AULARD, FRANÇOIS-VICTOR-ALPHONSE. — Historical scholar of the French Revolution, born at Montbron on 19 July 1849, died in Paris on 23 October 1928. Professor of history at the Sorbonne from 1885 to 1922, editor of the journal *La Révolution française*, he rendered distinguished service in training able specialists, in the critical publication of documents, and in particular historical studies on the French Revolution.
Noteworthy works include: *L'éloquence parlementaire pendant la Révolution Française* (3 vols., Paris 1882–85); *Le culte de la raison et le culte de l'Être suprême* (ibid. 1892); *Etudes et leçons de la Révolution Française* (6 vols., ibid. 1893–1925). He also translated Leopardi’s poetry and moral essays: *Poésies et oeuvres morales de L.* (3 vols., ibid. 1880). A school textbook, written in collaboration with A. Debidour, was placed on the Index: *Histoire de France à l'usage des écoles primaires*, etc. (decree of 9 Sept. 1897).
In this and other works, he did not escape the influence of a pronounced Jacobin spirit, which led him even to maintain that religion is an instrument of oppression and an obstacle to all progress, and that revolution is the sole means of giving concrete application to human rights and the only fact that provides us with true, full, and coherent history.