Guizot, François Pierre Guillaume << gee ZOH, frahn SWAH pyair gee YOHM >> (1787-1874), was a French historian and statesman. His History of Civilization in Europe (1828) and five-volume History of Civilization in France (1829-1832) trace the history of Europe, with France as its center, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution. Guizot’s major works also include the two-volume History of the English Revolution (1826).
Guizot was born in Nimes, France. In the 1820’s, he became a professor of history and a lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris. He entered government service under King Louis Philippe in 1830, and served as chief minister from 1840 until the king was overthrown in 1848. Guizot sponsored the education act of 1833, which started the development of a free and compulsory education system in France. Guizot believed in the progress of civilization. However, he became unpopular when he opposed democratic government. He opposed it because he thought that the masses were not yet ready for the vote.
