Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin was a French politician and lawyer who rose to prominence during the French Second Republic as a result of his active radical and political activism. He also played a key role in achieving universal male suffrage in France. His reputation as a lawyer grew as a result of his defense of republicans accused of political crimes. For 10 years, he was the editor of the “Publication du Palais,” a major law journal. He was a well-known leader of the French working class at the start of his political career, but his influence waned as a result of his powerful labor campaign. He was a socialist who ran against Louis Napoleon and was noted for his violent and electoral speeches. He was also a pivotal figure in the 1848 revolution. He was the Deputy for Le Mans at the time. Later in his life, he formed a moderate political movement known as ‘The Mountain,’ which won 25% of the vote in the 1849 parliamentary election. He was imprisoned for nearly 20 years after being suspected of plotting against Napoleon III of France.
Childhood and Adolescence
Rollin was the grandson of Nicolas Philippe Ledru, a well-known quack doctor during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI. His father was a doctor as well. He acquired a liberal education and studied law as the son of an affluent physician.
The career of Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin
He was admitted to the bar in 1830. During the 1832 insurgency, he was instrumental in the preparation of a memorandum on the proclamation of martial law in Paris. As a result, he gained a reputation as a capable lawyer.
He was hired as a lawyer by many of the Republican conspirators who were facing prosecution by Louis Philippe. He became well-known for his powerful speaking style during these trials. Within a short time, he had established himself as a Communist representative.
He oversaw the production of various volumes on French jurisprudence in addition to helping republican conspiracies as a lawyer. In addition, he became the main editor of “Le Droit,” a daily law publication.
In 1838, he paid 330,000 francs for the job of counsel at the Court of Cassation, which he held until 1846. He was elected Deputy of the Department of Sarthe in 1841.
He made a bold revelation about his Republican beliefs before accepting the position of Deputy. As a result, the government charged him with a crime and sentenced him to four months in prison. He was eventually released after a second trial.
He entered politics in 1846 after resigning from the Court of Cassation. He gradually rose to prominence among France’s working-class leaders. He used his oratory abilities to exert influence in the country as its leader.
He believed that the fortifications of Paris were built to protect liberty rather than to prevent foreign attack. He called the legislation of regency (1842) an outrageous usurpation and openly degraded it.
Official liberals and the press did not support his vigorous labor campaign. In this setting, the republican publication “National” openly criticized his beliefs.
During this time, he established “La Reforme,” a journal edited by Flocon. He used this journal to spread his anti-labor rhetoric.
In 1848, he voiced his opposition to the duchess of Orleans’ nomination as regent. He shared the tribune in the Chamber of Deputies with Alphonse de Lamartine.
Later, he served in the interim administration as minister of the interior and a member of the executive committee formed by the Constituent Assembly. During the May 15th crisis, he backed Lamartine and the anti-proletariat party.
He ran as the Socialist candidate in the presidential election of December 1848 and received 370,000 votes. During the 1849 legislative election, he led The Mountain, a moderate republican faction that received 25% of the vote.
His resistance to President Louis Napoleon’s Roman policy led to his calling for the President and his ministers to be impeached. On the 13th of June 1849, he led a peaceful march, while his opponents began planning an armed insurgency. He made his way to London and joined the executive of the European Revolutionary Committee.
In 1857, he was charged with complicity in a covert plot to assassinate Napoleon III of France and sentenced to deportation]n.
In 1870, he returned to France after a twenty-year exile. In 1871, he was elected to the National Assembly for three departments, but he refused to take his seat. He did not get involved in politics until 1874.
He was elected as a member of the Assembly for Vaucluse in 1874. He contributed to the formation of French jurisprudence under Louis Philippe. During this time, he was the editor of the “Journal du palais.”
Personal History and Legacy
He married an Irish lady in 1843. In Fontenay-aux-Roses, he exhaled his final breath. In Paris, he has an avenue and a metro station named after him. In Paris, he is commemorated by a statue at the city hall building.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin is unknown.
Trivia
While working as a lawyer, he received acclaim for his gift of gab. He became an excellent embodiment of Communist interests and a popular leader of the French working class as a result of his effective speech delivery.