About
Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, born in Fréjus in 1748, was a priest who became a political theorist. His pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?' (1789) helped transform the Estates-General into the National Assembly. He contributed to drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. As a member of the Convention, he voted for the death of Louis XVI. After the Terror, he played a key role in the coup of 18 Brumaire, which brought Bonaparte to power. Under the Empire, he was made a count. Excluded and exiled during the Restoration, he returned to France after 1830. He died in Paris in 1836.
* 1748-05-03 — † 1836-06-20
Major works
- Essai sur les privilèges (1788)pamphlet
- Qu'est-ce que le Tiers-État ? (1789)pamphlet
Key milestones
- 1789His motion of June 17 transforms the Third Estate deputies into the National Assembly.
- 1799Organizes the coup of 18 Brumaire with Napoleon Bonaparte.
- 1803Elected to the Académie française.
Themes
National sovereigntyPolitical representationCivil equalityConstitutionalismRevolution
Sources: britannica.com · siv.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr · assemblee-nationale.fr