Joseph Fouché (1759-1820) / Université inter-âges de l'Ain

Joseph Fouché (1759-1820) Jean ÉTÈVENAUX The man who both voted for the death of Louis XVI and had Louis XVIII as best man in his second marriage, is clearly an extraordinary figure. The son of a small Breton shipowner who became a duke, he was also a ruthless revolutionary, particularly in our region when he led the repression that, from November 1793 to March 1794, followed the siege of Lyon, the city's revolt against the Jacobin Convention. He remains best known as Minister of Police during the Revolution, Empire and Restoration. Nevertheless, he died in exile, with a well-placed posterity, across several generations, at the Swedish court. Although difficult to pin down, he was one of the few great politicians in Napoleon's entourage.