Jean-Baptiste Robert Lindet (2 May 1746 in Bernay, Eure – 17 February 1825) was a French politician of the Revolutionary period. His brother, Robert Thomas Lindet, became a constitutional bishop and member of the

National Convention The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...

. Although his role may not have been spectacular, Jean-Baptiste Lindet came to be the embodiment of the growing middle class that came to dominate French politics during the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

Early career

Born at Bernay (

Eure Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

before the Revolution. He acted as '' procureur-syndic'' of the district of Bernay during the session of the National Constituent Assembly. Appointed deputy to the Legislative Assembly and subsequently to the Convention, he became well known. Initially close to the

Girondist The Girondins (, ), also called Girondists, were a political group during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnards, they initiall ...

s, Lindet was very hostile to

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

, provided a ''Rapport sur les crimes imputés à Louis Capet'' (20 December 1792) – a report of the king's alleged crimes – and voted for the king's

execution Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in ...

without

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...

. He was instrumental in the establishment of the

Revolutionary Tribunal The Revolutionary Tribunal (; unofficially Popular Tribunal) was a court instituted by the National Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders. In October 1793, it became one of the most powerful engines of ...

, and contributed to the downfall of the Girondists. His proposal for the Tribunal had passed with support from

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 ...

, despite the opposition of

Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud (; 31 May 1753 – 31 October 1793) was a French lawyer and statesman, a figure of the French Revolution. A deputy to the Assembly from Bordeaux, Vergniaud was an eloquent orator. He was a supporter of Jacques Pier ...

''Rapport sur les crimes imputés à Louis Capet''

Jean-Baptiste Robert Lindet, being a member of the Commission of Twenty-one, had an instrumental role in the execution of

and drew up the accusation in the ''acte enonciatif''. He worked incessantly on the project, and became sleep-deprived to the point of exhaustion and was forced to take to his bed. At the time of trial, Lindet was to have

Charles Barbaroux Charles Jean Marie Barbaroux (; 6 March 1767 – 25 June 1794) was a Girondin politician of the French Revolution, Revolutionary period and Freemason. He was the leader of the Fédérés and popular in the South of France. Biography Early care ...

read the document, due to his fatigue. Lindet wrote his accusation as a chronological retelling of the treasonous acts of the

, beginning in May 1789 and spanning until 10 August 1792. Beginning with the eve of the calling of the Estates-General, Lindet argued that

intended to use the representatives to raise money for the bankrupt crown, and then send them on their way with few reforms. When this did not prove effective,

resorted to the use of military force, which catalyzed the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...

, and the movement of the

to Paris. From this point, he focused on the counter-revolutionary actions of the

as showcased by the discovery of the

Armoire de fer L'armoire de fer (French: 'iron chest') in general refers to an iron chest used to house important papers. A notable and frequent use of the term refers to a hiding place at the apartments of Louis XVI of France at the Tuileries Palace where s ...

(Iron Cupboard), proving that the king was duplicitous. By the summer of 1792, Lindet argued that

had realized his counter-revolutionary efforts had proved futile, and he would have to take military action. He provoked the insurrection of 10 August, with the gathering of troops at the Tuileries, and when he saw his imminent defeat the Swiss were left to die for an undeserving king. Lindet would be known to have a strong opinion in this matter because during the Insurrection, he actually worked to help a Swiss guard escape. In his accusation against the king, Lindet focused strongly on his duplicity and betrayal against the actions of the French Revolution. His ''acte enonciatif'' characterized the views of the

Montagnards Montagnard (''of the mountain'' or ''mountain dweller'') may refer to: *Montagnard (French Revolution), members of The Mountain (''La Montagne''), a political group during the French Revolution (1790s) **Montagnard (1848 revolution), members of the ...

, and also violated the Criminal Code of 1791. Another inconsistency in the trial of

was that the argument presented against him by Lindet disregarded any account of the Revolutionary violence against the

, thus presenting his accusation as a series of inexcusable crimes against the Revolution.

Committee and Terror

He became a substitute member of the

Committee of Public Safety The Committee of Public Safety () was a committee of the National Convention which formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a violent phase of the French Revolution. Supplementing the Committee of General D ...

on 6 April 1793, and soon replaced the ill Jean Antoine Debry. All members of the

belonged to bourgeoisie of the ''ancien regime'', were Montagnards, and all had ample experience serving apprenticeships in previous years assemblies or in high offices of state. Lindet was unique in the demographics of the

, in that he was forty-six, where the average age of the members was thirty. Very concerned by the question of food supplies, he showed his administrative talent in coping with the issue. Lindet was the department head, or the "examiner" of the National Food Commission. The National Food Commission was mainly in charge of economic measures and more specifically was responsible for the provision of subsistence, clothing, and transportation. This body consisted of over 500 members at the height of the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...

, and would often send these members out for tasks and the gathering of intelligence. For one of these missions, Lindet was sent to the districts of

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

, Eure,

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...

and

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre ferv ...

, he did not support him, and he was, with

Philippe Rühl Philippe Jacques Rühl (3 May 1737 – 29/30 May 1795) was a statesman during the French Revolution, best remembered as the ''doyen d'âge'' (oldest deputy) of the opening session of the Convention of 1792–1795. Biography Born in Strasbourg ...

, one of the only two members of the Committee who did not sign the order for the execution of Danton and his party. When asked to do so, he had replied to

Louis de Saint-Just Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just (; 25 August 176710 Thermidor, Year II 8 July 1794, sometimes nicknamed the Archangel of Terror, was a French revolutionary, political philosopher, member and president of the French National Convention, a ...

: "''I am here to protect citizens, and not to murder

patriots A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...

''".

Thermidor and Directory

He also opposed the

Thermidorian Reaction In the historiography of the French Revolution, the Thermidorian Reaction ( or ''Convention thermidorienne'', "Thermidorian Convention") is the common term for the period between the ousting of Maximilien Robespierre on 9 Thermidor II, or 27 J ...

of July 1794, and defended

Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac Bertrand may refer to: Places * Bertrand, Missouri, US * Bertrand, Nebraska, US * Bertrand, New Brunswick, Canada * Bertrand Township, Michigan, US * Bertrand, Michigan * Bertrand, Virginia, US * Bertrand Creek, state of Washington * Saint ...

Jacques Nicolas Billaud-Varenne Jacques-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne (; 23 April 1756 – 3 June 1819), also known as Jean Nicolas or by his nicknames, the Righteous Patriot or the Tiger, was a French lawyer and a major figure in the French Revolution. A close associate of Georges ...

, and

Collot d'Herbois Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois (; 19 June 1749 – 8 June 1796) was a French actor, dramatist, essayist, and revolutionary. He was a member of the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror and, while he saved Madame Tussaud from the ...

from the accusations made against them on 22 March 1795. Himself denounced on 20 May, Lindet was defended by his brother Thomas, but only escaped condemnation by the vote of

amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

of the 4 Brumaire, year IV (26 October 1795). The

French Directory The Directory (also called Directorate; ) was the system of government established by the Constitution of the Year III, French Constitution of 1795. It takes its name from the committee of 5 men vested with executive power. The Directory gov ...

offered Lindet the opportunity to become its

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

, but he turned down the mission. After taking part in the

Conspiracy of Equals The Conspiracy of the Equals () of May 1796 was a failed coup d'etat during the French Revolution. It was led by François-Noël Babeuf, who wanted to overthrow the Directory and replace it with an egalitarian and proto-socialist republic, ins ...

in 1796, he faced trial and was

acquitted In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal means that the criminal prosecution has failed to prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charge presented. It certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an o ...

. He then was elected to the

Council of Five Hundred The Council of Five Hundred () was the lower house of the legislature of the French First Republic under the Constitution of the Year III. It operated from 31 October 1795 to 9 November 1799 during the French Directory, Directory () period of t ...

(by Eure and

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 ...

), but was not allowed to occupy his seat. However, he served as

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

from 18 June to 9 November 1799.

Later life

After

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

'' against the Directory, the ''

18 Brumaire The Coup of 18 Brumaire () brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power as First Consul of the French First Republic. In the view of most historians, it ended the French Revolution and would soon lead to the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of the ...

'' of 1799, he refused to occupy offices of the

Consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

(and consequently of the

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

). In 1816 he was

proscribed Proscription () is, in current usage, a 'decree of condemnation to death or banishment' (''Oxford English Dictionary'') and can be used in a political context to refer to state-approved murder or banishment. The term originated in Ancient Rome ...

by the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

government as a ''

regicide Regicide is the purposeful killing of a monarch or sovereign of a polity and is often associated with the usurpation of power. A regicide can also be the person responsible for the killing. The word comes from the Latin roots of ''regis'' ...

'', avoiding a harsher penalty by not having recognized Napoleon during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

. Lindet returned to France some time before his death in Paris.

Bibliography

* 1793
''Attentat et crimes de Louis, dernier roi des Français''
* 1794
''Projet de décret présenté au nom des Comités de salut public, d'agriculture et de commerce, dans la séance du 14 brumaire''
* 1794
''Rapport de Robert Lindet''
* 1794
''Réponse de R. Lindet, a ceux qui lui reprochent 1o. d'avoir parlé des événemens du 31 mai dans le mois de juillet 1793, et dans son rapport du quatrième des jours complémentaires, 2o. d'avoir concouru aux décrets portés le 3 octobre contre un grand nombre de membres de la Convention, et de s'être opposé au rapport de ces décrets, 3o. d'avoir pris la défense des quatre membres de l'ancien gouvernement''
* 1795
''R. Lindet, représentant du peuple, a la Convention nationale''
* 1795
''Compte rendu a la Convention nationale, en exécution de son décret du 21 nivôse dernier, par Robert Lindet, représentant du peuple, des dépenses qu'il a faites dans les différentes missions qu'il a remplies''
* 1797
''Robert-Thomas Lindet, représentant du peuple, a la Haute-Cour de justice, sur l'accusation contre Robert Lindet''

References

*Marc Bouloiseau, ''The Jacobin Republic 1792-1794'' (Cambridge, 1983) *Colin Jones, ''The Longman Companion to the French Revolution'' (New York, 1988) *David P. Jordan, ''The King's Trial: Louis XVI vs. the French Revolution'' (Los Angeles, 1979). *Richet, Francois Furet, and Denis, ''The French Revolution'' (New York, 1970) *

Simon Schama Sir Simon Michael Schama ( ; born 13 February 1945) is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. He is a professor of history and art history at Columbia Uni ...

, '' Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution'' (New York,1989) * ''In turn, it cites as references:'' **Amand Montier, ''Robert Lindet'' (Paris, 1899) and ' (Paris, 1899). **H. Turpin, ''Thomas Lindet'' (Bernay, 1886). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindet, Robert 1746 births 1825 deaths People from Bernay, Eure Montagnards Finance ministers of France People on the Committee of Public Safety Deputies to the French National Convention Regicides of Louis XVI Représentants en mission Members of the Council of Five Hundred People involved in the Conspiracy of the Equals Politicians from Normandy 18th-century French lawyers Presidents of the National Convention