ALI KEMAL'S LOOK ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION STRUCTURED ABSTRACT The French Revolution is a historical event important for its effects on the World. The developments this event has caused on states and people have also drawn the interests of the Ottoman intellectuals. Ali Kemal is an Ottoman intellectual who has taken this revolution in detail. Especially his interest towards history and the history training he has received for years have caused him to write several works in this field. One of

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... e works is Ricâl-i İhtilâl (The Leaders of the Revolution) which was published in 1329. This work consists of the life stories of the leading figures of the French Revolution: Marquis de Condorcet, Saint-Just, Georges Jacques Danton and Maximilien Robespierre. While the writer was narrating the biographical information on these individuals, he utilized the opinions of the historians who have written works on the French Revolution, and tried to relay his assessments away from personal prejudices and with an enjoyable style. The writer, who is seen to be employing positive statements about the French Revolution, is also seen to be exhibiting an optimistic manner of the French revolution leaders. The main reason of this manner is because the writer sees the French Revolution as an important step towards people constructing their future. The work, which attracts notice due to its educational and instructive style characteristics as well as being literary, also has the significance of being the first and the only work of its time in respect of its subject as it has difficult-to-handle contents with respect to the negative conditions of the period it was written in. Thereby, the fact that a work narrating such an important event was single in its time increases the necessitation of studies on the work. For this reason, the fewness of studies done for the work is the starting point about a study on Ricâl-i İhtilâl. Thus, in this study, information on the French revolution leaders were given based on the work. This information is more of an introductory quality that will provide opinions on the revolution leaders to its readers. The writer has assessed the protagonists that he has dealt with in his work according to their education, environment, family and psychological elements, then took a turn towards their effects, activities and endeavors towards the revolution. In this study, with movement from this perspective, the individuals come out with their ordinary identities and heroic features. The roles of the protagonists in the revolution were assessed by giving their positive and negative sides together. After that, the reader is enlightened about this work which was single in its period by doing an evaluation of Ali Kemal's perspective on the French Revolution. So, the communication of the work to future generations will be made possible. In the study, the sections of the work named Ricâl-i İhtilâl was given in five sections, with the introduction section that gives general information about the work and the Foreword section which comes after that. In the Foreword, after the reason for Ali Kemal to write this work is stated, the discussion order of the individuals are determined. According to this, Marquis de Condorcet is approached first.