Gustave Flourens

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Gustave Flourens (Paris, August 4, 1838 – April 3, 1871) was a French Revolutionary leader and writer, son of the physiologist Jean Pierre Flourens (who was Professor at the Collège de France and deputy in 1838-1839). He is also the elder brother of Emile Flourens, who became minister of foreign affairs under the Third Republic.

At 25 years old Flourens undertook in 1863, on behalf of his father, a course of lectures at the Collège de France, on the subject of the history of mankind. His theories as to the manifold origin of the human race gave offence to the clergy, and he was prevented from delivering further lectures. He then went to Brussels, where he published his lectures under the title of Histoire de l’homme (1863). Gustave Flourens then visited Constantinople and Athens and took part in the Cretan insurrection of 1866-1868; he was one of those chosen for a difficult mission to Athens on behalf of the Cretan Revolutionary Assembly.[1] He attempted to convince enlightened people, such as Victor Hugo (who had failed to enter the Académie Française because Jean Pierre Flourens had been chosen at his place), to support the Cretan insurrection. Gustave Flourens then spent some time in Italy, where an article of his in the Fe polo d'Italia caused his arrest and imprisonment, and finally, having returned to France, nearly lost his life in a duel with Paul de Cassagnac, editor of the Pays.

In Paris he devoted his time to the cause of "red republicanism", and at length, having failed in an attempt to organize a revolution at Belleville on February 7, 1870, was compelled to flee from France. Returning to Paris on the downfall of Napoleon, he placed himself at the head of a body of 500 tirailleurs (sharpshooters). Because of his insurrectionary proceedings (he was one of the organizers of the October 31, 1870 riot against the provisional government's moderate policy) he was taken prisoner at Créteil, near Vincennes, by the provisional government, and confined at Mazas on December 7, 1870, but was released by his men on the night of January 21-22. On March 18 he joined the population's uprising, was elected a member of the revolutionary Commune by the XXe arrondissement, and was named general. Gustave Flourens was one of the most active leaders of the insurrection, and in a sortie against the Versailles troops in the morning of 3 April was killed in hand-to-hand conflict with Captain Desmarets at Rueil , near Malmaison.[2] Besides his Science de l'homme (Paris, 1869), Flourens was also the author of numerous fugitive pamphlets.

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  1. ^ Jules Ballot, Histoire de l'insurrection crétoise. Paris, 1868.
  2. ^ See talk for discussion of this detail. Desmarets later become justice of the peace at La Garnache in the Vendée region and was a protegee of the count of Baudry d'Asson.