The Last Revolutionaries: The Conspiracy Trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the Equals by Laura Mason

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Last Revolutionaries: The Conspiracy Trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the Equals by Laura Mason Christopher Coski Mason, Laura. The Last Revolutionaries: The Conspiracy Trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the Equals. Yale UP, 2022. ISBN: 978-0-300-25955-1. Pp. 304. Mason's study examines in detail the conspiracy trial of Gracchus Babeuf and his allies during the regime of the Directory. The constitution of 1795, which established the Directory, restricted freedom of the press and of assembly, undermining the popular activism that had marked the Revolution itself, in the name of restoring order. Babeuf was one of the leading voices demanding a return to the freedoms of the 1793 constitution, criticizing the government via newspaper and pamphlet, advocating the abolition of private property as the root of inequality, and supporting the inherent right of citizens to revolt against repressive government. Mason's book lays this contextual foundation very well in the first four chapters, which close with Babeuf's life of hiding and clandestine publication, and his eventual arrest. The greater part of the work, chapters five through thirteen, presents a highly detailed account of the trial of Babeuf and his associates. These chapters offer a compelling narrative in which the reader sees rampant irregularities and political agendas informing the judicial process, which ultimately led to the execution of Babeuf and one associate, and the exile of several others. The final two chapters analyze the philosophical, political, and social aftermath of the proceedings. The conclusion offers an inspiring connection to the present day, underlining how Babeuf "lent singular voice to a chorus that continues to demand liberation from grinding poverty, political exclusion, and the disdain of difference," and "to demand a society that nourishes and respects all its members" (234). Throughout the work, Mason inserts assessments of alternatives that might have occurred if the actors involved had made different choices. Just to cite one example: "Ultimately, it was up to the directors to overcome […] polarization and safeguard the center they had sworn to protect. They might have done so by extending olive branches to both sides […]. They might have refused to vilify skepticism […] and to treat the alleged plot as the tip of an iceberg of extremism" (82). These critical assessments of how things might otherwise have played out make the reader truly feel that what is being witnessed was, at the time, not a history carved in stone, but a living, breathing, present moment that could have turned in any number of possible directions had other choices been made. Sources include a wide array of both primary and secondary texts. Mason's prose is clear and well organized, making the work accessible to a wide range of readers. The subject matter is, perhaps, narrowly focused enough that it may not pique the interest of non-specialists, but Mason's book is definitely worthy of the attention of scholars of the Revolution and its aftermath. In particular, scholars with an interest in the Directory will not want to overlook this work. [End Page 212] Christopher Coski Ohio University Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French