Hébert, Jacques-René

(1757-1794)

   journalist, political figure

   Born in Alençon, Jacques-René Hébert joined the revolution of 1789 and, in 1790, founded the radical journal Le Père Duquesne. Replacing pierre chaumette in the insurrectionist Paris Commune after August 10, 1792, and leader of the cordeliers club, he carried out, under the Convention, a fierce struggle against the girondins, who had him arrested by the Commission of Twelve (May 18, 1793). His arrest, by unleashing the popular Sans-culottist movement (see sans-culottes; May 31-June 2, 1793), precipitated the fall of the Girondin leadership. Freed, Hébert adopted the program of the enragés, succeeded in having certain radical economic and social measures passed by the Convention, and encouraged the policy of de-Chris-tianization. After denouncing the indugents' offensive (GEORGES DANTON, CAMILLE DESMOULINS), which had demanded the end of the terror (December 1793-January 1794), he accused the Robespierrists of moderation and proposed a more radical social program. Threatened with overthrow by the Left as well as by the Right, the Committee of Public Safety, led by maximilien Robespierre, quickly arrested Hébert and the extremists, or Hébertists (March 12, 1794), who were then condemned to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal.