Martial Joseph Armand Herman

Martial Joseph Armand Herman (29 August 1749, Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise – 7 May 1795, Paris) (guillotined), was a politician of the French Revolution, and temporary French Foreign Minister.

Life

He was a lawyer in 1783, and deputy attorney general of the Provincial Council of Artois in 1786. He was elected criminal court judge, in the Pas-de-Calais in 1791. Entering the Revolutionary Court in August 1793, he presided at the trial of Marie-Antoinette and the Girondins in October 1793, then in March 1794, Jacques Hébert, and April 1794 Georges Danton. He was replaced April 8, 1794 by Rene-Francois Dumas. Appointed commissioner of civil administration, police and courts, (equivalent to Minister of Interior) from 8 to 20 April 1794, he set up twelve commissions created by the executive decree of 12 Germinal (1 April), to replace the six ministries and their offices, which he chaired the first (general administration and courts).

After 9 Thermidor Year II (27 July 1794), he was arrested as a "terrorist" and tried at the Revolutionary Tribunal. When the verdict sentencing him to death, he threw a book at the figure of the presiding judge. He was guillotined on 7 May 1795 with Fouquier the public prosecutor of the Revolutionary Court; Lanne (judge); Renaudin (juror's Revolutionary Court); Leroy (juror), Foucault (judge); Vilate (juror); Scellier (Vice-Chairman of the Revolutionary Court), Garnier-Launay (judge); Prieur (juror), Chatelet (juror), Girard (juror); Boyaval; Trey; Verney, and Dupaumier.