Alphonse de Lamartine

Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869) was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist Lamartine became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Phillipe aligning more with the Republican Left and Social Catholcisim.

He was a leading figure in the 1848 French Revolution and was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic along with the continuation of the ''tricolore'' as the flag of France. During the revolutionary year of 1848 he served as Foreign Minister and frequently worked to ease tensions between the government and the working class. He was a candidate in the 1848 French presidential election but lost to Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. After the election he retired from political life. Provided by Wikipedia