MARAT! What a babe (With his gross skin and all that).

So Jean Paul Marat was considered a radical journalist, considering his role as the founder and writer of 'L'Ami du Peuple' (and other pamphlets). He was a radical writer, asking for more death and increased radicalism (which ultimately led to his death by Charlotte Corday).

Following his death (13 July 1793) he was made a sort of Martyr to the revolution. They placed his shoe bathtub in a chapel and people would worship it (is this not hilarious?!), during this time statues were also erected of him. It's worth noting that this martyrdom is evident in the portrait painted of Marat's death by Jacques Louis David where he was positioned like Jesus and painted kinda... gloriously. Pretty much the jacobins took advantage of his death; it was thus 'iconised' by the Jacobins.

As such, his death did not hasten the rejection of Robespierre and the end of the Terror. Historian William Doyle contends that the Thermidorian reaction (27 July 1794) was a 'rejection of a form of a government'. Thus, not necessarily brought on by the death of Marat nor the rejection of Robespierre as a leader but rather the regime. Marat's assassination however, did bring a psychological challenge to the revolution, which was manifested in the sense of paranoia present throughout Paris as a result of his death and the attempted assassinations on other leaders (but also a bunch of other stuff happening such as the international war breaking out). Although 'L'Ami du Peuple' itself and his works are most commonly associated with the Jacobin party anyway.

Marat did have rivals as there were many other newspapers and texts emerging at the time. Depends how you define rival really (Danton was kind of his rival quite briefly?). There were obviously opposing journalists at the time. However, Marat had a rather unique influence over the people. He was all like ‘Lamppost the aristocrats’ who are the aristocrats? ‘Oh anyone you don't like!’ (Paraphrasing with this one) he also said "man has the right to deal with his oppressors by devouring their palpitating hearts" (so yeah...pretty unique and radical). Also a lot of people read his newspaper.

Your thoughts?