Member of the moderate republican party in the French Revolution, so called because a number of its leaders came from the Gironde region of southwestern France. The Girondins controlled the Legislative Assembly from late 1791 to late 1792, but were ousted by the radical Montagnards under Jean Paul
Marat in 1793. Many Girondin leaders were executed during the
Reign of Terror.
Prominent Girondins included Charles Dumouriez and Jacques Pierre
Brissot. The faction drew its support from businessmen, merchants, and government officials. Their fall from popularity began with their refusal to join the more radical revolutionaries in overthrowing the monarchy.
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