In the French political scene of the seventeenth century, a group of federalist tone stands out, whose members called themselves “the Girondins”. The political doctrine under which they operated was aimed at the constitution of various organizations, which would delegate part of their functions to a central or federal state. It is important to note that this group was made up, for the most part, by the French bourgeoisie from the provinces located on the great coasts. They had a total of 175 disputes, of the 749 total that gave life to the Assembly of the Convention, one of the main entities (of a constituent type) of the First French Republic, which had in its hands the executive and legislative power of France.
The name did not become popular until the 19th century, when Alphonse de Lamartine, a French poet and politician, wrote Histoire des Girondins (History of the Girondins); In their heyday, these were better known as the Rolandistes or Brissotins. These, in addition, made a name for expressing their opinions, often against those who resisted revolutionary laws, so Louis XVI decided to create a Girondin ministry, appointing Charles François Dumoriez, one of the generals of the revolutionary army, as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
His stay at the National Convention was controversial, especially due to his constant confrontations with the Jacobins or Highlanders, whom they considered responsible for the September massacres, a series of trials and executions carried out, according to a large part of the historians, irrationally and for no apparent reason. This led to the Jacobins claiming that the Girondists conspired against the Republic, for which they were tried and sentenced to death. A rebellion did ensue, but was quickly quelled, by inducing its predecessors to suicide.
