty."

Conflict with Robespierre

Maximilien Robespierre was shocked by Fouché's actions in Lyon. In June 1794, Fouché also made fun of Robespierre's new religious idea, the "Cult of the Supreme Being." Robespierre tried to remove Fouché from the Jacobin Club. But Fouché was secretly working to overthrow Robespierre. He stayed hidden in Paris. Robespierre was losing power, and Fouché had protection from Barras. This helped Fouché survive Robespierre's last wave of arrests.

Other political groups also opposed Robespierre. Fouché played a key role in planning Robespierre's downfall. This led to the Coup of the 9th Thermidor on July 28, 1794. Fouché was a ruthless leader who helped crush rebellions. He also helped bring down Robespierre. This showed his harsh approach to French politics during the Republic.

Serving the Directory

After Robespierre's fall, there was a move towards a more merciful government. But Fouché's political tricks helped his group stay in power. He worked hard to fight against more moderate politicians. In August 1795, Fouché was accused of crimes and arrested. But a Royalist rebellion saved him from execution. He was released in an amnesty that followed a new constitution.

During the Directory government (1795–1799), Fouché was not well-known at first. But his connections with radical groups helped him rise again. Some say he betrayed a plot by François-Noël Babeuf in 1796. However, later research has questioned this claim.

Fouché slowly rose from poverty. In 1797, he got a job dealing with military supplies. This allowed him to make a lot of money. He first offered his help to the Royalists. But then he decided to support the Jacobins and Barras again. In 1797, Fouché helped Barras in an anti-Royalist takeover. Barras then made him the French ambassador to the Cisalpine Republic in Italy. He was seen as too bossy in Milan and was removed. But he managed to keep his position for a while.

In 1799, he returned to Paris. After a short time as ambassador in The Hague, he became Minister of Police on July 20, 1799. The new director, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, wanted to control the Jacobins. Fouché bravely closed the Jacobin Club. He hunted down writers and editors who criticized the government. So, when Napoleon Bonaparte returned from his Egyptian campaign in October 1799, Fouché was one of the most powerful men in France.

Working for Napoleon

Fouché knew the Directors were unpopular. He joined Bonaparte and Sieyès in planning to overthrow the Directory. His help in the 18 Brumaire coup (November 1799) earned him Napoleon's favor. Napoleon kept him as Minister of Police.

During the French Consulate (1799–1804), Fouché effectively stopped opposition to Bonaparte. He made the police force more centralized and efficient. This happened in Paris and other areas. Fouché was careful to soften Napoleon's harsher actions. Sometimes, even Royalists were grateful to him. He exposed a Royalist plot but made sure the main agent escaped.

Fouché also handled the "Aréna-Ceracchi plot." Police agents were thought to have played a part in this. The main plotters were easily caught and executed. This happened after the Plot of the Rue Saint-Nicaise (December 1800). This was a more serious attack where a bomb exploded near Napoleon's carriage. Fouché quickly realized Royalists were behind it. Napoleon wanted to blame the Jacobins. But Fouché insisted he could prove it was the Royalists. However, his efforts failed to stop Napoleon from punishing leading Jacobins.

In other situations, Fouché was believed to have saved the Jacobins from Napoleon's anger. So, Napoleon decided to remove Fouché from his powerful position. When Bonaparte became First Consul for life in 1802, Fouché lost his job. But he was given a good deal. The police ministry was closed, and many of its duties went to the Ministry of Justice. Fouché also received a large yearly income as a senator. He also got a large sum of money from police funds.

After 1802, Fouché became involved in freemasonry again. He found a good source of information on Freemasons across the empire.

Fouché became a senator and kept a large part of the police's reserve funds. But he continued to use his spies. They often had more information than the new police minister. He successfully gained Napoleon's favor during the Georges Cadoudal-Charles Pichegru plot in 1804. He helped arrest the Duc d'Enghien. Fouché later said about Enghien's execution, "It was worse than a crime; it was a mistake."

After the First French Empire was declared, Fouché became head of the police ministry again in July 1804. He also led the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His police agents were everywhere. The fear inspired by Napoleon and Fouché helped prevent plots after 1804. After the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Fouché famously said, "Sire, Austerlitz has shattered the old aristocracy."

However, Napoleon still distrusted Fouché. This was clear in 1808. While Napoleon was fighting in Spain, he heard rumors. Fouché and Talleyrand were meeting in Paris. They had even approached Joachim Murat, the King of Naples. Napoleon rushed back to Paris but found no proof against Fouché. That year, Fouché received the title of Duke of Otranto. This was a special, inherited honor in the Kingdom of Naples.

In 1809, Napoleon was away fighting in Austria. The British threatened Antwerp. Fouché ordered 60,000 National Guards to mobilize. He added that France could repel the enemy even without Napoleon present. The emperor approved the action but not Fouché's words.

More disagreements followed between Napoleon and Fouché. Fouché knew Napoleon wanted peace in late 1809. So, he secretly contacted the British government. Napoleon started his own talks, only to find Fouché had already done so. Napoleon was furious and dismissed him on June 3, 1810. But Napoleon never fully disgraced Fouché. He might need him again. Fouché became governor of the Rome area. As he left, Fouché risked not giving Napoleon all important police documents. Napoleon's anger returned. Fouché, learning this in Florence, planned to sail to the United States.

Bad weather and seasickness forced him back to port. He found a helper in Elisa Bonaparte, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Thanks to her, he was allowed to live in Aix-en-Provence. He eventually returned to his home. In 1812, he tried to stop Napoleon's planned invasion of Russia. When Napoleon returned from Russia that year, Fouché was suspected of being involved in a plot.

Fouché cleared his name. He gave Napoleon useful advice on internal and diplomatic matters. But Napoleon still distrusted him. He ordered Fouché to govern the Illyrian provinces. When Napoleon's system in Germany broke down in 1813, Fouché was sent on missions to Rome and Naples. His job was to watch Joachim Murat. Before Fouché arrived, Murat invaded Roman territory. Fouché was then ordered to return to France. He arrived in Paris in April 1814. This was when Napoleon was forced to step down.

Fouché's actions during this crisis were typical of him. As a senator, he advised sending a group to Charles, comte d'Artois. Charles was the brother of Louis XVIII. The goal was to reconcile the monarchy and the nation. Later, he wrote to Napoleon, who was exiled to Elba. He asked him to go to the United States for peace. To the new king, Louis XVIII, he asked for liberty. He also suggested measures to bring all interests together.

The king's response was not good. When Fouché saw no chance for advancement, he joined plots to overthrow the Bourbons. The Marquis de Lafayette and Louis Nicolas Davout were involved. But they refused to take the path Fouché wanted. So, nothing happened.

Hundred Days and Bourbon Restoration

Soon, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to Paris in triumph. Just before Napoleon arrived in Paris in March 1815, Louis XVIII offered Fouché the police ministry. Fouché refused, saying, "It is too late." He then stopped Royalists from arresting him. When Napoleon arrived, Fouché became police minister for the third time. However, he also secretly contacted the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna. He wanted to be ready for anything. Meanwhile, he tried to make Napoleon's rule more democratic. He is said to have added the words "the sovereignty resides in the people" to a government declaration. But Napoleon's desire for absolute power could not be changed. Fouché saw Napoleon's fall coming. He took steps to speed it up and protect his own interests.

In 1814, Fouché had joined the invading allies and plotted against Napoleon. But he joined Napoleon again during his return. He was police minister during Napoleon's short reign, the Hundred Days. After Napoleon's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Fouché again plotted against him. He joined the parliament's opposition. He led the temporary government and tried to negotiate with the allies. He probably also wanted to create a republic with himself as head of state. He sought help from some Republican Freemasons. These plans never happened. The Bourbons regained power in July 1815. Again, Fouché's services were needed. Talleyrand became Prime Minister. Fouché was named his Minister of Police. So, he served King Louis XVIII, Louis XVI's brother.

This was ironic because Fouché had voted for Louis XVI's death. He was one of the "regicides" (king-killers). Ultra-royalists could hardly accept him in the government. Fouché, who had used extreme terror against Bourbon supporters, now started a "White Terror." This was against real and imagined enemies of the Royalist restoration. It was officially aimed at those who supported Napoleon's return. Even Prime Minister Talleyrand did not approve of these actions. These included executing Michel Ney and making lists of other military men and former republican politicians. A famous conversation happened between Fouché and Lazare Carnot. Carnot had been interior minister during the Hundred Days:

Carnot: "Where should I go then, traitor?"

Fouché: "Go where you want, imbecile!"

Fouché was soon sent away to be the French ambassador in Saxony. Talleyrand himself lost his job soon after. In 1816, the royal authorities found Fouché's services useless. He was banned from France. He died in exile in Trieste in 1820.

Works and Writings

Fouché wrote several political pamphlets and reports. Some of his main writings include:

• Réflexions sur le jugement de Louis Capet ("Thoughts on the trial of Louis Capet", 1793)
• Réflexions sur l'éducation publique ("Thoughts on public education", 1793)
• Rapport sur la situation de Commune Affranchie Lyons ("Report on the situation of the breakaway commune of Lyon", 1794)
• Lettre au duc de Wellington ("Letter to the Duke of Wellington", 1817)

Family Life

Joseph Fouché was the son of Julien Joseph Fouché and Marie Françoise Croizet.

He had seven children with his first wife, Bonne Jeanne Coiquaud:

• Nièvre Fouché d'Otrante (1793–1794).
• Joseph Liberté Fouché d'Otrante (1796–1862), who became the 2nd Duke of Otranto.
• Two children who were stillborn (1798, 1799).
• Armand François Cyriac Fouché d'Otrante (1800–1878), the 3rd Duke of Otranto. He had no children.
• Paul Athanase Fouché d'Otrante (1801–1886), the 4th Duke of Otranto. He moved to Sweden and had children there.
• Joséphine Ludmille Fouché d'Otrante (1803–1893), who married and had children.

He had no children with his second wife, Ernestine de Castellane-Majastres.

Fouché in Books and Movies

Joseph Fouché has appeared in many books and films.

• The Austrian writer Stefan Zweig wrote a biography called Joseph Fouché. It looks at Fouché's complex personality.
• He is a main character in For the King by Catherine Delors. This novel discusses his role in the Plot of the Rue Saint-Nicaise.
• Fouché is one of two main characters in the play Supping with the Devil by Jean-Claude Brisville. It shows him dining with Talleyrand. They decide how to keep their power under a new government. This play was made into a film called The Supper in 1992.
• Joseph Conrad included Fouché briefly in his short story The Duel. This story was made into the movie The Duellists in 1977.
• Fouché is a recurring character in the Roger Brook historical novels by Dennis Wheatley.
• He is mentioned in the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind.
• Fouché is an important character in The Hastening Wind by Edward Grierson. This book is about a plot to kill Napoleon in 1804.
• In Mountolive, a novel by Lawrence Durrell, an Egyptian minister is compared to Fouché.
• In Bernard Cornwell's novel Sharpe's Enemy, Fouché is mentioned as a mentor to a French spy.
• Fouché appears in the Doctor Who novel World Game by Terrance Dicks.
• He is a character in The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham.
• The novel Captain Cut-Throat by John Dickson Carr shows Fouché planning many complex plots.
• Fouché is a significant character in The Carton Chronicles: The Curious Tale of Flashman's true father by Keith Laidler.
• French actor Gérard Depardieu played Fouché in the mini-series Napoleon.
• Stephen Jenn played Fouché in the 1987 mini-series Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story.
• In the 1949 Hollywood film Reign of Terror, Fouché is played by Arnold Moss.
• He is a character in Treason's Tide by Robert Wilton.
• Morris Perry played Fouché in the BBC's War and Peace (1972 TV series) (episode 11).
• Fouché is mentioned in Diary of a Man in Despair by Friedrich Reck-Malleczewen.
• The 48 Laws of Power uses Fouché as an example of mastering timing.
• He is a character in The Paris Affair by Teresa Grant.

Images for kids

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  Fouché in Lyon, January 1794

See also

In Spanish: Joseph Fouché para niños