Guizot, François

(1787-1874)

   statesman, historian

   A leading political figure who dominated the French government in the period before the revolution of 1848, François Guizot was born in Nîmes and educated at Geneva and Paris, where he became a professor of modern history at the sor-bonne in 1812. A moderate liberal, he opposed the conservative government of jules de poLiGNAC.He lost his university post under the reactionary King charles x, and later would play an active role in his overthrow during the revolution of july 1830. Under the new king, louis-philippe i, Guizot served as minister of the interior (1830) then as minister of public instruction (1832-37) and, as such, was responsible for the law that bears his name, which mandated the establishment of primary schools in each commune. After serving as ambassador to Great Britain, he replaced adolphe thiers as foreign minister (1840-47), during which time he initially pursued a policy of cooperation with Great Britain, achieving the Franco-British Entente cordiale. in domestic affairs, he opposed the liberals, especially because of his insistence on a limited suffrage, and he favored the capitalists and bourgeoisie. Becoming premier in 1847, Guizot saw his unpopularity increase because of economic crises. His ban on opposition meetings, known as the Banquets, in January 1848 led to the revolution that in the next month ended the reign of louis-philippe I (see revolution of 1848). After a year of exile in Belgium and England, Guizot returned to France, where he devoted the rest of his life to scholarly pursuits and writing. His works include Histoire des origines du gouvernment représentatif (1821-22), Histoire de la révolution d'Angleterre (1826-27), Histoire de la civilisation en Europe (1828), Histoire de la civilisation en France (1830), and Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de mon temps (1858-67). Guizot was elected to the académie FRANÇAISE in 1836.