Camille+Desmoulins

=Camille Desmoulins=

On March 2nd, 1769, a strongly influential man, Camille Desmoulins, was born. His hometown was Guise, Picardy. During the French Revolution, Desmoulins was the most influential journalist towards others who paid attention to him and read his papers or pamphlets. A lot of people were offended by some of the content found in his writing since he aligned with Georges Danton, a powerful, problematic man. Others were impressed by his strength in his writing. Desmoulins died on April 5th, 1794 in Paris when he was beheaded.

Desmoulins began his journalism career in November 1789. One of his first papers was called "Les Revolutions de France et de Brabant." The paper grew really popular, and its main purpose was to criticize the French artistocrac. "La France Libre (Free France)" was a pamphlet he published at around the same time. It concluded the big charges against France's rapidly collapsing ancien régime. Submitted in September 1789, his newspaper "Discours de la Lanterne aux Parisiens (The Streetlamp's Address to the Parisians)" set forth the ideals of the Republicans. Also, it supported the Revolutionary's National Assembly's bourgeois-democratic reforms. Desmoulins strengthened his running for the position of he establishment of a republic and for the president after Louis XVI's unsuccessful flight from Paris in June 1791. The assembly ordered his arrest on July 22nd, 1791. Until Desmoulins received pardoning in September, he went into hiding.

1792 was when Desmoulins had a really big downfall. That was during the time when France was at war with Austria. Along with his friend Robiespierre, Desmoulins first opposed the war, until he became friends with Georges Danton and Marat, and joined their ideas. He then became Danton's secretary, the Justice Minister, on August 10th, 1792. On September 8th, 1792, Desmoulins joined the "Montagnards," or the Jacobin Club deputies, and was appointed to the National Convention. He distributed his newspaper "Histoire des Brissotins (History of the Brissotins)" in the middle of May 1793. It deeply portrayed the Girodins as agents in the pay of foreign enemies. After the denunciation of the Girondists in October 1793, Robiespherre stayed away from Desmoulins. Desmoulins then asked for peace between the partisans of the Revolution and expressed the major thoughts of the "enrages" in his new newspaper entitled "Le Vieux Cordeliers." Since his newspaper supported Danton's opinions, Robiesphierre turned his back on him. On March 31st, 1794, Danton and Desmoulins were both arrested. The purpose of the arrest of Desmoulins was because of his support for Danton.

Because of Desmoulins, and other journalists during the French Revolution, journalists today are said to be very important in France. His power led journalists to be strong powers over society, and also political pawns. Without Desmoulins and his newspapers, people would've never learned how the French were quite split up while putting up with government problems. His newspapers also show us the insight on how the French was able to bring about a war with their ink and pen.