Republicanism Adapted to France: François Robert and Democratic Republicanism in the French Revolution

After the French Revolution broke out, republican ideas increasingly came to define the political ideas of the revolutionaries. This article provides a con- textualized analysis of François Robert's Republicanism adapted to France (1790), which is potentially the first systematic attempt at adapting republicanism to revolu- tionary France. The article shows how Robert was part of a network of radical revo- lutionaries including Desmoulins, Lavicomterie and de Kéralio, who all thought about how to adapt the republican project to revolutionary France. It discusses Robert's ideas for a 'democratic' form of republicanism that emphasized local assemblies, imperative mandates and popular control of government. In doing so, the article analy- ses how Robert responded to arguments provided by Montesquieu and Rousseau against introducing republicanism in France, but also how his democratic republican project differed from more moderate forms of revolutionary republicanism such as that of Brissot and Condorcet who emphasized representation and professional rule.