List of presidents of the National Convention facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the National Convention
National Convention
Style	Citizen President
Seat	Salle du Manège, Paris
Term length	14 days
Formation	20 September 1792
First holder	Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve
Final holder	Jean Joseph Victor Génissieu
Abolished	26 October 1795

From September 1792 to November 1795, France was led by the National Convention. The person in charge was called the President. This leader was chosen from within the Convention for a short, two-week term. During this time, France was known as the French Republic.

Historians often divide the Convention's time into three main parts: a moderate period, a radical period, and a reaction period. The leaders of the Convention changed their policies to match these different times. Some presidents lost their lives during the radical and reaction phases. Others were sent away from France later on.

Starting the National Convention

The National Convention was the government of France during a very important part of the French Revolution. It ruled from September 20, 1792, to October 26, 1795.

The members of the National Convention were chosen in September 1792. Many nobles and people who didn't support the Republic chose not to vote. Also, people were afraid. Because of this, not many people voted, even though more people were allowed to vote than before.

The Convention's main job was to create a new constitution. This was needed after the king was overthrown on August 10, 1792. The Convention had 749 members. These members came from different jobs, like law, journalism, medicine, and business.

One of their first big decisions was to officially end the monarchy (rule by a king). This happened on September 21. The very next day, September 22, the Republic was officially started. The Convention also created a new calendar. It started counting time from September 22, 1792, as the first day of "Year One" of the Republic. This new calendar removed all Christian holidays.

The Convention chose a new president every two weeks. A president could be chosen again after two weeks had passed. Meetings usually happened in the morning. But often, they also had evening meetings that lasted late into the night. Sometimes, the Convention would stay in session for days without stopping.

To make laws and manage the country, the Convention used special groups called committees. These committees had different levels of power. The most well-known committees were the Committee of Public Safety and the Committee of General Security.

The Convention had both the power to make laws and the power to carry them out. It went through three main phases:

• Girondins (moderate): This group wanted a republic that favored business owners. They also wanted to limit the power of Paris over the revolution.
• Montagnard (radical): This group wanted poorer people to have more political power.
• Thermidorian (reaction): This phase came after the radical period.

A big uprising in Paris from May 31 to June 2, 1793, led to the Girondins losing their power in the Convention. After this, the Montagnards took control.

During the Montagnard phase (June 1793 to July 1794), France was at war and had internal rebellions. This led the government to create the Committee of Public Safety. This committee had almost complete power. Because of this, a new democratic constitution that was approved in June 1793 was never actually used. The Convention itself lost much of its power to make new laws.

The Montagnards became powerful as the Girondins lost influence. The Girondins had struggled to decide what to do with King Louis XVI after he tried to escape France. Some Girondins thought they could still use the king as a symbol. But the Montagnards were united. They strongly supported executing the king during his trial in late 1792 and early 1793. After this victory, the Montagnards worked to make the Girondins look bad. They called them liars and enemies of the Revolution.

The end of 1793 and early 1794 was a time of great conflict. It was called the Reign of Terror. During this period, there was a lot of violence between rival political groups, especially the Girondins and the Jacobins. Many people who were seen as "enemies of the revolution" were arrested or removed from power.

In the third phase, called Thermidor, many members of the Convention removed the most powerful leader of the Committee of Public Safety, Maximilien Robespierre. This was a reaction against the extreme power of the Committee. It brought power back to the more moderate members of the Convention. The Girondins who had survived the earlier changes were brought back. Many leading Montagnards were themselves removed from power.

In August 1795, the Convention approved a new constitution. This led to a new government called the Directory. The Directory was mostly controlled by wealthy citizens. It ruled from 1795 to 1799. Then, Napoleon Bonaparte took power in a coup d'etat.

Moderate Phase (1792–1793)

At first, a group called La Marais, or The Plain, had the most control in the Convention. This group was moderate and didn't have very strong opinions.

At the very first meeting on September 20, 1792, an older statesman named Philippe Rühl was in charge. The next day, the idea to "abolish royalty in France" was put forward. Everyone cheered when it passed. On September 22, news arrived that the Republic had won a battle. On the same day, the Convention decided that all official documents would be dated "First Year of the French Republic." Three days later, they added that "the French republic is one and indivisible." This was to make sure France stayed united.

The following men were chosen for two-week terms as presidents of the Convention during this moderate time:

Image	Dates	Name	Fate
	20 September 1792	Philippe Rühl	Died May 29/30, 1795
	20 September 1792 – 4 October 1792	Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve	Died June 18, 1794
	4 October 1792 – 18 October 1792	Jean-François Delacroix	Lost his life April 5, 1794
	18 October 1792 – 1 November 1792	Marguerite-Élie Guadet	Lost his life June 17, 1794
	1 November 1792 – 15 November 1792	Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles	Lost his life April 5, 1794
	15 November 1792 – 29 November 1792	Henri Grégoire	Died May 28, 1831
	29 November 1792 – 13 December 1792	Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac	Died January 13, 1841
	13 December 1792 – 27 December 1792	Jacques Defermon des Chapelières	Died June 20, 1831
	27 December 1792 – 10 January 1793	Jean-Baptiste Treilhard	Died December 1, 1810
	10 January 1793 – 24 January 1793	Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud	Lost his life October 31, 1793
	24 January 1793 – 7 February 1793	Jean-Paul Rabaut Saint-Étienne	Lost his life December 5, 1793
	7 February 1793 – 21 February 1793	Jean-Jacques Bréard, dit Bréard-Duplessis	Died January 2, 1840
	21 February 1793 – 7 March 1793	Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé	Died June 29, 1814
	7 March 1793 – 21 March 1793	Armand Gensonné	Lost his life October 31, 1793
	21 March 1793 – 4 April 1793	Jean Antoine Joseph Debry	Died January 6, 1834, Paris
	4 April 1793 – 18 April 1793	Jean-François-Bertrand Delmas	Disappeared August 19, 1798
	18 April 1793 – 2 May 1793	Marc David Alba Lasource	Lost his life October 31, 1793
	2 May 1793 – 16 May 1793	Jean-Baptiste Boyer-Fonfrède	Lost his life October 31, 1793
	16 May 1793 – 30 May 1793	Maximin Isnard	Died March 12, 1825
	30 May 1793 – 13 June 1793	François-René-Auguste Mallarmé	Died July 25, 1835

By the end of May 1793, an uprising by the working-class people of Paris, called the sans culottes, greatly weakened the power of the moderate Girondins. Even though Danton and Hérault de Séchelles served as presidents one more time each, the Girondins had lost control. Over the summer, the revolution changed from being led by the middle class to being led by the working class. New rules were put in place, like price controls and a guaranteed minimum wage for workers and soldiers. The government became much more revolutionary.

Radical Phase (1793–1794)

After the uprising, any attempts to resist the new revolutionary ideas were stopped. The events of May 31 to June 2, 1793, were a big turning point in the French Revolution. During these days, the Girondin party lost power. This happened because of pressure from the Parisian sans-culottes, the Jacobins (a political club), and the Montagnards in the National Convention.

The following men were chosen as presidents of the Convention as it moved from its moderate to its radical phase:

Portrait		Name (Born–Died)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois (1749–1796)	13 June 1793	27 June 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Jacques Alexis Thuriot de la Rosière (1753–1829)	27 June 1793	11 July 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Andre Jeanbon Saint Andre (1753–1813)	11 July 1793	25 July 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Georges Jacques Danton (1759–1794)	25 July 1793	8 August 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles (1759–1794)	8 August 1793	22 August 1793	14 days	The Mountain

The following men were chosen as presidents of the Convention during its main radical phase:

Portrait		Name (Born–Died)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794)	22 August 1793	5 September 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Jacques Nicolas Billaud-Varenne (1756–1819)	5 September 1793	19 September 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Pierre Joseph Cambon (1756–1820)	19 September 1793	3 October 1793	14 days	The Mountain
		Louis-Joseph Charlier (1754–1797)	3 October 1793	22 October 1793	19 days	The Mountain
		Moïse Antoine Pierre Jean Bayle (1755–1815)	22 October 1793	6 November 1793	15 days	The Mountain
		Pierre-Antoine Lalloy (1749–1846)	6 November 1793	21 November 1793	15 days	The Mountain
		Charles-Gilbert Romme (1750–1795)	21 November 1793	6 December 1793	15 days	The Mountain
		Jean-Henri Voulland (1751–1801)	6 December 1793	21 December 1793	15 days	The Mountain
		Georges Auguste Couthon (1755–1794)	21 December 1793	5 January 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825)	5 January 1794	20 January 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Marc Guillaume Alexis Vadier (1736–1828)	20 January 1794	4 February 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Joseph-Nicolas Barbeau du Barran (1761–1816)	4 February 1794	19 February 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (1767–1794)	19 February 1794	6 March 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Philippe Rühl (1737–1795)	7 March 1794	21 March 1794	14 days	The Mountain
		Jean-Lambert Tallien (1767–1820)	21 March 1794	5 April 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Jean-Baptiste-André Amar (1755–1816)	5 April 1794	20 April 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Robert Lindet (1746–1825)	20 April 1794	5 May 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Lazare Carnot (1753–1823)	5 May 1794	20 May 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois (1763–1832)	20 May 1794	4 June 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794)	4 June 1794	19 June 1794	15 days	The Mountain
		Élie Lacoste (1745–1806)	19 June 1794	5 July 1794	16 days	The Mountain
		Jean-Antoine Louis (1742–1796)	5 July 1794	19 July 1794	14 days	The Mountain

Reaction Phase (1794–1795)

On July 27, 1794, the National Convention decided to arrest Maximilien Robespierre, Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, and their supporters. They were removed from power the next day. This event marked the end of the most radical part of the French Revolution.

The following men were presidents of the Convention until it ended:

Image	Dates	Name	Fate
	19 July 1794 – 3 August 1794	Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois	Died June 8, 1796
	3 August 1794 – 18 August 1794	Philippe Antoine Merlin, dit Merlin de Douai	Died December 26, 1838
	18 August 1794 – 2 September 1794	Antoine Merlin de Thionville	Died September 14, 1833
	2 September 1794 – 22 September 1794	André Antoine Bernard, dit Bernard de Saintes	Died October 19, 1818
	22 September 1794 – 7 October 1794	André Dumont	Died October 19, 1838
	7 October 1794 – 22 October 1794	Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès	Died March 8, 1824. He was one of the few members of La Marais to become President. He also helped write Napoleon's Civil Code.
	22 October 1794 – 6 November 1794	Pierre-Louis Prieur, dit Prieur de la Marne	Died May 31, 1827
	6 November 1794 – 24 November 1794	Louis Legendre	Died December 13, 1797, from natural causes.
	24 November 1794 – 6 December 1794	Jean-Baptiste Clauzel	Died July 2, 1803
	6 December 1794 – 21 December 1794	Jean-François Reubell	Died November 23, 1807
	21 December 1794 – 6 January 1795	Pierre-Louis Bentabole	Died 1797
	6 January 1795 – 20 January 1795	Étienne-François Le Tourneur	Died October 4, 1817
	20 January 1795 – 4 February 1795	Stanislas Joseph François Xavier Rovère	Died 1798 in French Guiana
	4 February 1795 – 19 February 1795	Paul Barras	Died January 29, 1829
	19 February 1795 – 6 March 1795	François Louis Bourdon	Died June 22, 1798, after being sent to French Guiana
	6 March 1795 – 24 March 1795	Antoine Claire Thibaudeau	Died March 8, 1854
	24 March 1795 – 5 April 1795	Jean Pelet, also Pelet de la Lozère	Died January 26, 1842
	5 April 1795 – 20 April 1795	François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas	Died 1828. He was another member of La Marais to become President.
	20 April 1795 – 5 May 1795	Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès	Died June 20, 1836. He was also a member of La Marais to become President.
	5 May 1795 – 26 May 1795	Théodore Vernier	Died February 3, 1818
	26 May 1795 – 4 June 1795	Jean-Baptiste Charles Matthieu	Died October 31, 1833
	4 June 1795 – 19 June 1795	Jean Denis, comte Lanjuinais	Died 1828 in Paris
	19 June 1795 – 4 July 1795	Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvray	Died August 25, 1797
	4 July 1795 – 19 July 1795	Louis-Gustave Doulcet de Pontécoulant	Died April 3, 1853
	19 July 1795 – 3 August 1795	Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux	Died March 24, 1824
	3 August 1795 – 19 August 1795	Pierre Claude François Daunou	Died June 20, 1840
	19 August 1795 – 2 September 1795	Marie-Joseph Chénier	Died January 10, 1811
	2 September 1795 – 23 September 1795	Théophile Berlier	Died September 12, 1844
	23 September 1795 – 8 October 1795	Pierre-Charles-Louis Baudin	Died 1799
	8 October 1795 – 26 October 1795	Jean Joseph Victor Génissieu	Died October 27, 1804

What Came Next

After the National Convention ended in late 1795, a new government called the Directory (Directoire) took over. This government was led by five directors working together. It came before the Consulate, which was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte in a sudden takeover. The Directory lasted from November 2, 1795, to November 10, 1799.

The Directory had two main parts, like a two-house parliament. One part, the Council of the Ancients, chose the directors. To stay safe, the powerful Left group in the Council decided that all five directors had to be former members of the Convention. They also had to be people who had voted to remove King Louis XVI from power. The Ancients chose Jean-François Rewbell, Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras, Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux, Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot, and Étienne-François Le Tourneur.

Images for kids

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  Philippe Rühl

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  Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve

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  Jean-François Delacroix

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  Marguerite-Élie Guadet

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  Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles

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  Henri Grégoire

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  Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac

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  Portrait of Jacques Defermon

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  Jean-Baptiste Treilhard

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  Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud

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  Jean-Paul Rabaut Saint-Étienne

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  Jean-Jacques Bréard

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  Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé

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  Armand Gensonné

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  Jean Antoine Joseph Debry

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  Marc David Alba Lasource

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  Jean-Baptiste Boyer-Fonfrède

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  Maximin Isnard

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  François-René-Auguste Mallarmé

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  Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois

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  Philippe Antoine Merlin

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  Antoine Merlin de Thionville

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  André Antoine Bernard

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  André Dumont

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  Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès

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  Pierre-Louis Prieur

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  Louis Legendre

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  Jean-François Reubell

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  Étienne-François Le Tourneur

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  Stanislas Joseph François Xavier Rovère

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  Paul Barras

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  François Louis Bourdon

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  Antoine Claire Thibaudeau

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  Jean Pelet

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  François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas

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  Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

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  Théodore Vernier

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  Jean Denis, comte Lanjuinais

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  Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvray

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  Louis-Gustave Doulcet de Pontécoulant

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  Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux

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  Pierre Claude François Daunou

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  Marie-Joseph Chénier

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  Théophile Berlier

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  Pierre-Charles-Louis Baudin