- Joseph Bara
Joseph Bara, also written Barra (1780 –
December 7 ,1793 ) is said to have been a young French republican soldier at the time of the Revolution. He was hailed as a hero by the leaders of the movement. Bara would have voluntarily enrolled in the revolutionary troops fighting the royalist insurrection in theVendée . Having been trapped by the enemy and being ordered to cry "Vive le Roi" ("Long live the King") to save his own life, he would have preferred instead to die crying "Vive la République" ("Long live the Republic"). The boy's death was seized as apropaganda opportunity byRobespierre , who praised him at the Convention's tribune saying that "only the French have thirteen-year-old heroes" and had his remains transferred to thePanthéon .This version of the history of Joseph Bara is disputed and considered as a "republican myth" by some/many historians.
Honours
* A painting by
Jacques-Louis David depicts the dying Bara.
* A painting ("La Mort de Bara") byJean Joseph Weerts also depicts Bara's death.
* AParis street is named after him.
* Bara is alluded to in the "Chant du départ "
* Aship of the line was named "Barra" in his honourExternal links
References
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