Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux
Portrait by Gerard van Spaendonck after François Gérard, c. 1797
Personal details
Born	(1753-08-24)24 August 1753 Montaigu, Vendée
Died	24 March 1824(1824-03-24) (aged 70)
Resting place	Père Lachaise Cemetery
Nationality	French
Occupation	Lawyer
Known for	National Convention; French Directory

Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux (born August 24, 1753 – died March 24, 1824) was an important person during the French Revolution. He was a representative in the National Convention and later a key leader in the French Directory.

Early Life and Education

Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux was born in Montaigu, a town in the Vendée region of France. His father was J. B. de la Révellière. Louis Marie added "Lépeaux" to his name. This came from a small piece of land his family owned. People in his local area often called him M. de Lépeaux.

He studied law in two major French cities: Angers and Paris. He finished his law studies and became a lawyer in 1775.

Role in the French Revolution

Joining the Estates-General

In 1789, Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux was chosen to be a representative. He joined the Estates-General of 1789. This was a big meeting where people from different parts of French society discussed important issues. After this meeting, he went back to Angers.

There, he worked with his friends, J. B. Leclerc and Urbain-René Pilastre. They were part of the council for the Maine-et-Loire area. During this time, they had to deal with the first signs of the War in the Vendée. This was a major conflict that happened in the Vendée region.

Serving in the National Convention

In 1792, La Révellière-Lépeaux was elected again. This time, he became a representative for his department in the National Convention. This was the new government assembly during the French Revolution. On November 19, he suggested a famous rule. This rule stated that France would help other countries. It offered protection to nations fighting for their own freedom.

Challenges and Leadership

La Révellière-Lépeaux voted for the death of King Louis XVI. However, he generally did not agree with the most extreme groups. In 1793, he was declared an enemy of the state. This happened because he was linked to the Girondins, a political group that lost power. He had to hide until July 27, 1794. This date is known as the 9 Thermidor. After this event, the extreme period of the Revolution ended.

After coming out of hiding, he helped create a new constitution. In July 1795, he became the president of the Assembly. Soon after, he joined the Committee of Public Safety. This committee was very powerful during the Revolution. His name was first on the list of people chosen to lead the French Directory. He then became the president of the Directory.

Time in the Directory

Working with Other Leaders

As a leader in the Directory, La Révellière-Lépeaux worked closely with Jean-François Rewbell. He also had some alliance with Barras. However, he strongly disliked another important leader, Lazare Carnot.

New Ideas and Policies

La Révellière-Lépeaux had strong opinions about religion. He was very against the Christian religion. He wanted to replace it with a new belief system called theophilanthropy. This new religion was created by an English thinker named David Williams. La Révellière-Lépeaux believed this new religion could help society.

He also took credit for a major political event. This was the Coup of 18 Fructidor on September 4, 1797. During this event, the allied leaders of the Directory gained full control. However, his own writings about this event should be read carefully.

End of His Public Life

La Révellière-Lépeaux was forced to leave his position on June 18, 1799. This event is known as the Coup of 30 Prairial Year VII. After this, he lived a quiet life in the countryside. He did not take part in public affairs again. He returned to Paris ten years later but remained out of politics.