Georges Couthon

Lore & Background

Couthon was born on 22 December 1755 in Orcet in the province of Auvergne. His father was a notary, and his mother was the daughter of a shopkeeper. Following in his father's footsteps, Couthon became a notary, serving on the Provincial Assembly of Auvergne in 1787. He married Marie Brunet in 1787, and his sons Antoine and Hippolyte were born in 1787 and 1790 respectively. Couthon suffered joint problems from childhood, which worsened by 1782, necessitating a cane by 1791 and a wheelchair by 1793. He joined the Freemasons in 1790 in Clermont and became a fixture at its literary society. In 1791, he became a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, representing Puy-de-Dôme, and joined the Jacobin Club of Paris. Initially sitting on the Left, he soon distanced himself from radicals, fearing they were 'shocking the majority.' In September 1792, he was elected to the National Convention. After a brief consideration of the Girondist faction, he committed himself to the Montagnards and the inner group around Robespierre. At the Trial of Louis XVI, he voted for the death sentence without appeal. On 30 May 1793, he was appointed secretary of the Committee of Public Safety and helped draft the French Constitution of 1793. He was the first to demand the arrest of proscribed Girondists.

Reader's Guide

Couthon's significance lies in his role as a key architect of the Reign of Terror. As a member of the Committee of Public Safety, he helped consolidate revolutionary power through legislation and repression. His most notable contribution was the Law of 22 Prairial, drafted with Robespierre, which accelerated executions by depriving the accused of counsel and witnesses. This law led to a sharp increase in executions in Paris, with 1,515 executions between June and July 1794 alone. Couthon also served as the representative to Lyon, where he oversaw the city's surrender and the initial implementation of a decree to destroy the city and execute rebels, though he found the task difficult and was replaced. His legacy is tied to the excesses of the Terror; his arrest and execution during the Thermidorian Reaction marked the end of the triumvirate's dominance. Couthon's actions reflect the radicalization of the Revolution and the use of state violence to suppress dissent, making him a controversial figure in revolutionary history.

Did You Know?

• Couthon was a Freemason, joining in 1790 in Clermont.
• He used a wheelchair driven by hand cranks via gears by 1793 due to paralysis.
• He drafted the Law of 22 Prairial, which increased executions in Paris to 26 daily.
• Couthon was the first to demand the arrest of proscribed Girondists in 1793.