Jean-Paul Marat (1743–1793) was a French doctor, journalist and politician during the French Revolution. Elected as a deputy, he played a leading role through his newspaper *L’Ami du peuple*.
Frequently accused of inciting violence, he was one of the main instigators of the September Massacres in 1792. His call for the murder of imprisoned royalists was heeded: 1,500 aristocrats, priests, Swiss Guards, the king’s bodyguards, or ordinary common-law prisoners were massacred by the revolutionaries. Marat then called for the widespread implementation of massacres throughout France. He even estimated that 270,000 heads would have to be cut off to save the Revolution and ‘ensure public tranquillity’. Such excesses led to him being brought before the Tribunal on charges. But the jury was entirely on his side. Upon his release, crowned with laurels, Marat was carried in triumph.
