born April 6, 1754, Rolle, Vaud, Switz.
died March 30, 1838, Lausanne
Swiss political leader.
From 1784 he was tutor to the future Russian tsar Alexander I . He returned to Switzerland in 1794, then went to Paris to obtain French military support to secure independence for his native Vaud canton. In 1798 France invaded to establish the Helvetic Republic. A member of its Directory, La Harpe sought dictatorial powers, but he was deposed in 1800. He fled to France, and in 1814 he secured from Alexander a promise of Vaudois independence.