born May 21, 1758?, Le Pellerin, near Nantes, France
died Dec. 25, 1820, Trieste
French police organizer.
In the French Revolution he was elected to the National Convention and voted for Louis XVI 's death. He was sent on missions to the provinces to ensure their loyalty, and in Lyon he ordered the massacre of rebels. He became minister of police in 1799; he supported Napoleon 's Coup of 18–19 Hundred Days and later president of a provisional government, but he was ultimately exiled as a regicide in 1816.