Hippolyte Carnot French politician Date of Birth: 01.01.1801 Country: France

1. Early Life and Education
2. Involvement with Saint-Simonianism
3. Political Activism in the July Revolution
4. Parliamentary Career and Educational Reforms
5. Failed Elections and Armed Resistance
6. Election to the Legislative Corps
7. Post-Imperial Career and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Hippolyte Carnot was born on December 6, 1801, in Saint-Omer, France, as the second son of the renowned mathematician and politician Lazare Carnot. Intended for a legal career, Hippolyte initially resisted taking the oath of loyalty to the king required for admission to the bar.

Involvement with Saint-Simonianism

Drawn to the ideas of social reformer Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon, Hippolyte Carnot became a prominent member of his school of thought. Collaborating on the Saint-Simonian publication "Le Producteur," he became an active participant in the movement.

Political Activism in the July Revolution

During the July Revolution of 1830, Carnot played a significant role. However, he later broke away from Saint-Simon after disagreements over the relationship between social organization and the form of government.

Parliamentary Career and Educational Reforms

Elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1839, Carnot aligned himself with the left-leaning opposition while occasionally supporting Adolphe Thiers. As Minister of Public Education in the Provisional Government of 1848, he drafted legislation promoting free and compulsory elementary education.

Failed Elections and Armed Resistance

Unsuccessful in the 1849 general election, Carnot became a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1850. Following the December coup, he participated in attempts to organize armed resistance and signed the last protest of the National Assembly. Despite his involvement, he was spared exile.

Election to the Legislative Corps

In 1852, Carnot was elected to the Legislative Corps but refused to take the oath of office. He declined a subsequent election in 1857 for the same reason. Upon his third election in 1863, he finally assumed his seat and became one of 35 opposition members.

Post-Imperial Career and Legacy

After the fall of the Second Empire, Carnot served as mayor of the 8th arrondissement of Paris and was elected to the National Assembly in 1871. Under the Constitution of 1875, he was appointed a lifetime senator. Despite his advanced age, Carnot remained active in Senate proceedings, presiding over the opening sessions as the eldest member, including the session shortly before his son, Marie François Sadi Carnot, was elected President of the Republic in 1888.

Shortly before his death on August 16, 1888, Carnot established the Society for the Study of the History of the French Revolution.