Jean-Paul Marat(traditional transmission, French pronunciation Mara; fr. Jean-Paul Marat; May 24 ( 17430524 ) , Boudry, Principality of Neuchâtel (now the canton of Neuchâtel) - July 13, Paris) - political figure of the era of the French Revolution, doctor, radical journalist, one of the leaders of the Jacobins. Known by the nickname "Friend of the People", after the newspaper he published since September. Together with M. Robespierre, he led the preparations for the uprising of May 31 - June 2, which took power from the Girondins. One of the most ardent supporters of the Jacobin terror, who laid the foundations of the revolutionary dictatorship. Killed by Charlotte Corday.

Medical and scientific activities

Perpetuating the name and memory of Marat in the USSR

In 1921, the flagship of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, the former battleship Petropavlovsk, was named after “Marat”. (In 1943, the battleship was returned to its former name).

In Soviet times (especially before the war), a man's name became widespread Marat, which was considered international, while the parents did not take into account that this was not a first name, but a surname, which also sounded like Mara in the original.

In the USSR, apologetic biographies of Marat were published (repeatedly in the ZhZL series), and his works were also published.

Film incarnations

• “The French Revolution” // La révolution française (France - Italy - Canada - Great Britain - Germany), (2 parts). Directed by Robert Enrico, Richard T. Heffron. In the role of Marat - Vittorio Mezzogiorno.
• "Charlotte Corday" // Charlotte Corday (France, ). Directed by Henri Elman. Bernard Blancan plays the role of Marat.

Notes

Literature

• Marat Zh.P. Pamphlets. / Ed. will join. article and comment. Ts. Friedland. - M.-L.: Academia, 1934. - 856 p.
• Marat Zh.P. Pamphlets. / Under general ed. F. Kon. - M.: Sotsekgiz, 1937. - 135 p.
• Marat Zh.P. Selected works: In 3 volumes / [Rep. ed. acad. V.P. Volgin]. Comp.: Acad. V. P. Volgin and A. Z. Manfred. Per. S. B. Kana. Entry article by A. Z. Manfred. Comment. V. M. Dalina. - M.: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1956.
  • T. 1: Before the revolution. - 360 s.: p.
  • T. 2: From the beginning of the revolution to the Varenna crisis. - 316 p.: p.
  • T. 3: From the flight of the king to the fall of the monarchy. / Per. with comment. V. M. Dalina. - 420 pp.: p.
• Levandovsky A. P. The heart of my Marat: The Tale of Jean Paul Marat.. - M.: Politizdat, 1975. - 478 p. - (Fiery revolutionaries).
• Valovaya D., Valovaya M., Lapshina G. Boldness. - M.: Young Guard, 1989. - P. 60-78. - 314 p.
• Dumas A. Collected works. T. 48. Ingenue. Per. from French L. Tokareva. Comments by T. Gioeva, F. Ryabov. Illustrations by E. Ganeshin. - M.: Art-Business Center, 2000. - 640 p.
• Vagman I. Ya., Vukina N. V., Miroshnikova V. V. 100 famous tyrants. - Kharkov: Folio, 2003. - P. 322-326. - 510 s. - (100 famous).

Foreign literature

• Excerpts from M.’s works were published by Vermorel (“Œuvres de Marat”, 1869),
• a detailed biography was written by Alfred Bougeart (“Marat”, 1865; attached is a complete bibliography of M.’s works).
• See also Ch. Brunet, "Marat, dit l'Ami du peuple" (1862);
• Louis Combes, "Episodes et curiosités révolutionnaires" (1872);
• Aulard, “L"éloquence parlementaire pendant la révolution française. Les orateurs de la Législative et de la Convention” (P., 1885).
• Jean-Paul-Marat - Œuvres Politiques 1789-1793 (10 vol.), textes et guide de lecture établis par Jacques De Cock et Charlotte Goëtz, Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, 1989-1995.
• Marat corrigé par lui-même, Chantier Marat 1, Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, 1990.
• Marat en entier et plus que Marat, Vrais et faux journaux de Marat à la Bibliothèque de Lunel (Chantier Marat 5), Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, Montpellier: Center d’Etude du XVIIIe siècle, 1995.
• Marat: Sur le Jugement du chef de l’Exécutif, Chantier Marat 6, Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, 1998.
• Marat en famille: la saga des Mara(t) (2 vols. Chantiers Marat 7-8), Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, 2001
• Plume de Marat - Plumes sur Marat, pour une bibliographie générale, Chantiers Marat 9-10), Pôle Nord, Bruxelles, 2 vol., 2006.

Source

Links

• "A draft declaration of the rights of man and the citizen, followed by a plan for a just, wise and free constitution."
• Tsverava G.K. "Marat as a natural scientist"
• Tarle E. “Jean-Paul Marat, Friend of the People”
• Aldanov M. “Marat’s Bath”
• Patrice Geniffe "Marat - the ideologist of terror"
• Chudinov A.V. Scientists and the French Revolution
• "What is truth?" or The murder of Marat in the mirror of history

Categories:

• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Journalists in alphabetical order
• Journalists from France
• Born on May 24
• Born in 1743
• Born in the canton of Neuchâtel
• Deaths on July 13
• Died in 1793
• Died in Paris
• People of the French Revolution alphabetically
• Revolutionaries of France
• Politicians of France
• Members of the National Convention
• French scientists
• Murdered politicians
• Deaths from bladed weapons
• Doctor writers
• Buried in the Paris Pantheon
• Memoirists of France

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See what “Marat, Jean-Paul” is in other dictionaries:

- (1743 1793) one of the leaders of the Jacobins during the French Revolution. From September 1789 he published the newspaper Friend of the People, in which he exposed the counter-revolution. Together with M. Robespierre, he led the preparation of the popular uprising on May 31-June 2, 1793... ... Historical Dictionary

Marat Jean Paul- (Marat, Jean Paul) (1743 93), one of the leaders of the French Revolution. He worked as a doctor in London. In 1773 he published a treatise “On Man...”, where he criticized the views of Telvetius, who argued that a philosopher does not need science. Returning to Paris, he published... The World History

- (Marat) (1743 1793), one of the leaders of the Jacobins, doctor. From September 1789 he published the newspaper “Friend of the People”. Together with M. Robespierre, he led the preparation of the popular uprising on May 31-June 2, 1793, which took power from the Girondins. S. Corday was killed. * * * MARAT... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Marat, Jean Paul) JEAN PAUL MARAT (1743 1793), a famous figure in the Great French Revolution. Born in Boudry near Neuchâtel (Switzerland) on May 24, 1743. His father, whose last name was Mara (he himself added the final t to his last name), was forced ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Marat USSR stamp, 1989 Portraits of the leaders of the revolution J. P. Marat, J. J. Danton and M. Robespierre. Jean Paul Marat (traditional transmission, French pronunciation Mar; French Jean Paul Marat, May 24, 1743 1793) one of the leaders of the Great ... ... Wikipedia

Biography

Jean-Paul Marat (traditional transmission, French pronunciation Mar; French Jean-Paul Marat; May 24, 1743, Boudry, Principality of Neuchâtel (now the canton of Neuchâtel) - July 13, 1793, Paris) - politician of the era of the French Revolution, doctor, radical journalist, one of the leaders of the Jacobins. Known under the nickname “Friend of the People,” in honor of the newspaper he published from September 1789. Together with M. Robespierre, he led the preparations for the uprising of May 31 - June 2, 1793, which took power from the Girondins. One of the most ardent supporters of the Jacobin terror, who laid the foundations of the revolutionary dictatorship. Killed by Charlotte Corday.

Medical and scientific activities

Born in Switzerland. He received a good education in the house of his father Jean-Baptiste Mar (1704-1783), a fairly famous doctor. The younger brother David in 1784 left for permanent residence in St. Petersburg, where he taught at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum (including under Pushkin).

After losing his parents, Jean-Paul made a living by teaching and practicing medicine, moving from city to city. He lived in England and Holland for more than 10 years and came out here with a number of books and pamphlets, which immediately created numerous enemies for him with the passion of his tone and sharp attacks on authorities. There is evidence that he was planning to take British citizenship to marry Anna Letitia Akin.

In 1773, he published the book “On Man, or the Principles and Laws of the Influence of the Soul on the Body and the Body on the Soul” (French: “De l'homme ou des principes et des lois de l'influence de l"âme sur le corps et du corps sur l"âme") (Amsterdam), which involved him in polemics with Voltaire; it was followed by the revolutionary brochure “The Chains of Slavery” (English: “The chains of slavery” London, 1774; French edition: “Les chaînes de l’esclavage”, Paris, 1792 et seq.).

His natural science works date back to the same time, the most significant drawback of which is the incredible arrogance in his reviews of such scientists as Newton, d'Alembert, Lavoisier. Marat He also attacked those researchers who were ready to pay attention to his experiments, such as A. Volta. Among the admirers of Marat's scientific talents was his future political opponent J. P. Brissot. Brissot attacked the French Academy, which did not recognize Marat. Jean-Paul's thoughts on the use of electricity in medicine are of interest. In 1775 the University of Edinburgh awarded him the degree of Doctor of Medicine. From 1779 to 1787, Marat was a doctor on the court staff of the Count d'Artois.

In 1779, the French Academy of Sciences, having analyzed Marat’s memoirs about fire, electricity and other phenomena, found that his experiments were new, accurate and successful, and his method was original. Franklin was present during one of Marat’s experiments, when he tried to prove that rubber conducts electricity, but he revealed the deception (a needle was placed in the rubber) and refused to be present at other “experiments.” Contrary to popular belief, Franklin sent only one letter to Marat - congratulations on the New Year, which did not stop Marat from spreading rumors that Franklin was corresponding with him.

Educational activities

In 1780, he submitted his Plan de législation criminelle (Neuchâtel, 1780) (Plan for Criminal Legislation) to the competition, in which he affiliated himself with the school of criminologists-philanthropists. Some ideas of this treatise (the need to ensure that the shame of punishment does not extend to the innocent families of criminals) were adopted by Emperor Joseph II. Speaking in the spirit of the enlightenment era about the rights of the lower classes, Marat, among other things, holds the idea that “no excess should belong to anyone by right, as long as there are people in daily need.”

Revolution. Newspaper "Friend of the People"

In 1789, he wrote “A Gift to the Fatherland” (“Offrande à la patrie”), “Tableau des vices de la constitution anglaise”, drafted a draft for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and finally began publishing the newspaper “Friend of the People” (“Ami du peuple”) , published from September 12, 1789 to the very day of Marat’s death, under different titles. The purpose of this publication was to expose the enemies of the people, and Marat attacked the royal family, ministers and members of the national assembly with equal harshness. “Friend of the People” contributed greatly to the spread of extreme revolutionary fanaticism among the people, especially in Paris; it was read in great demand, and its popularity was expressed in the numerous counterfeits of it that circulated at that time.

The fight against the Girondins and terror

The bitter tone of the newspaper caused persecution of Marat. He was forced to hide in the basements, without, however, leaving his work; once he even fled to England - but these persecutions only gave him even more energy and made him more ferocious: he began to talk about the need to renew society by sacrificing hundreds and thousands of heads of traitors. At the end of 1791, he moved to London, where he began compiling a book: “Ecole du citoyen”, but in April 1792 he returned to Paris and took up publishing with renewed energy. The attacks on him by the Girondins, who demanded that he be brought to trial for inciting murders, aroused in him a terrible hatred of them, especially since his printing presses again began to be destroyed and again he had to hide in the basements. The events of August 10 gave him power and influence. On this day, he distributed a poster in the city calling for the death of all anti-revolutionaries. He was elected a member of the supervisory committee of the commune and with his preaching greatly contributed to the September murders; he also signed and probably edited the circular of the commune committee, in which these murders were justified and the provinces were invited to follow the example of Paris (later, however, he denied his participation and called the September events “unfortunate”). Elected to the convention from Paris, he took a place at the head of the Montagnards and became the main target of Girondin speakers. The Girondins finally insisted on putting him on trial for the appeal he published as president of the Jacobins, in which he declared that the convention was concluding a counter-revolution in its depths. Despite Danton's protests, Marat was called to trial on April 14, 1793 for preaching the dissolution of the assembly and calling for murder and robbery; the evidence was taken from various issues of his newspaper. On April 24, 1793, the revolutionary tribunal unanimously acquitted him, and he was brought back to the convention in triumph. Now all his activities were directed towards the destruction of the Girondins; he was one of the main culprits of their proscription.

Murder and posthumous fate

Suffering from a severe skin disease, Marat did not leave the house and constantly took baths to alleviate his suffering; During one of them, on July 13, 1793, his visitor, noblewoman Charlotte Corday, offered him a new list of “enemies of the people.” While the delighted Marat was writing down their names, Charlotte stabbed him with a dagger. Marat died, having only managed to shout: “A moi, ma chère amie!” (Come to me, my friend!). On July 16, his body was buried with great ceremony in the garden of the Cordeliers Club; the deceased's heart was removed and placed in the club's meeting room. Montmartre and the city of Le Havre were briefly renamed in honor of Marat.

On September 21, 1794, his body was transferred to the Pantheon, but on 8 Ventose III (February 26, 1795) it was removed from it and reburied in the cemetery near the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont.

Perpetuating the name and memory of Marat in the USSR

After the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia, the name of Marat as one of the founders of the revolutionary dictatorship and revolutionary terror was immortalized in the names of many objects in the USSR. In Moscow there were Bolshoi and Maly Maratovskie lanes (formerly Kurbatov, now Ordynskie), named after the confectionery factory named after Marat.

In St. Petersburg there is Marata Street. Marata Street is also located in Nizhny Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Penza, Sevastopol, Kursk, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Izhevsk, Perm, Ulyanovsk, Minsk, Murmansk, Taishet, Tula, Kaluga, Michurinsk, Kalinkovichi, etc.

In 1921, the flagship of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, the former battleship Petropavlovsk, was named after “Marat”. (In 1943, the battleship was returned to its former name).

In Soviet times (especially before the war), the male name Marat, which was considered international, became widespread. [source not specified 460 days]

In the USSR, apologetic biographies of Marat were published (for example, in the ZhZL series and the PR series), and some of his works were also published.

Film incarnations

"French revolution"
La révolution française (France - Italy - Canada - Great Britain - Germany, 1989), (two parts). Directed by Robert Enrico, Richard T. Heffron. In the role of Marat - Vittorio Mezzogiorno.
"Charlotte Corday"
Charlotte Corday (France, 2007). Directed by Henri Elman. Bernard Blancan plays the role of Marat.

Full name:

Church name: -

Meaning: desired, purposeful

Middle name: Maratovich, Maratovna

The meaning of the name Marat - interpretation

The male name Marat is Muslim. Translated from Arabic, its meaning is “desired”, “sent”. This name is also popular in France. In this country it became famous thanks to the revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat. From French it is translated as “swamp”, “pond”. The patron saint of men called Marches is March of Euphrosia, who gives young men courage, courage and boldness.

Years later

Little Maratik is a peace-loving, kind, dreamy, sociable child. He successfully communicates with both peers and adults. He studies interesting school subjects with pleasure, but ignores the rest. In general, I am indifferent to sports.

She prefers drawing, modeling and other creative activities. From early childhood, the boy shows a developed imagination and a clearly defined individuality. Leadership qualities are clearly visible in him; he skillfully manipulates people right from childhood.

Often among children with this name there are mischief-makers. It is difficult to predict such behavior, as is living with this obnoxious child. He is incredibly jealous, vulnerable and touchy over trifles. But good paternal training should do its job.

As a teenager, a guy named Marat becomes the life of the party. Demonstrates a thirst for knowledge and self-improvement. When communicating with the opposite sex, he is outwardly cold and strict, but in his soul he is romantic and thirsty for warmth.

It is difficult to describe Marat’s character unambiguously. He is noble, kind, not harmful. Calm, fairly balanced, phlegmatic guy. But he also has outbursts of anger that he cannot immediately suppress on his own.

In his immediate circle, the young man will certainly show all his worst qualities, since he sincerely believes that his loved ones will tolerate him no matter what and will always love him. Marat is a person without any special complexes even at a young age.

Mature Marat is very receptive. Easily finds support from friends, relatives, colleagues, and acquaintances. Successful achievements are given to a man with great difficulty. He shows determination, patience, hard work - these are the qualities inherent in a real man.

He is committed, pragmatic, careful, punctual and methodical. He does not like to communicate with superficial, irresponsible, lazy people - because he himself represents their opposite.

Unpredictable, friendly, flexible, somewhat scandalous - all these characteristics define a man named Marat. He is bold and stubborn. Loves loneliness. His type is a reasonable and balanced choleric person.

Character of Marat

A man’s virtues lie in the following traits: justice, compassion, seriousness. He is very tactful and diplomatic in communication, which always helps him establish a dialogue. And strong willpower, commitment to business and perseverance are the best allies on the path to your cherished goal.

Marat is distinguished by initiative and rational thinking. His actions are literally imbued with prudence and utilitarianism. Also, one cannot fail to note his hard work and punctuality, which helps to complete things on time.

The undoubted disadvantages of this personality include isolation and unsociability. The thing is that at certain periods of time Marat becomes not very capable of contact, as he becomes immersed in himself. Although this does not last long, it spoils his relationships with people.

It is also necessary to say about this person’s touchiness, which constantly accompanies him even in trifles. Although Marat manages to quickly pull himself together, nevertheless, an unpleasant aftertaste remains and greatly affects his reputation.

The fate of Marat

A person with this name has a happy but difficult destiny. Thanks to fortitude and a whole set of positive qualities, a man overcomes any obstacles. To get what he wants, he has to work hard. Marat is not afraid of hard work. Has natural intuition and good memory. Since childhood, he has shown independence and independence. A man values ​​family ties very much.

Career,
business
and money

Marriage
and family

Sex
and love

Health

Hobbies
and hobbies

Career, business and money

If during rest Marat prefers peace and quiet, then at work he feels the need for live communication. His professional activities are related to teaching, journalism, restaurant or hotel business. A man can work as a radio or television presenter, translator, sociologist, or civil servant. If he has a research streak, he chooses scientific activity.

Marat is a good ordinary employee and a successful leader. He knows how to properly build relationships with the team and prevent conflict situations. The man is prone to innovation. For this he is valued at work, providing him with a decent income. He always finds wise use for money, which helps not only to maintain a supply of funds, but also to ensure a comfortable existence.

Marriage and family

Marat takes family ties seriously. He begins his relationship with his future wife by living together in the same living space. When choosing a chosen one, she listens to the opinions of her parents. His wife could be a clean girl, not prone to conflicts. She must be able to cook and behave with dignity in society.

For Marat, home is an unbreakable fortress. Having created a family, a man takes full responsibility for it. His children and wife are always beautifully and expensively dressed, surrounded by care and guardianship. This person loves to pamper his loved ones. He does not forget his parents either.

Sex and love

Marat has a strong character. He also shows courage in communicating with the female sex. A man's gallantry and courtesy make him a desirable partner. Marat's entourage is beautiful, daring, spectacular ladies. Many of them are just friends and acquaintances. The man is charming, but does not use this quality specifically to attract the girl he likes. Prefers to earn trust and respect through active actions.

Marat is capable of strong feelings. Having fallen in love, a man courtes for a long time and beautifully, surrounding his chosen one with warmth, attention, and material benefits. Loses interest if a woman is cold. The ideal passion for Marat is a bright, sensual, loving, relaxed, self-confident girl who knows how to empathize, care, and maintain a conversation on any topic. The man has a violent temperament in bed. Capable of delivering unforgettable sensations to your partner. A lively response and all-consuming passion are expected from her.

Health

Marat is distinguished by enviable health. But bad habits and constant overwork lead to the development of numerous chronic diseases. A weakened immune system makes itself felt at a young age. A man's weak point is the respiratory system. He is plagued by bronchitis, laryngitis, rhinitis and other unpleasant pathologies.

To get rid of them, a man needs to normalize his rest and work activities. It is advisable to give up junk food and bad habits. Sports will help improve physical health. You need to attend sections at least 2-3 times a week.

Interests and hobbies

Marat is a creative person. As a child he loves to draw. In adulthood, he transfers his skills to architecture and interior design. These areas are often chosen as a professional path.

In his free time he prefers to play sports. Sometimes he retires to a quiet corner with an interesting book. Marat does not accept noisy companies. Massive parties tire a man, causing headaches.

MARAT JEAN PAUL

(b. 1743 - d. 1793)

We have a good idea of ​​what Marat looks like - as soon as we mention this name, the painting by the French artist Jacques Louis David “The Death of Marat” comes to mind: a man with a bandage on his head, reclining in a bathtub. Moreover, apparently, he spends most of his time in the bath - there is a cabinet nearby, and an inkwell on it. In one hand Marat holds a pen, in the other - a piece of paper covered with writing. It looked like he had just finished drafting some important document and, tired, fell asleep.

However, the title of the picture clearly indicates that Marat, Friend of the People, is dead. And history reminds us that he died a violent death at the hands of Charlotte Corday. And the piece of paper is not at all an article or appeal from the revolutionary himself; on it is written the following: “July 13, 1793 Anne-Marie Corday to citizen Marat. It is enough that I am unhappy to have the right to your benevolence.”

This is an incomplete text of the letter that Charlotte Corday brought with her in case she was not allowed to see Marat and had to call him for a conversation. But she was able to get a meeting and stabbed the People’s Friend right in the bathroom. Why is this bathtub equipped as a workplace? And why did the Friend of the People receive the visitor here? And finally, why did Charlotte Corday kill Marat?

To answer these questions, we need to start with the events of the first four years of the Great French Revolution, of which Jean Paul Marat was a direct and active participant.

At the end of the 18th century, France was turbulent. The political life of this country has been eventful for many centuries, but this time, seasoned France was faced with something unusual - such unrest had never happened before. The country's economy was once again on the verge of bankruptcy, but now the situation has become extremely aggravated - domestic creditors have begun to assert their rights. The government owes huge sums to the big bourgeoisie. The reason for this was the poor harvests of recent years, the commercial and industrial crisis, and the contradictions between the new capitalist mode of production and the feudal system, which resulted in an inter-class conflict. The nobility had a lot of privileges that were not supported economically. The third estate, the bourgeoisie, had financial power, but due to the historical structure, it did not have the opportunity to influence events and defend its interests legally. The government made attempts to reconsider the situation, but tribal traditions turned out to be stronger: the bourgeoisie were universally despised, but their money served as a good help for fulfilling the whims of the nobility.

The unrest spread, and King Louis XVI was forced to take emergency measures. On May 5, 1789, the Estates General was convened, and on June 17, instead of discussing the pressing problems of the state, the deputies proclaimed themselves the National Assembly and later refused to obey the royal decree dissolving the Estates General.

On July 9, the deputies decided to call the meeting the Founding Assembly and began to work on creating the constitutional foundations of the state. On July 14, 1789, in response to threats to disperse the Constituent Assembly, the Parisians rebelled. On the same day, the Bastille was stormed.

For some time, France tried to follow the path of a constitutional monarchy, local elected authorities were created, and a national guard was formed.

Peasant uprisings began. On August 4, the Constituent Assembly announced the “complete” destruction of the feudal order, but to get out of feudal dependence, the peasants had to pay a ransom, the amount of which was unaffordable for the majority. On August 26, the meeting adopted the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.” Until September 1791, deputies worked on the Constitution and carried out administrative and financial reforms.

Formally, Louis XVI remained on the throne, but in fact he found himself in the position of a hostage. On June 21, 1791, the king tried to flee with his family to the Netherlands, but was identified, detained and returned to Paris.

The unrest did not subside. On July 17, a demonstration took place on the Champ de Mars demanding the abdication of the king. She was dispersed using firearms. The Constituent Assembly tried to save the idea of ​​a constitutional monarchy by submitting the Constitution adopted by the deputies to Louis for signature, after which the Assembly was immediately dissolved.

For two years now, representatives of the big bourgeoisie and liberal-minded nobility have been in power. During this time, many political groups formed in the country. One of the most significant of them was the Jacobin Club, named after the meeting place of its members in the former monastery of the Dominicans (in France they were called Jacobins). Through a network of branches in all corners of the country, the Jacobins incited revolutionary sentiments among the people. In October 1792, the so-called Girondins (from the name of the Gironde department, where many of its members were from) separated from the Jacobins.

The Constituent Assembly was replaced by the Legislative Assembly, where the radical Girondins took the leading position. They passed laws that freed peasants from ransom and fought for the separation of church and state. On April 20, Louis XVI, on the initiative of the Girondins, declared war on Austria, whose allied Prussia took its side. The unsuccessful start of the war, inflation, devastation, and rising prices caused new unrest. On August 10, another uprising broke out, led by the Paris Commune, the revolutionary body of Parisian self-government.

The uprising ended with the overthrow of the monarchy and the arrest of Louis and his family. On September 21, the Legislative Assembly proclaimed France a republic, and all power was transferred to the Convention. Louis became an ordinary citizen. He was later executed (January 21, 1793) on charges of "conspiracy against the liberty of the nation and an attack on the national security." The basis was the previously found correspondence between the king and counter-revolutionary emigrants, Austria, and Prussia.

The Convention actually consisted of deputies of three groups: the Girondins (who dominated until the spring of 1793), the Montagnards 8 and the “marshes”. Until the end of the spring of 1793, the Girondins occupied a dominant position, but on May 31, another uprising broke out in Paris, as a result of which the Girondins were expelled, and the Jacobins, led by Robespierre, came to power.

Having seized power, the Jacobins embarked on the path of terror and virtually established a dictatorship. Power was almost entirely concentrated in the hands of two committees of the Convention: the Committee of Public Safety and the Committee of Public Safety.

All aspects of the public and personal life of the French were strictly regulated. Heads rolled. The guillotines worked without ceasing. The victims of the Jacobin terror were not only supporters of the old order, but also revolutionaries whose opinions differed from the point of view of the Jacobins, one of whose leaders was Jean Paul Marat.

Jean Paul Marat was born on May 24, 1743 in the Swiss town of Boudry, where three years earlier his Catholic parents had moved to Calvinism. Marat's father, an educated man, was an artist, but he also tried other occupations - medicine, teaching foreign languages. He was able to give his children a decent education.

Marat decided to become a doctor. He studied in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Paris, Holland and England. In England, Jean Paul became interested in philosophy and politics and wrote the works “The Philosophical Experience of Man” and the anti-monarchist treatise “Chains of Slavery.” Voltaire was familiar with these works of Marat, although he did not speak well of them.

In England, Marat, without leaving medicine, took up physical optics. In his works, the young scientist showed excessive self-confidence and contempt for existing authorities, who (like the entire scientific world) paid him in the same coin. As a result, Marat became disillusioned with the prospects for a scientific career.

In 1776, he returned to France and received the position of physician to the guards of the Comte d'Artois (the future King Charles). But medicine does not bring Marat either fame or money. Attempts to continue scientific research also did not lead to success.

Proud and, apparently, vain, Jean Paul is trying to make a political career. In 1777, he took part in a competition for the best project for the reform of criminal law, and in 1782 he published the “Plan of Criminal Legislation.” These works, however, also did not bring Marat the desired fame and career growth.

With the beginning of the Great French Revolution, Marat decides to take up politics in practice, leaving theoretical research. Since September 1789, he published the newspaper “Friend of the People,” which became the main work of his life. The newspaper quickly gained popularity - the materials published in it were sensational and provided, albeit scandalous, fame. The newspaper continuously exposed the enemies of the revolution, and Marat did not particularly care about the veracity of certain statements. He called on the people to take decisive violent action. Thanks to this position, Marat very quickly gained great popularity among common people and made enemies among politicians.

Many times he had to stop publishing the newspaper and go into hiding. After the shooting of an anti-monarchist demonstration on July 17, 1791, the Friend of the People (as Marat began to be called) even had to flee to England.

The publication of the newspaper was resumed in April 1792. After the first failures of the military campaign against Austria and Prussia, the Friend of the People, who called for drastic and tough measures against the enemies of the revolution, began to enjoy even greater popularity. Largely thanks to Marat's propaganda, in September 1792 mass beatings of political prisoners took place in Paris prisons. Thus, we can say that Marat became the forerunner of the future Jacobin terror and one of its main ideologists.

Marat was elected to the newly created Convention, joining the Montagnards.

Just as our dear Mendel Krik was known as a rude man among the bandits, so Marat looked like an extremist against the backdrop of left-wing radical members of his party. He furiously denounced the “enemies of the revolution,” demanded the execution of Louis, cursed the traitor to the revolution, General Dumouriez and the Girondins.

Marat signed an appeal calling for the extermination of the Girondins, and they succeeded in bringing the Friend of the People to trial. He was charged with inciting hostility between the deputies of the Convention, inciting murder and rebellion. The trial of Marat turned into his triumph. On April 24, 1793, he was acquitted by a revolutionary tribunal and, accompanied by a crowd of enthusiastic admirers, returned to the Convention. In the uprising that began on May 31, Marat played, perhaps, if not the main, then at least no less a role than Robespierre.

The Girondins were overthrown. They had to leave Paris, whose inhabitants, largely thanks to the activities of the Friend of the People, were opposed to them. However, in the provinces the Girondins received popular support and began preparing an anti-Jacobin rebellion. Girondin groups gathered in many French cities, including Caen. Most likely, it was this group that became the indirect cause of Marat’s death.

24-year-old Charlotte Corday lived in Caen. This woman belonged to an ancient but impoverished noble family, and was the grandniece of the famous playwright Pierre Corneille. She received an excellent education, read a lot, and was interested in philosophy. After the events of 1789, her two brothers emigrated and joined the royalist army, but Charlotte's sympathies lay with the Girondins. She was familiar with some of them - after the Paris events, many party leaders came to Kai, and Charlotte was inspired by their stories. Meanwhile, Marat called on the people to exterminate the Girondins, and Charlotte Corday decided to save them from the persecution of the Friend of the People.

The girl went to Paris. Charlotte arrived in the capital on July 11, 1793. She stayed at a hotel and spent the entire next day reading. On the morning of July 13, Charlotte bought a knife and went to Marat’s apartment. The first time the gatekeeper did not let her in, saying that Marat was sick and did not accept visitors.

Marat was indeed very ill. For the last five months he had been tormented by a severe skin disease. Almost immediately after the Jacobin coup, an aggravation began. On June 6, Marat writes to the Convention: “Citizens, my colleagues! An inflammatory disease - a consequence of the torment to which I have subjected myself for the last four years in defense of Freedom - has been tormenting me for five months now and to this day keeps me in bed.”

On June 17, Marat unexpectedly appears at the Convention, but does not show usual activity. On June 21, he gives another fiery speech at the Jacobin Club, in which, in particular, he says that the salvation of the Republic costs two hundred and sixty thousand heads of intriguers and their accomplices. On June 22, he speaks publicly again, but the next day, illness again forces Marat to stay at home, and since then he has never gone out again.

The disease has worsened. Marat was tormented by a fever; he constantly wore a bandage soaked in vinegar on his forehead. The friend of the people took only liquid food and constantly drank coffee, which may have been contraindicated for him - the illness could have been of nervous origin.

Nevertheless, the People's Friend remained aware of what was happening in the Convention and continued to work on the publication of the newspaper. He spent almost all his time in the bath - this was the only thing that saved him from the unbearable itching. He wrote in the newspaper that “...he would give all the treasures of the earth for a few days of health, but he is always more occupied with the misfortunes of the people than with his illness.”

On July 12, Marat was visited by the deputies of the Convention - More and David. The artist was preparing to paint a portrait of the Friend of the People. More provided the Jacobin Club with a report on his visit to Marat. Here is a short excerpt: “We arrived to see our brother Marat, who remained very grateful for the interest you showed in him and expressed his gratitude to you. We found him in the bath; near him stood a table with an inkwell and newspapers - without relaxing, he was busy with the affairs of the people. There is no relief from his illness yet, but malaise never relaxes the members of the Mountain. How much patriotism packed into a very small body! His patriotic efforts are disturbed only by the stench of enemies pressing in on all sides. He complains that the Convention forgot to consider the several means of public salvation which it proposed.”

On July 13, Charlotte Corday's first visit to Marat took place. Not receiving an audience, she sent him a letter with the following content:

“Citizen, I came from Caen. Your love for the fatherland leads me to assume that you will learn with interest about the unfortunate events in this part of the republic. I will come to you in about an hour. Please accept me and give me a minute to talk. I will give you the opportunity to render a great service to the fatherland. Charlotte Corday."

In the evening Charlotte came again. Marat sat in the bath and looked through the proofs of the next issue of “Friend of the People.” The gatekeeper again did not let Charlotte in, and then she began to say loudly: “How unpleasant! How disgusting that I won’t be accepted!” and just as loudly asked whether Marat had received her letter. A friend of the people heard voices on the stairs and asked Simone Evrard, the woman with whom he was in a civil marriage, to invite the visitor to enter.

Charlotte Corday entered the room. Marat was lying in the bathtub covered with a sheet. Their conversation lasted about ten minutes. Charlotte told Marat that she could name the names of the Girondist leaders active in Caen. Marat wrote down the names of these people. His hands were busy with writing materials, and he did not look at the visitor. Charlotte pulled out a knife and stabbed her. The knife entered Marat's body just below the right collarbone, pierced the lung and reached the heart. Marat only managed to shout: “Come to me, my friend! To me!" and lost consciousness. Five minutes later, the Friend of the People was gone. Charlotte Corday was detained at the scene of the crime. She didn't even try to run.

The artist David began work on his famous painting just two hours after the murder.

So, what was Marat’s illness? Contemporary doctors were unable to establish an accurate diagnosis (enemies claimed that the Friend of the People suffered from syphilis, but this assumption is unlikely). Modern experts also disagree.

The symptoms of the disease were unbearable itching and rash, which gave reason to assume two possibilities: eczema or one of the varieties of lichen (perhaps Marat suffered from scaly lichen - psoriasis). It is quite difficult to determine which disease we are talking about, since both are the result of neuropsychic overload. For example, a severe attack of illness began immediately after events that required enormous stress from Marat - the Jacobin coup.

Ivan Lesny believes that Marat suffered from a mild phobic neurosis (obsessive fears and anxiety) due to a skin disease. In an effort to overcome it, he wrote fiery articles calling for getting even with the enemies of the revolution, demanded the execution of the king, called for reprisals against royalist prisoners, for mass executions, and signed the above-mentioned appeal for the extermination of the Girondins.

However, the tension of the last four years of Marat’s life, combined with his irrepressible desire for fame by any means, allows some researchers to make a much more stringent diagnosis. Here is what N.I. Kareev writes: “Jean Paul Marat. was, without a doubt, an abnormal person, a psychopath. Bearing quite clear signs of physical degeneration, even before the start of the revolution he also showed some mental properties that characterize maniacs in general: it was at first a delusion of grandeur, little by little complicated by delusions of persecution and, finally, reaching a mania for murder.”

Marat himself seems to confirm the diagnosis. He writes at the beginning of 1793: “From an early age I was devoured by the love of fame, a passion that changed its goal at different periods of my life, but never left me for a minute. At the age of five I wanted to become a school teacher, at fifteen - a professor, a writer - at eighteen, a creative genius - at twenty, whereas now I crave fame and sacrifice myself for my fatherland. I know well that my works are not created to appease the enemies of the fatherland: swindlers and traitors fear nothing more than exposure. Therefore, the number of villains who have vowed to destroy me is enormous. Forced to hide their enmity, their base vindictiveness, their thirst for my blood under the cover of love for humanity, respect for the laws, from morning to evening they spew a thousand pitiful and disgusting tales against me. Of these, the only one that has deceived some and is constantly spread by them is that I am a madman, a bilious madman, a bloodthirsty monster or a bribed villain. They consider it a crime that I demanded the heads of traitors and conspirators. But did I ever demand popular punishment for these villains before they began to express contempt for the sword of justice with impunity, and legislators set about ensuring their impunity? And then, is it such a great crime to demand five hundred criminal heads in order to save five hundred thousand innocents? Doesn’t the calculation itself testify to wisdom and humanity?”

Perhaps it was this unprecedented and inexplicable cruelty from the point of view of a healthy psyche that was the reason that Marat became one of the main ideologists of the Jacobin terror. It was not for nothing that Charlotte Corday chose him, and not, for example, Robespierre, as her target.