And then, just mayb... Full Text Search Details...s of, weeps, unpopular, at Dinner of Guards, courage of, Fifth October, at Versailles, shows her- self to people, and Louis at Tuileries, and the Lorr... ...alists leave, state of, in want, recruited, Revolutionary, fourteen armies on foot. In October 1789 most would blame Marie Antoinette and her advisers rather than Louis himself.” By October 5th, the situation in Paris had reached critical mass. The government of Jacques Necker, anticipating a shortage of food, had negotiated imports of grain – but these had not yet arrived. [24] But it was the crudely decisive invasion of the palace itself that was most momentous; the attack removed forever the aura of invincibility that once cloaked the monarchy. Many Parisians queued for hours, only to go home empty-handed. Eventually, the popula… Following the signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the next major event of the French Revolution saw a mob a Parisian women march to the Palace of Versailles in order to force the royal family to return to Paris. October 5, 1789 Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. [60] Yet most of the Revolution's foremost histories describe any involvement of the Duke as ancillary to the action, efforts of opportunism that neither created nor defined the October march. The very next day, while the division was marching out of the town, the General went to the convent to be present at ... ...e Hotel Rambouillet, and the Place Royale to the sixteenth; and lastly, as Versailles was to the seventeenth and the eighteenth. Optimistic observers such as Camille Desmoulins declared that France would now enter a new golden age, with its revived citizenry and popular constitutional monarchy. Permanently disgraced, Louis was forced to accept a constitution more denuding of his kingship than any previously put forward. As the Revolution progressed, he was hounded into exile by the radical leadership. An illustration of the Women's March on Versailles, 5 October 1789, The revolutionary decrees passed by the Assembly in August 1789 culminated in, The women hailed by onlookers on their way to Versailles (illustration c. 1842), Lawsuit about the happenings of 6 October at Versailles; Châtelet Paris 1790, Significant civil and political events by year, Philip Mansel, page 129 "Pillars of Monarchy", ISBN 0-7043-2424-5, Richard Cobb, page 88 "The French Revolution - Voices From a Momentous Epoch", CN 8039, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, Alexandre-Théodore-Victor, comte de Lameth, Louis Michel le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, List of people associated with the French Revolution, The French Revolution a History Volume Three, Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency, The Duchesse de Langeais, With an Episode under the Terror, The Illustrious Gaudissart, A Passion in the Desert, And the Hidden Masterpiece. Are you certain this article is inappropriate? After arriving at the dilapidated Tuileries Palace, abandoned since the reign of Louis XIV, he was asked for his orders and he replied with uncharacteristic diffidence, "Let everyone put himself where he pleases!" Rather than see them leave as another anarchic mob, the Parisian municipal government told Lafayette to guide their movements; they also instructed him to request that the king return voluntarily to Paris to satisfy the people. Their demonstrations quickly became intertwined with the activities of revolutionaries, who were seeking liberal political reforms and a constitutional monarchy for France. 2. In October 1789, thousands of Parisians, many of them women, embarked on a 12-mile march to Versailles, the residence of the French king Louis XVI and the National Constituent Assembly. By this time, the Marquis de Lafayette and a regiment of National Guard had arrived from Paris, however, the king preferred not to deploy the Guardsmen or his own soldiers, perhaps fearing a bloodbath. It is impossible not to like this careless indifference and freedom from suspicion. [3], The king's court and the deputies of the National Constituent Assembly were all in comfortable residence at the royal city of Versailles, where they were considering momentous changes to the French political system. [2] As more and more women – and men – arrived, the crowd outside the city hall reached between six and seven thousand,[16] and perhaps as many as ten thousand. Authors: Jennifer Llewellyn, Steve Thompson The day has come The unwanted are rising March! A French nobleman describes the October Days (1789) Most of Versailles was built by Louis XIV and reflected the grandeur of his absolutist reign. The day has come And now the fates are changing March! [28] Less affectionately, they spoke of the queen, Marie Antoinette, and many had no restraint in calling for her death. A lot of readers will be familiar with the broad strokes of the French Revolution; the working class felt neglected by the aristocracy, and by the king in particular. A participant in the October March on Versailles (1789) /* 728x90, created 7/15/08 */ More women from other nearby marketplaces joined in, many bearing kitchen blades and other makeshift weapons, as the tocsins rang from church towers throughout several districts. Many in the crowd persuasively denounced Lafayette as a traitor, complaining of his resistance to leaving Paris and the slowness of his march. AncientPages.com - The March on Versailles, was one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. MessageToEagle.com – The March on Versailles, was one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. By October 4th, Parisians were taking to the streets in protest, not just about the conduct of soldiers at Versailles but also a chronic shortage of bread and other foods. The occupation of the deputies' benches in the Assembly created a template for the future, forecasting the mob rule that would frequently influence successive Parisian governments. [7] Numerous calls for a mass demonstration at Versailles had already been made; the Marquis of Saint-Huruge, one of the popular orators of the Palais-Royal, had called for just such a march in August to evict the obstructionist deputies who, he claimed, were protecting the king's veto power. For its inheritors, the march would stand as an inspirational example, emblematic of the power of popular movements. When a sentry spotted the women and fired on them, killing one, the mob overpowered, murdered and dismembered two soldiers. Citation information [13], The lavish banquet was certain to be an affront to those suffering in a time of severe austerity, but it was reported in the cockade; drunken officers were said to have stamped upon this symbol of the nation and professed their allegiance solely to the white cockade of the House of Bourbon. The October Days, as this period is known, brought a century of royal government at Versailles to an end. Just as the ordinary ... ...nce the Faubourg Saint- Germain existed at all—which is to say, ever since Versailles 27 Balzac ceased to be the royal residence—the Faubourg, with s... ...shifted under his feet at every step; and when, at the end of a long day’s march, he lay down to sleep 43 Balzac on the ground, he had never been so ... ...ge and gave him new strength. This action was simple and justified, for to be hungry is a terrible state. His return was touted as a momentous turning point in the Revolution, by some even as its end. [11] The idea of a march on Versailles was widespread, and was even discussed in the pages of the Mercure de France (5 September 1789). [2] Mere rumors of food shortage led to the Réveillon riots in April 1789. [17] The Hôtel de Ville itself was ransacked as the crowd surged through taking its provisions and weapons, but Maillard helped prevent it from burning down the entire building. The harvest had been gathered in September so supplies should have improved – but this had not eventuated in the capital. One loves the master of the house who would not be hurt or offended at seeing his apartment thus occupied if he returned suddenly.”. The king was indeed considering this, and when on 18 September he issued a formal statement giving his approval to only a portion of the decrees, the deputies were incensed. The women had come to say that Paris was short of bread. The clergy and the aristocracy had lost their priviliges, and feudalism had been abolished, but true change for the working class was slow to come.Ordinary citizens were still struggling to keep themselves fed, with the price of grain having skyrocketed due to droughts in the summer of 1788. //-->, This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. [44][45], Although the fighting ceased and the two commands of troops had cleared the palace, the mob was still everywhere outside. URL: https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/october-march-on-versailles/