Georges-Jacques Danton from France and LeadershipWhat is a leader? A leader as described by Webster's Dictionary is "a person who exercises dominant authority or influence." One man in history who certainly fits this description is the Frenchman Georges-Jacques Danton. Danton had a difficult childhood, including losing his father before his third birthday and several encounters with animals that would ultimately leave him deformed for life. Most of Danton's early political promise came one day in elementary school. At the time, the punishment given to students was not detentions or demerits, but rather beatings on the knuckles with a ruler. One day, Paré, Danton's friend, could not recite the assigned text, but refused to hold out his hands to punish him. So, Danton stood up for himself and spoke out against corporal punishment. He spoke so well that the school administration banned this type of punishment. His particular ability to speak publicly became his key trait in persuading audiences of all types to share his opinions and actually listen to what he had to say, which made him one of the most successful leaders respected members of the French Revolution. Georges-Jacques Danton's leadership inspired the elimination of the monarchy in France and the establishment of a republic, as evidenced by his functions in the National Convention, the Committee of Public Safety and his role during the Reign of Terror . First, Georges-Jacques Danton's significant leadership during the French Revolution was highlighted by his efforts to participate in the National Convention. The National Convention was similar to our modern Congress: it passed bills and assumed the same responsibilities as our Congress. It can be observed that Danton was an ups...... middle of paper ......aking, which in turn made their ideas more powerful. The final, but disappointing, similarity between the three leaders is that they all were not given the opportunity to continue to get their word out and express their opinions. If these gentlemen were able to pursue their goals of liberation from idealistic societies, then perhaps this world would be a much better place than it is today. In conclusion, remember that there is a lesson to be learned from all this: you must strive to achieve your goals, otherwise there is no point in setting goals. Bibliography: Dwyer, Frank. Danton. New York: Chelsea House. 1987. Hembree, Fred and Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson, 1993 Larson Perder. The French Revolution. Internet. http://members.aol.com/agentmess/frenchrev/index.html. October 13. 1999.