In this post I want to return to one of my favorite historical events; the French Revolution. I have recently been inspired by this period yet again after playing the game Assassin's Creed: Unity (I will later have a review of this game).The game mostly takes place in Paris 1792, following the Storming of the Bastille the city is in a frenzy leading up to the infamous Reign of Terror. During this period of political instability the Bourbon monarchy had been relocated from Versailles to the Tuileres Palace of Paris. It's this intriguing period I would like to focus on where the monarchy began to fear for their lives.
I have written many times now regarding the French Revolution (French Culture, French Revolution, History of Paris, The Bourbon Dynasty, Rise of Napoleon). My understanding of the general timeline is as follows; first the monarchy was overthrown, then a French Republic was established, then it was replaced by a French Empire under Napoleon, and later the monarchy was restored. However the defining years of the French Revolution were from 1789-1793. There are several key events I want to focus on pertaining to the monarchy's life after Versailles. This was a period in which the king had lost his ability to act and his wife Marie Antoinette took the initiative.
Consider the fear King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette must have felt during this time. Their previous lives of excess and wealth came to an abrupt end beginning with the Women's March on Versailles in 1789. This event forced the monarchy to leave the palace of Versailles and relocate to Paris. It is well documented that king Louis XVI was very indecisive during these years and his wife Marie made most the decisions regarding their future. Also of note the general assembly of the revolution were willing to maintain the monarchy until several key events. The Flight of Varennes is seen as the turning point for the monarchy that ultimately sealed their fate.
Women's March on Versailles
Now I must confess that most my inspiration and insight regarding the French Revolution comes from one film in particular; Sofia Coppola's 2006 film, Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role. This movie brilliantly demonstrates the sudden change that Marie experiences, from luxury to scorn and upheaval). It's final scenes pertaining to the riots at Versailles is where I would like to start my study here. Surprisingly this movie did not touch on her last years in Paris, and there really isn't a significant film pertaining to this very interesting topic of the French Revolution.
The march began to brew after the Storming of the Bastille, a widespread call throughout the streets of Paris to confront the monarchy. The shortage of bread that summer only added to the fervor that finally gave way in October. Organized by revolutionary leaders, it began with a symbolic march of women beating drums thru the markets of Paris. There numbers quickly grew by the thousands consisting of men and women. They eventually converged on the City Hall of Paris, known as the Hotel de Ville to demand arms. The Marquis de Lafayette was put in a conflicting position by which his soldiers sided with the protest but he wanted to maintain order. He therefore agreed to march his guardsmen alongside the mob and warned the king and queen of the upcoming protest.
The march from Paris to Versailles took about 6 hours and consisted of nearly 10,000 Parisians carrying make-shift weapons. Marquis de Lafayette served as the liaison between the rioters and the monarchy in an effort to find a compromise. However the riot grew ugly at some points, with various attacks on the palace and the murder of several royal guards (with their heads mounted on pikes). The king eventually addressed the mob and agreed to relocate to Paris. His wife the queen however was not so warmly received and was nearly killed. In an effort to humble herself Marie Antoinette famously bowed to the crowd with her arms over her chest. The crowd admired this display of courage and spared her life. While the king and queen were spared, they ultimately gave in to the demands of the protest and this marked an end to their lavish life at the Palace of Versailles.
Relocation to the Tuileres Palace
The royal family was moved to the Tuileres Palace in Paris, which was the original residence of the monarchy until King Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles in 1672. The palace had become an abandoned movie theater since the 1670s, however still had impressive gardens. This return to Tuileres was no doubt a major step down for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette compared to Versailles, however still a fitting residence for a king and queen. Under the watch of the Marquis de Lafayette the king still had some constitutional powers in the newly established National Assembly.
However while King Louis XVI accepted his new limited powers to veto bills, his wife was not so easily defeated. She feared for her life yet also the honor of the monarchy and made various political relationships to advance their position during this time. She worked closely with the Marquis de Lafayette and the honorable statesman the Count of Mirabeau. She was able to bribe Mirabeau in an effort to restore the king's authority.
Mirabeau was one of the few prominent revolutionary leaders who wanted to safeguard the monarchy during this tense period. He considered the monarchy the backbone of French history and wanted to reconcile them with the people. In an effort to improve the monarchy's public image, Mirabeau invited the king and queen to attend the Fete de la Federation in July of 1790. This was a grand celebration at the Champ de Mars, honoring the year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. Nearly 300,000 people attended and the king and queen were received with cheers.
Following this successful event it seemed quite possible that the monarchy could coexist in the new constitutional government. The queen continued to improve her public relation with donations to charity and dealings with the church. She dedicated much of her time to her children over all. For two years during the revolution they lived rather peacefully at the Tuileres Palace. However the discomfort never went away and it reached a tipping point in the spring of 1791 when the monarchy was unable to leave Paris to attend Easter mass in the countryside. Marie Antoinette could no longer live as prisoner and began to conspire a plan to escape Paris.
Flight to Varennes
Perhaps one of the most interesting events of the French Revolution was the monarchy's escape effort known as the Flight to Varennes. This is like something right out of movie, and once again I am very surprised there isn't a major Hollywood drama pertaining to this event. King Louis XVI was very hesitant at any escape plans, however his wife Marie had been conspiring and planting seeds since they were forced to relocate to Tuileres. By the spring of 1791 she was finally able to convince her husband to act.
The elaborate plan was to escape to the eastern town of Montmedy and incite a counter-revolution with the foreign support of Sweden and Austria. Marie Antoinette, her husband, and her children took on the guise of Russian aristocrats. On June 21st they left the palace at midnight and made it out of Paris. However the escape was poorly planned and from the start their large 6 horse carriage drew attention. The trip was slow-moving and they had to make several stops to fix their wheels and change their horses. During this time the king and queen openly spoke with countryside peasants assuming they would not recognize them or did not support the revolution.
They were however eventually discovered in the town of Sainte-Menehould by the postmaster Jean-Baptiste Drouet. Jean quickly notified the local guardsmen and had the king and queen arrested in the town of Varennes. They were only 30 miles away from their final destination of Montmedy. The return trip was an ultimate humiliation for the monarchy and marked a significant turning point for their public approval. At this point the majority believed that the monarchy intended to incite a counter-revolution and must be deposed of.
Storming of Tuileres
After their failed escape plot, the monarchy was returned to Tuileres under heavy surveillance. This surely must have taken a major toll on Marie Antoinette who had now lost all the privileges she had before. Her health began to deteriorate as she lived a life in severe depression. Things got worse for the monarchy on July 17th of 1791 when Marquis de Lafayette opened fire on an assembly calling for the king to renounce his authority. This Massacre at Champ de Mars forced Lafayette to relinquish his post and further weakened the monarchy's security.
During this time the extreme revolutionary faction known as the Jacobins, led by the outspoken Maximilian Robespierre, began harsh calls to abolish the monarchy. The general assembly had concluded that King Louis XVI had lost his desire to lead and furthermore was under the influence of his wife. During this time Marie was still somehow able to maintain communications with her homeland of Austria and called upon their help. By April of 1792 the French Revolutionary Wars had begun between France and Austria.
With the onset of foreign war the national assembly continued to radicalize with further accusations against the monarchy. By June of 1972 began a series of assaults and uprisings at the Palace of Tuileres armed at humiliating the king and queen. The most significant of these insurrections was the Storming of Tuileres on August 10th of 1792. On this historic date the Swiss guards of the palace were massacred by a mob and the king and queen were imprisoned in the Square du Temple. On September 21st of 1792 the monarchy was officially abolished and the French Republic was declared. Now remained the final question, what to do with the king and queen?
Marie Antoinette's Imprisonment and Execution
In December of 1792 the French Republic held a court of law to decide the king's fate. Led by the Jacobin delegates the king was found guilty of undermining the government and sentenced to death. His execution was carried out on January 21st, 1793 by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution (modern day Place de la Concorde). He met his death with grace and honor and briefly spoke to the people claiming his innocence yet his speech was quickly halted by drum rolls. The death of her husband only furthered Marie's grief feeling a heightened state of hopelessness.
During her final months imprisoned in the temple with her children, Marie was under heavy surveillance and frequently insulted by the guards. She still however managed to keep some communication to the outside world by bribing several of the guards. Things only grew worse for her when her son was separated from her son on July 3rd in an effort to retrain him to revolutionary ideals. On August 1st she was relocated from the temple to a prison cell in the Conciergerie which surely must have been her darkest days. Although she made several attempts she was unable to coordinate any escape plans and had begun to accept her fate by this point.
In October of 1793 her trial began and she was quickly found guilty of overspending and conspiring with the enemies. She was thus sentenced to death by guillotine. She was transported from the Conciergerie to the Place de la Revolution sitting on an open cart, for all onlookers to insult her. She however met her death with honor and her final words were, "Pardon me Sir, it was not on purpose" a reference to the executioner she stepped on yet also no-doubt it had a widespread meaning. She was ultimately one of many aristocrat victims during the Reign of Terror, whose greatest crime was simply being wealthy. While she no doubt lived beyond her means, her demise is an utmost example of the wickedness within the revolutionary ideals.
Consider the fear King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette must have felt during this time. Their previous lives of excess and wealth came to an abrupt end beginning with the Women's March on Versailles in 1789. This event forced the monarchy to leave the palace of Versailles and relocate to Paris. It is well documented that king Louis XVI was very indecisive during these years and his wife Marie made most the decisions regarding their future. Also of note the general assembly of the revolution were willing to maintain the monarchy until several key events. The Flight of Varennes is seen as the turning point for the monarchy that ultimately sealed their fate.
Women's March on Versailles
Now I must confess that most my inspiration and insight regarding the French Revolution comes from one film in particular; Sofia Coppola's 2006 film, Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role. This movie brilliantly demonstrates the sudden change that Marie experiences, from luxury to scorn and upheaval). It's final scenes pertaining to the riots at Versailles is where I would like to start my study here. Surprisingly this movie did not touch on her last years in Paris, and there really isn't a significant film pertaining to this very interesting topic of the French Revolution.The march began to brew after the Storming of the Bastille, a widespread call throughout the streets of Paris to confront the monarchy. The shortage of bread that summer only added to the fervor that finally gave way in October. Organized by revolutionary leaders, it began with a symbolic march of women beating drums thru the markets of Paris. There numbers quickly grew by the thousands consisting of men and women. They eventually converged on the City Hall of Paris, known as the Hotel de Ville to demand arms. The Marquis de Lafayette was put in a conflicting position by which his soldiers sided with the protest but he wanted to maintain order. He therefore agreed to march his guardsmen alongside the mob and warned the king and queen of the upcoming protest.
The march from Paris to Versailles took about 6 hours and consisted of nearly 10,000 Parisians carrying make-shift weapons. Marquis de Lafayette served as the liaison between the rioters and the monarchy in an effort to find a compromise. However the riot grew ugly at some points, with various attacks on the palace and the murder of several royal guards (with their heads mounted on pikes). The king eventually addressed the mob and agreed to relocate to Paris. His wife the queen however was not so warmly received and was nearly killed. In an effort to humble herself Marie Antoinette famously bowed to the crowd with her arms over her chest. The crowd admired this display of courage and spared her life. While the king and queen were spared, they ultimately gave in to the demands of the protest and this marked an end to their lavish life at the Palace of Versailles.Relocation to the Tuileres Palace
The royal family was moved to the Tuileres Palace in Paris, which was the original residence of the monarchy until King Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles in 1672. The palace had become an abandoned movie theater since the 1670s, however still had impressive gardens. This return to Tuileres was no doubt a major step down for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette compared to Versailles, however still a fitting residence for a king and queen. Under the watch of the Marquis de Lafayette the king still had some constitutional powers in the newly established National Assembly.
However while King Louis XVI accepted his new limited powers to veto bills, his wife was not so easily defeated. She feared for her life yet also the honor of the monarchy and made various political relationships to advance their position during this time. She worked closely with the Marquis de Lafayette and the honorable statesman the Count of Mirabeau. She was able to bribe Mirabeau in an effort to restore the king's authority.Mirabeau was one of the few prominent revolutionary leaders who wanted to safeguard the monarchy during this tense period. He considered the monarchy the backbone of French history and wanted to reconcile them with the people. In an effort to improve the monarchy's public image, Mirabeau invited the king and queen to attend the Fete de la Federation in July of 1790. This was a grand celebration at the Champ de Mars, honoring the year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. Nearly 300,000 people attended and the king and queen were received with cheers.
Following this successful event it seemed quite possible that the monarchy could coexist in the new constitutional government. The queen continued to improve her public relation with donations to charity and dealings with the church. She dedicated much of her time to her children over all. For two years during the revolution they lived rather peacefully at the Tuileres Palace. However the discomfort never went away and it reached a tipping point in the spring of 1791 when the monarchy was unable to leave Paris to attend Easter mass in the countryside. Marie Antoinette could no longer live as prisoner and began to conspire a plan to escape Paris.
Flight to Varennes
Perhaps one of the most interesting events of the French Revolution was the monarchy's escape effort known as the Flight to Varennes. This is like something right out of movie, and once again I am very surprised there isn't a major Hollywood drama pertaining to this event. King Louis XVI was very hesitant at any escape plans, however his wife Marie had been conspiring and planting seeds since they were forced to relocate to Tuileres. By the spring of 1791 she was finally able to convince her husband to act.
They were however eventually discovered in the town of Sainte-Menehould by the postmaster Jean-Baptiste Drouet. Jean quickly notified the local guardsmen and had the king and queen arrested in the town of Varennes. They were only 30 miles away from their final destination of Montmedy. The return trip was an ultimate humiliation for the monarchy and marked a significant turning point for their public approval. At this point the majority believed that the monarchy intended to incite a counter-revolution and must be deposed of.
Storming of Tuileres
After their failed escape plot, the monarchy was returned to Tuileres under heavy surveillance. This surely must have taken a major toll on Marie Antoinette who had now lost all the privileges she had before. Her health began to deteriorate as she lived a life in severe depression. Things got worse for the monarchy on July 17th of 1791 when Marquis de Lafayette opened fire on an assembly calling for the king to renounce his authority. This Massacre at Champ de Mars forced Lafayette to relinquish his post and further weakened the monarchy's security.
With the onset of foreign war the national assembly continued to radicalize with further accusations against the monarchy. By June of 1972 began a series of assaults and uprisings at the Palace of Tuileres armed at humiliating the king and queen. The most significant of these insurrections was the Storming of Tuileres on August 10th of 1792. On this historic date the Swiss guards of the palace were massacred by a mob and the king and queen were imprisoned in the Square du Temple. On September 21st of 1792 the monarchy was officially abolished and the French Republic was declared. Now remained the final question, what to do with the king and queen?
Marie Antoinette's Imprisonment and Execution
In December of 1792 the French Republic held a court of law to decide the king's fate. Led by the Jacobin delegates the king was found guilty of undermining the government and sentenced to death. His execution was carried out on January 21st, 1793 by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution (modern day Place de la Concorde). He met his death with grace and honor and briefly spoke to the people claiming his innocence yet his speech was quickly halted by drum rolls. The death of her husband only furthered Marie's grief feeling a heightened state of hopelessness.
In October of 1793 her trial began and she was quickly found guilty of overspending and conspiring with the enemies. She was thus sentenced to death by guillotine. She was transported from the Conciergerie to the Place de la Revolution sitting on an open cart, for all onlookers to insult her. She however met her death with honor and her final words were, "Pardon me Sir, it was not on purpose" a reference to the executioner she stepped on yet also no-doubt it had a widespread meaning. She was ultimately one of many aristocrat victims during the Reign of Terror, whose greatest crime was simply being wealthy. While she no doubt lived beyond her means, her demise is an utmost example of the wickedness within the revolutionary ideals.
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