Louis Charlier

Background

Charlier was born in Châlons-sur-Marne, Marne, the son of a surgeon.

Career

He is sometimes referred to as Charles. He practised law in his hometown before getting an appointment as administrator of the district of Châlons-sur-Marne in the early years of the French Revolution. He was elected to the National Convention (1792–1795), once again as a deputy for Marne.

He supported a wide variety of causes while a deputy to the Convention, such as when he argued against military recruitment, preferring a levée en masse if needed, and when he strongly supported making public education mandatory.

Charlier served as a term President of the National Convention (3 October 1793 – 22 October 1793) during the French Terror, but as time went by he betrayed the cause and participated in verbal attacks on terrorist leader Maximilien Robespierre during the Thermidorian coup (27 July 1794). He was sent on a mission to Lyon (known then briefly as Commune-Affranchie) as a representative of the Convention (21 August 1794 – 1 December 1794), where behaved with notable moderation, as was fitting in the conservative atmosphere of the times.

Nevertheless, a motion for his arrest was considered by the Convention (20 May 1795), thought it was rejected. As a former deputy of the Convention, entered the Council of Ancients (1795–1797), part of the successor legislative body to the Convention.

Unfortunately he manifested signs of mental disease and committed suicide.

Membership

Elected (4 September 1791) as a representative of Marne to the Legislative Assembly, he sat with the extreme left, and was named deputy member of the Extraordinary Commission of Twelve (18 June 1792 – 21 September 1792).

Connections

rival:

Louis XVI