Jules François Paré (11 August 1755 – 29 July 1819) was a French politician who served as

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

from 1793 to 1794, during the French Revolution.

Life

Paré was born in Rieux,

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

on 11 August 1755 into a modest family. His father, a carpenter, could only afford him a primary education. He attended the ''Collège des Oratoriens'' in

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

. When he was to have his hands rapped as punishment, his classmate and friend

Georges Danton Georges Jacques Danton (; ; 26 October 1759 – 5 April 1794) was a leading figure of the French Revolution. A modest and unknown lawyer on the eve of the Revolution, Danton became a famous orator of the Cordeliers Club and was raised to gove ...

defended him and spoke out against corporal punishment in class. Danton spoke so persuasively that the head of the school decided to ban the practice. Paré became the chief clerk at Danton's law office in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. On the outbreak of the Revolution, Paré embraced its principles with moderation and, thanks to his employer's support, received the post of departmental commissioner and was elected secretary to the Provisional Executive Council in 1793. On 20 August 1793 he was made Minister of the Interior in replacement of Dominique Joseph Garat. Denounced as a "new

Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

" by

François-Nicolas Vincent François-Nicolas Vincent (; born 1766 or 1767; died 24 March 1794) was the Secretary General of the War Ministry in the First French Republic, and a significant figure in the French Revolution. A member of the Cordelier Club, he is best known as ...

and

Jacques René Hébert Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related t ...

and as a "Dantoniste" by

Georges Couthon Georges Auguste Couthon (, 22 December 1755 – 28 July 1794) was a French politician and lawyer known for his service as a deputy in the Legislative Assembly during the French Revolution. Couthon was elected to the Committee of Public Safety o ...

, he was dismissed on 5 April 1794, but escaped punishment, particularly the

guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...

which awaited his protector. Under the Directory, Paré was appointed commissioner to the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

department and then administrator of military hospitals. He withdrew from politics during the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

and retired to a small property in Champagne. Paré died in Paris on 29 July 1819.

References

*''Histoire et dictionnaire de la Révolution française 1789-1799'' by Jean Tulard, Jean-François Fayard, Alfred Fierro {{DEFAULTSORT:Pare, Jules-Francois 1755 births 1819 deaths People from Marne (department) People of the French Revolution French interior ministers Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery