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What jobs did Claude-Louis Berthollet perform during the French Revolution?
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Claude-Louis Berthollet
Claude-Louis Berthollet.
During the French Revolution, Claude-Louis Berthollet served the state in various technical and administrative capacities, often balancing his scientific pursuits with government service.1
His roles included:
- Government Consultant and Agent: He acted as a consultant on technical issues and an agent for the central authority.1
- Administrative Committees: He served on the Bureau of Arts and Crafts, the commission overseeing the mint, and the legislative committee for the arts.1
- Military and Industrial Supervision: He supervised the collection of saltpetre and the production of gunpowder, and served as an instructor for armaments manufacturing procedures.1
- Educational Roles: He was a chemistry lecturer at the École Normale de l’an III and helped organize the École Polytechnique, where he taught and managed a teaching laboratory.1
- Scientific Infrastructure: He contributed to the establishment of the metric system.1
- Cultural Missions: Following the Reign of Terror, he was tasked with selecting cultural objects for confiscation during the Italian campaign.1