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Publiée sur YouTube par L’Histoire nous le dira (), une vidéo traite du thème « Livre voitures Anciennes françaises ».

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Notez la durée de la vidéo (02:44:18s), le titre (La Révolution française des origines à 1795 « ABONNEZ-VOUS À LA CHAÎNE !!!
C’est fait ? Ok, maintenant, prêt pour l’histoire de la Révolution française des origines à 1795 ? C’est maintenant !

00:00 : Introduction
00:40 : Les origines
10:54 : États généraux
18:16 : Juillet 1789
32:23 : La grande peur
45:22 : Le Roi à Paris
55:51 : La fuite de Varennes
1:07:18 : De droite à gauche
1:19:52 : Les guerres révolutionnaires
1:30:31 : 10 août 1792
1:38:47 : Les massacres de septembre
1:48:15 : La Mort de Louis XVI
1:56:37 : 1793: les trahisons
2:09:11 : La terreur et la vertu
2:26:50 : La fin de Robespierre

Erratum: Louis XVI était l’arrière-arrière-arrière-petit-fils du roi de France, Louis XIV, et non son arrière petit-fils.

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Avec: Laurent Turcot, professeur en histoire à l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada

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Sources et pour aller plus loin:
ANDERSON, James M. Daily Life during the French Revolution, London, Greenwood Press, 2007.
AUBRY, Octave, « La révolution à Versailles : l’enthousiasme et la peur », Revue des deux mondes, Vol. 52, no 1, juillet 1939, p. 90-129.
BABEAU, Albert. Paris en 1789. Paris, Albin Michel, 1989 (1889).
BABELON, Jean Pierre. La vie quotidienne à Paris dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe
siècle, Musée de l’histoire de France, Le Musée, 1973.
BERTAUD, Jean-Paul. La vie quotidienne en France au temps de la Révolution
(1789-1795), Hachette, Paris, 1983.
BIARD, Michel, Philippe BOURDIN et Silvia MARZGALLI. 1789-1815, Révolution, Consulat, Empire. Paris, Belin, 2009.
BREGEON, Jean-Noël. 30 journées clés dans la Révolution française, Ellipses, 2014
BURSTIN, Haim, L’invention du sans-culotte. Regard sur le Paris révolutionnaire, Paris, Odile Jacob, 2005. CHARTIER, Roger. Les origines culturelles de la Révolution française. Paris, Seuil, 1990.
DOYLE, William. Des origines de la Révolution française, Paris, Calmann-Lévy, 1988.
ESCANDE, Renaud (dir.), Le livre noir de la Révolution française. Paris, Cerf, 2008.
FURET, François et Denis RICHET, La Révolution française, Paris, Fayard,‎ 1973
FURET, François et Mona OZOUF, Dictionnaire critique de la Révolution française, Paris, Flammarion, coll. « Champs Flammarion », 1992.
GUILLEMIN Henri. 1789 : silence aux pauvres! Paris, Editions d’Utovie, 2012.
GUENIFFEY Patrice, La Politique de la terreur, essai sur la violence révolutionnaire, Paris Fayard, 2000.
GUENIFFEY Patrice, Histoires de la Révolution et de l’Empire, Paris, Perrin,‎ 2011.
GODECHOT J., Les Révolutions, 1770-1799, Paris, PUF, 1965.
HAZAN, Éric, Une histoire de la Révolution française, Paris, La Fabrique, 2012.
LEFEBVRE, Georges. La Grande Peur de 1789. Paris, Armand Colin, 1932.
MARTIN, Jean-Clément, Nouvelle Histoire de la Révolution française, Paris, Perrin, 2012.
MCPHEE Peter (ed.), A companion to the French Revolution, London, Wiley-BlackWell, 2013.
PETITFILS, Jean-Christian, Louis XVI, Paris, Perrin, 2005
PIGNOL, Jean-Luc et Maurice GARDEN. Atlas des parisiens : de la Révolution à
nos jours, Parigramme, Paris, 2009.
REINHARD, Marcel, La Chute de la royauté (10 août 1792), Paris, Gallimard, coll. « Trente journées qui ont fait la France », 1969.
TURCOT, Laurent. « Malentendu tragique aux États généraux », Historia, spécial no. 20: La Révolution française du chaos à l’unité (novembre-décembre 2014) https://www.historia.fr/malentendu-tragique-aux-%C3%A9tats-g%C3%A9n%C3%A9raux
VOVELLE, Michel, La Chute de la monarchie 1787-1792, Paris, Le Seuil, coll. « Points Histoire », 1972.
WAHNICH, Sophie. La Révolution française, un événement de la raison sensible, Paris, Hachette, 2012.
Le texte et les sources ont été vérifiés de manière indépendante par un historien PhD.
Autres références disponibles sur demande.

#histoire #documentaire #révolutionfrançaise #14juillet #bastille ».

La vidéo est affichée juste en dessous pour votre consultation

Dépenses à prévoir pour un ouvrage sur les voitures de collection ?

Le prix d’un ouvrage sur les voitures anciennes présente des variations notables, en fonction de sa qualité et de son édition :

• Livres Généralistes: Les livres d’introduction coûtent généralement entre 30 et 60 euros.
• Ouvrages Spécialisés et Beaux Livres: Attendez-vous à des prix de 80 à 200 € pour les éditions illustrées.
• Livres de Collection et Éditions Limitées: Les ouvrages signés ou limités peuvent dépasser les 200 euros, selon leur rareté.

Qu’est-ce qui explique le prix élevé de certains livres ?

Pour économiser sur vos acquisitions, privilégiez les livres d’occasion. Les sites comme Rakuten, eBay ou les librairies de seconde main sont d’excellentes alternatives pour dénicher des livres en bon état à des prix accessibles. Les forums pour fans et les groupes de collectionneurs peuvent également vous aider.

Pourquoi opter pour un livre sur les voitures anciennes?

Leslivres sur les voitures anciennesne sont pas uniquement des sources d’information, mais aussi de véritablesobjets de collection. Certains livres présentent des photographies exclusives, des dessins techniques, et des essais inédits. Posséder unouvrage sur sa voiture féticheou sur une époque particulière devient alors unplaisirqui transcende la simple lecture.

À l’ère numérique, il semble plus pratique de chercher des informations sur lesvoitures anciennessur Internet. Pourtant, leslivressont une ressource précieuse pour les fans. Un ouvragebien illustréet documenté permet d’explorer l’histoire automobilede manière détaillée, avec une qualité d’édition qui assure uneexpérience de lectureunique. Contrairement aux ressources en ligne, qui peuvent êtreincomplètesoudispersées, les livres de collection offrent desanalyses approfondies, souvent écrites par desspécialistesou des journalistes.

Rétrospectives ou livres dédiés : Quels types de livres existent ?

Avant d’envisager unachat, il est judicieux de se renseigner sur les divers types d’livresque vous pouvez trouver. Selon ce que vous recherchez ou les goûts de la personne à qui vous destinez uncadeau, certains livres se révéleront plus intéressants.

Les beaux livres

Les beaux livres dédiés aux voitures anciennes se présentent fréquemment en grand format et sont très populaires pour leur qualité visuelle. Riches en photographies haute définition et en images d’archives peu communes, ces livres sont parfaits pour l’exposition et le feuilletage. Ce type de ouvrage est souvent recherché pour ses qualités visuelles et son contenu informatif.

Les titres dédiés sur un modèle ou une marque

Pour les amateurs d’autos anciennes qui sont passionnés par une marque ou un modèle en particulier, un ouvrage dédié peut faire un excellent choix. Il existe des livres qui analysent en détail des marques iconiques comme Ferrari, Bugatti, Harley-Davidson ou la célèbre Citroën 2CV. Cependant, ces ouvrages comportent un certain risque pour un collectionneur averti : il est possible que la personne en ait déjà un exemplaire, ou que le ouvrage ne traite pas des aspects qui lui tiennent à cœur. Si le destinataire s’intéresse à une période ou à un type de véhicule plus général, une rétrospective pourrait être plus appropriée.

Rétrospectives sur l’histoire des voitures

Ces livres retracent souvent plusieurs décennies d’histoire voiture, réunissant des modèles issus de différentes marques, styles et périodes. Ils sont chargés d’informations et représentent un excellent point de départ pour les nouveaux fans ou ceux désireux d’en apprendre davantage sur l’histoire générale de l’automobile. Les rétrospectives illustrées offrent un aperçu fascinant, mettant en évidence les évolutions en matière de design, de technologie et de tendances. Ce type de publication est idéal pour uncadeau, car il attire un large éventail de lecteurs sans être trop spécifique.

Pourquoi certains ouvrages sont-ils si chers à l’achat ?

Les prix des livres de collection voiture peuvent être jugés élevés en raison de leur qualité de conception et de leur valeur ajoutée. Les éditions limitées, les ouvrages anciens ou dédicacés sont particulièrement prisés pour leur rareté. De surcroît, les livres de luxe proposent souvent des images et des documents uniques, ainsi que des reliures en cuir ou des boîtiers, ce qui en fait des objets de valeur pour les collectionneurs.

Achat de ouvrages de collection voiture : où aller ?

La recherche du bon livre est également influencée par le point de vente. Voici quelques alternatives pour dénicher des livres de qualité :

• Librairies Spécialisées et Salons de l’Automobile: Certaines librairies se concentrent sur l’automobile, offrant des livres anciens ou rares. Les salons d’automobiles anciennes et les événements pour fans présentent souvent des stands avec des ouvrages spécifiques.
• Sites de Collection et Plateformes en Ligne: AbeBooks, eBay, Amazon et Le Bon Coin offrent une multitude de ouvrages, y compris des éditions d’occasion. Pour des éditions rares, les sites spécialisés dans les livres d’occasion ou les catalogues de bibliophilie peuvent être très utiles.
• Bourses aux Livres et Bibliothèques: Certaines bibliothèques offrent la possibilité d’emprunter des ouvrages rares, tandis que les bourses aux livres peuvent permettre de trouver des ouvrages à des prix intéressants.

Les voitures de collection, considérées comme des trésors de l’histoire voiture, fascinent par leur esthétique, leur ingénierie, et leur impact culturel. Beaucoup d’amateurs désirent approfondir leurs connaissances à travers des livres de collection, mais le marché regorge d’options. Comment déterminer quel livre convient le mieux, que ce soit pour soi ou pour offrir ? Ce guide vous aidera à naviguer parmi les types d’ouvrages, les points de vente et les gammes de prix.

Le Livre Parfait pour Chaque Amateur de Voitures

Choisir un livre sur les voitures anciennes représente un véritable plaisir, que ce soit pour enrichir votre collection ou pour offrir un cadeau précieux. Que vous soyez séduit par une rétrospective ou un livre spécialisé, il est crucial de prendre le temps d’explorer les différentes options afin de dénicher celui qui saura satisfaire votre passion ou celle de la personne à qui vous l’offrez. Les ouvrages de qualité, riches en récits et en illustrations, constituent des trésors pour les amateurs d’automobiles anciennes et des souvenirs durables à préserver.

Un guide FAQ complet concernant l’acquisition de livres sur les voitures anciennes a été élaborésur cette page. Prenez le temps de parcourir les différents aspects abordés dans cette FAQ.

Critères pour un livre de qualité

Lorsque l’on veut choisir un livre de qualité sur les voitures anciennes, il est crucial de considérer certains critères fondamentaux :

1. L’Expertise des Auteurs: Assurez-vous de choisir des livres écrits par des experts, tels que des historiens de l’automobile ou des journalistes dédiés. Cela garantit des recherches approfondies et des informations fiables.
2. Les Illustrations et la Qualité d’Édition: Un livre sur les voitures anciennes est rehaussé par de belles illustrations. Préférez les livres bien illustrés, avec des photos capturant l’essence des véhicules et leur caractère. Une édition de qualité, avec une bonne reliure et du papier de haute qualité, assure un livre agréable à consulter.
3. Les Avis et les Critiques: Avant d’acheter, il est souvent utile de lire les avis des lecteurs et les critiques. Les passionnés d’automobile partagent régulièrement leurs impressions en ligne, ce qui peut aider à évaluer si le livre répond à vos attentes.

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#Révolution #française #des #origines #LHistoire #nous #dira #Série #épisodes

Retranscription des paroles de la vidéo: The Revolution, over and over again the Revolution. It’s at the heart of French history, but even more global history. We can’t understand the world in which we currently live without taking into account the importance of the events which took place in France at the end of the 18th century. Today in History will tell us, we’re starting a series on the History of the French Revolution and since we have to start from the beginning, well, we start by the late 1780s! Subtitles:salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com The origins of the French Revolution Social crises are often a translation of serious economic difficulties. The revolution of 1789 isn’t an exception to this model, but the magnitude of the problem is beyond comprehension. During the 18th century, the spending of the monarchy didn’t stop increasing: from 200 million in 1740, it went to, hold on tight: 630 million in 1788. The expenses are staggering and among them, the financing of the American war of 1776, well yes, it’s partly the fault of the damned Americans! The war would have cost 2 billion to the Crown of France, four times the annual budget! Four times anyway! This expense isn’t the only one, we must add major works, such as constructions that continue in the Palace of Versailles, well yes it’s not finished-, but even more the maintenance of huge buildings and estates in Paris, such as the Louvre, the Tuileries garden, the Champs Élysées, but also in Versailles with the expenses of game of the Queen, but also buildings such as the Queen’s Hamlet or the housing of courtiers – it’s expensive to have a kingdom like that – On the other hand, the recipes don’t follow suit. They try to raise taxes, but Parliaments are systematically opposed to any increase. How to do? They can borrow, but who would agree to lend to a Kingdom that is know to have an abysmal deficit? On top of that, the Monarchy has already borrowed too much and that’s the amount of interest is the main source of the deficit. Rumors of state bankruptcy are growing, the economic and political climate is gloomy. In the countryside the situation is far from get better. On June 8, 1783, and until February 1784, a crack of 25 kilometers in length opens in Iceland, in Laki, after a violent explosion. For eight months, lava flows and sulfuric gas emissions flow into the territory. The consequences are catastrophic for Iceland but also for the rest of Europe. A fog, filled with dust, covers two thirds of France and settles on the ground, causing thousands of deaths. The fog also causes violent thunderstorms that trigger with significant falls of hailstorm, killing livestock. Another consequence of the volcanic cloud: a cooling of the entire northern hemisphere. Winter is exceptionally cold. The countryside world is going through a difficult period, however, it’s the main outlet for the textile industry and urban craft. They then need labor, workers wages are lowered when they’re not laid off. Bankruptcies multiply. Queues form in front of bakeries. For the people of Paris, the consequences boil down to one effect: the price of bread increases. The crisis soon reached the royal finances. No taxes are collected, the taxpayer can no longer pay more. To sustain and stabilize society, the state must invest, but it no longer even has the means. In 1786, Calonne, the comptroller general of finance, i.e., the finance Minister, proposes a new plan: a new tax that would apply to all lands and under all conditions. Calonne wants to put an end to the privileges of the nobles and ecclesiastics, the richest of the kingdom, since this particular privilege allows them to be exempt from taxes. The Parliament, composed mainly of privileged people, categorically refuses the measure proposed by Calonne. So, it’s the impasse. How are they going to solve the problem? How are they going to settle the deficit? On November 19, 1787, the Parliamentarians demanded, yes, the States General. What are the States-General? They bring together the three orders of the kingdom: the nobility, the clergy and the Third State, in order to determine the procedure to follow to get France out of the economic recession in which it finds itself. The States-General haven’t been convened for over 150 years. The last time was in 1614, after the death of Henri IV and they had seen the a great person emerge from this mob: Cardinal de Richelieu. Louis XVI knows that the States General are turbulent times when the Kingdom is undermined, he doesn’t want to resort to this extreme. He rejects it and therefore refuses the proposal of the Parliamentarians. The tension is already palpable in France, clans are forming. Then, the Parliament makes vote what will take the name of Declaration of the rights of the nation, in May 3, 1788. They allow themselves to question the Louis XVI’s absolutism, by attacking his capacity to make decisions without relying on Parliament, but also, because it’s not over, the seal letters that allow the King to send to prison whoever he wishes without referring him to a court of law. The opposition is growing, after Paris, it’s soon Toulouse, Rennes, Dijon or Grenoble begins the march. In August 1788, France, the most powerful, the most feared and admired nation of Europe is on the verge of bankruptcy. The King then appointed Jacques Necker, Swiss banker, close to the philosophers of the Enlightenment at the head of what is the Ministry of Finance, a mandate he had already held between 1776 and 1781 and during which he too tried to completely reform the financial system of France. Necker takes a look at all this, he realizes that he has only two choices. First: disavow France’s debts -yes, isn’t very trendy- and the second, well yes, we see it coming: the States General. Louis XVI, therefore, resigned himself, he summoned the States General for May 1, 1789. This victory, if it’s one for Parliaments, raises more questions than expected. Indeed, during the last States General, the voting system which had been adopted was that of the vote by order, i.e., a vote for the nobility, a vote for the clergy, and a vote for the Third State, and we can guess how it happened: the nobility and the clergy got back together, two against one and it was over. But between 1614, the last States General, and 1789, the situation changed greatly, we have seen the emergence of an urban bourgeoisie, with notaries, doctors, lawyers, but also artisans, bankers, men of letters and all these categories of individuals, which are versed in political life, they want to participate to this birth of what some qualify as public opinion. Yet, all these individuals fall into the large reservoir that is the Third Estate. And the Third Estate includes all those who are neither nobles nor members of clergy, that is a lot of people, i.e., almost 96% of the population. The stake will then be to know how they’ll vote in 1789 during the Estates General. The Parliament then refuses two principles which are supported by the members of the Third Estate, namely, the vote by head, which would give the majority to the Third Estate and the doubling of the same, according to which they would summon twice as many representatives of the Third Estate. Louis XVI will finally accept the doubling of the Third Estate, in December 1788, however, without specify how the vote will take place. The popularity of Parliament is then ruined, it’ll no longer be the vector of renewal in France, men from other horizons are picking up the thread of the dispute. And among them, a certain Sieyès, who in a small work entitled « What is the Third Estate », writes and quoting: « What is the Third Estate? All. What has he had so far in the political order? Nothing. What is he asking for? To become something. Nothing can go without him, everything would be better without the others”. Therefore, the table is set, at least for the Third Estate which intends to question everything. In March 1789, before the assembly of the States General, the three orders were asked to write that we call grievances notebooks, a sort of list of proposals to re-establish the financial situation of France. Anyway, they take the time to think about it, because this is a new space to talk that will lead to complaints, how to say, unprecedented. For their part, the nobility and the clergy write their notebooks, which translate of course love for the King, for France and, above all, for the established order. Conservatism is the order of the day, could they really do something else whith them? Well no. For them, the path is already laid out, it’ll be a matter of determining how they’ll be able to tax and impose the Third Estate more effectively in order to fill the state coffers, nothing new under the sun. However, the Third Estate, this shapeless mass that brings together all social conditions of the Kingdom requires much more than simple financial reform. In grievance notebooks, what do we read? “Enough with privileges! », « Enough chores! » The complaints ring and echo like the screams of an army on the march. And in these notebooks, we see as much the state of the roads, the education of childs, freedom to think and write, the price of bread, the regulations governing corporations, and of course, the need to make everyone pay taxes. The Estates General haven’t even started and the Pandora’s box is already open. Louis XVI ignores all of these claims, yes, because the hunting season opens soon for him. Parallelly as the drafting of the grievance books, the elections are held in March 1789 to elect 291 deputies for the clergy, 285 for the nobility, and 578 deputies for the Third Estate, among which famous names stand out like Robespierre, Mounier, Barnave, Sieyès or even Count Mirabeau who, although a noble, chose to sit for the third Estate. These men are young, the most in their late twenties and early thirties. They have the desire of a new France, a regenerated France, the word will be used everywhere to qualify the renovation that they’re trying to impose. The Estates General – The French Revolution Volume II We remain after the elections of the deputies of the 3 orders, those of the clergy, the nobility, and the Third Estate. Come on, we don’t waste time, because we want to know what happens over the months of April, May, and June 1789. Events will soon unfold at incredible speed. Since the convocation of the States General, Paris has been in turmoil. The call of the States-General therefore resonates very strongly. The price of bread is still increasing. It feels that at every street corner, people are waiting. He expects bread from his King and his representatives, that they bring their demands to the platform. It’s in the suburb of Saint-Antoine, a Mecca for workers, that expectations are undoubtedly the biggest. On April 23, 1789, a rumor began to spread that two manufacturers, Réveillon and Henriot would have suggested lowering the selling price of the wallpaper they produce, a measure which they believe would require lower wages and, therefore, the cost of manufactured products. However, we must qualify, Réveillon had made a hypothesis on the salary which was taken for a threat when he paid his workers very well, but then begins what we will call the Réveillon affair. The suburb is stung! It’s know that the rioters aren’t mostly from Réveillon workers and that some of them are undoubtedly agitated for other reasons. On April 27 and 28, the rumor rumbles and continues to expand. Armed troops are sent to contain the seditious crowd, the Saint-Antoine suburb is declared closed. The crowd retaliates throwing stones at the troops, as well as tiles and furnitures from the roofs of houses – still, eh? – The troops are firing. As for the soldiers there are 12 killed and 80 wounded, on the side of the insurgents, 200 killed and 300 wounded – actually, the number of victims is unknown – But the suburb is traumatized by the violence of the repression. The elite claim that this is all the work of thieves and has nothing to do with political riot. At the beginning of May 1789, it was in this context that the deputies arrived at Versailles to sit for what takes the name, for the moment, of States-General. On May 5, at 8 am, they enter in the Salle des Menues Plaisirs, the hall was hastily prepared, a few weeks before, where they’re piling up so far decorations and costumes used for the king’s celebrations – yes, the Menues Plaisirs are them who take care that everyone has fun in the parties that are organized for the crown- Louis XVI indicates that he brought together the States General to help him to restore public finances. Of course, he’s not talking about reforms. The way in which the work sessions are distributed for each order will have a decisive impact in the sequence of events. There are only two rooms planned for meetings of each order, which is bizarre by itself because it was three orders, but there is a room for the nobility, one for the clergy, and the Third Estate it must remain in the main hall, or the Salle des Menus Plaisirs, which hosts the States General. The whole strategy of the Third Estate is then developed in this large hall, showing that it has greater legitimacy than the other two orders. On June 4, the Dauphin, the son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, the heir to the crown therefore, die. The emotion which, in the past, would have affected all of France is then reduced to the court, first sign of disaffection of opinion with regard to the Monarchy. Then, in the next days, some deputies of the nobility and the clergy joined to the Third Estate. On June 17, 1789, Sièyes proposed that the 96% of the nation constitute an National Assembly representative of the people and working for their good. There is no need for nobility and clergy. Three days later, the deputies of the new national assembly go to the room where they usually sit. The room is closed. They head to the « jeu de paume », not far from there. The deputies then take an oath, a mythical oath that will be immortalized by the painter David – the painting will never be finished – All the deputies raise their hands and say that they want to give France a Constitution and chant, in a decided and deep tone that one « must never separate and meet where circumstances require until the constitution of the kingdom is established ”. Then comes the Marquis de Dreux-Brézé, the master of ceremonies invites the Third Estate to disperse. To which the Comte de Mirabeau replied -it has become celebrated now-: “Come on, tell to your master that we’re here by the will of the people and that we’ll only get out by the force of bayonets! ». Louis XVI gives in and he’d have said: “Well! If they don’t want to go away, let them stay”. He cedes the ground. The discussions of the National Assembly are continuing, they intend to debate everything, all the content, as diverse as it’s, everything that they find in the grievance books, well, they want to talk about that and not just about the debt. The whole political, social, economic, cultural structure, everything must be re-examined and, if necessary, transformed. On June 25, 27 deputies of the nobility joined the Assembly, including the Duke of Orleans, the cousin of the king, yes yes, of Louis XVI. On July 9, it’s the creation of the Constituent Assembly whose will is to fix a constitution as had been demanded for years. It’s not a spontaneous, thoughtless movement, but the result of long years of reflection. Not everyone is in favor of this change of course and there are many courtiers who are pressuring the King to make it all end. On July 11, Couronne decides to withdraw the Swiss and German mercenary troops gathering around Paris, fearing the worst. Even more strongly, Louis XVI dismissed Jacques Necker, held responsible for the disorder and he see it as too favorable to the Third Estate. For many, this is a coup, nothing less. Especially because the man who is called to take charge of finances is Baron de Breteuil, an activist of conservatism and the status quo and who intends to fight against these « seditious » of the so-called National Assembly. The sling of deputies becomes a revolution. Remember that since at least 1760, the word revolution already means change of regime or Sovereign, but this is again only the prelude to events whose resonance will be even bigger, both in France and throughout Europe, and soon throughout the world. July 1789 – The French Revolution Volume III We had stayed a little before July 14th. And I guess you know what happens next, eh? No! Sure? There are still a lot of films, series, novels, silliness on the subject, we even say a bit of everything and anything about July 14, 1789. « -God sends us a test, we must put the dolphin back on his throne », « I don’t want to play the killjoy ”,“ What do you want the ass wipe! » Ok, come on, let’s try to put some order in all this and go with the events. It’s about the continuation of the French Revolution, July 89! In the last episode, we were in Versailles. Come on, we’re moving to Paris because it’s always in Paris that it happens, it’s a joke but in this case yes, it moves to Paris. There various political groups, which will soon be known as clubs, converge in cafes and public gardens to debate and discuss the progress of things and the strategies to be adopted. However, eyes and ears are always turned towards Versailles, each information which reaches the capital, therefore Paris, is immediately dissected, interpreted, because -of course- they have to know what’s going on. The people, for their part, just think about eating. Let us also remember that this Paris of 1789 has fewer and fewer jobs for a population ever more numerous, estimated in total between 600 and 700,000 inhabitants, we lack very precise statistics but we’re not wrong in these figures. When the news of Necker’s dismissal arrives in Paris on July 12, it’s at the Palais Royal, high place of political cafes and enlightened minds, where the echo was, undoubtedly, the greatest because there was a certain Camille Desmoulins, you know, no doubt, a little bit there. He is a 29-year-old lawyer who, as soon as he hears the news, takes a chair and go up there. He harangues the crowd, calling on his fellow citizens, and therefore those around him, to take arms and adorn their doublets with leaves from the trees of the Royal Palace that will serve as a green cockade, a symbol of hope for those who will march with him to arm themselves. A few meters away, in the Tuileries garden, where you can walk while enjoying the shade offered by the shady alleys, a few demonstrators marched holding high up the busts of Necker and the Duke of Orleans, the latter gradually embodying the opposition facing the authority of his cousin. But it’s too much, Prince de Lambesc, who commands the German royal regiment, receives the order to clear the entrance to the Tuileries. He’ll decide to charge with his dragons – they charge the walkers – They dragons rush like an army in the field into this open-air living room that constitute the Tuileries. A man is injured, a bit later his death is announces. The noise runs and doesn’t stop. It’s hears everywhere: “The atrocious Lambesc has slashed harmless walkers ». A low growl is heard in Paris, the inhabitants feel that the progress achieved by the National Assembly can quickly be overthrown by a coup of the Monarchy, a coup that they don’t intend to let happen, no, no, no! On July 13, the price of bread goes up again -there is always a question of bread here- Rumors seem to attest that the royal troops threaten to enter the capital to arrest deputies who reside there. Parisians assemble and decide to send a message to the Sovereign. They decide to attack the heart of the regime, taxes and levies – it’s often said that there has only two sure things in life: death and taxes! – In 1782, it was proposed to Louis XVI to enclose Paris in a new surrounding wall, by drilling openings destined exclusively for the introduction of the goods necessary for the consumption of the inhabitants of the capital. In short, they wanted to institute a new tariff barrier around Paris to ensure that all goods are taxed. The wall was erected in 1782. The function of the wall made it very unpopular, it’s also said at the time: « The wall, walling Paris, makes Paris murmur ». This famous wall, 24 km long by 3.30 m, includes 54 barrier pavilions designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux, and it gives the impression that Parisians are under siege. The passages made in the enclosure, which bear the name of barriers, in this July 13, are taken as a symbol. They attack it with unique strength and efficiency. Of the 54 barriers, 40 were looted, burned and set on fire. The message is clear, freedom will also be of trade, but even more, parisians show that they no longer intend to submit without flinching to taxes considered unfair and, most importantly, unequal. We can already guess in the crowd, leaders who know the political and military geography in Paris, they’ll lead the crowd eager for justice but who don’t know where to take their anger. Faced with the unrest taking place in the capital, it was decided to form a permanent committee and create a bourgeois guard responsible for defending everything, both the properties and the cause of reforms. For its part, the National Assembly decides to sit permanently. We’re on July 14, 1789. The price of bread, yes again, reached a historical peak, 14 cents. For the majority of Parisians, 80% of the salary is spent on the purchase of bread, 80% for the purchase of bread! What is left for the rent, absolutely nothing. It’s now a question of arming an angry people, that the leaders intend to channel. “At the Invalides! Shout into the crowd. It’s 10 a.m. Then, invariably, a procession sets in motion and it’s on la Rive Gauche, to the west of the Saint-Germain district, towards the Hôtel Royal des Invalides, where the Parisian crowd is heading. Almost 40,000 rifles are distributed, but there is a lack of powder, is a shame because a gun without powder is a little bit useless. There are different stories, then it’s said that a voice rising from the crowd, indistinct, but decided: « Powder it’s in the Bastille, citizens! », this is what is said. Then, the convoy armed but unable to fire, takes the road to the Bastille. The place is highly symbolic, I have already spoken about it in a video about: The Paris of 1789. It’s a fortress located on the edge of Paris, which faces the stormy suburb of Saint-Antoine, which we have already discussed here with the famous Réveillon riots. But the Bastille has become over the years in a prison where some of the most beautiful minds of the Age of Enlightenment, including Voltaire, Beaumarchais or even Marmontel, and others famous but unknown prisoners, including the famous iron mask, which Alexandra Dumas wanted to make Louis XIV’s twin – there is also a film with the handsome Leonardo DiCaprio, but it’s still fiction – The Bastille is above all a symbol of royal arbitrariness, the prison where, as a result of letters of prestige, these missives requested by the King made it possible to send someone to prison, without trial, and put aside the issue that was damaging to the Crown. Thus, when the people arrive in front of the thick walls of the royal prison, it’s as much for reasons of necessity: powder, as symbolic: the arbitrariness that decides to besiege the monument. However, the symbol of the Bastille has lost much of its superb. Louis XVI had also considered razing the prison, but due to lack of money, he had resigned. In addition, on July 14, 1789, the prison had only 7 prisoners, 4 counterfeiters, 2 madmen, and an aristocrat « embastilled » at the request of his family, probably for debauchery. After the storming of the Bastille, all of them will vanish in nature, only the 2 madmen will remain and will be carried in triumph by the crowd, doubtless wondering if everything this is real. Marquis de Sade had been transferred on July 6 to another prison, so the aristocrat I mentioned earlier, he can’t be the Marquis de Sade. It’s around 11 am, the crowd throngs in front of the Bastille. District representatives ask to speak to Governor De Launay, in charge of the defense of the prison which has a little less than a hundred men, mainly invalids and Swiss guards. De Launay was ordered to return the fortress to the people, who then refused, isn’t a question of trampling on his honor as a soldier. Around 3:00 pm, about sixty French guards with 5 guns approached the crowd. The assault is occur at 3:30 pm De Launay, an officer experienced in the practice of war intends to defend his position. He shoots the crowd. The first to launch fall under bullets, screaming in pain touching their bloody wound to realize that this time it’s their blood that stains the cobblestones. The howls, the gunshots, and soon cannons don’t stop a second wave that rush forward, also hit by a wall of bullets. So, in successive waves, men and women are caught in bullets, their lives shattered and their blood shed for a cause they think is beyond them. De Launay sees clearly that he’ll not be able to last forever, especially since the regiments that he thought could help him have turned their heads and are now fighting against him, along with the people. It’s 5:00 pm, the paving stones are red, the air smells of gunpowder, it’s difficult to distinguish what is happening. De Launay ordered a cease-fire. There is no illusion. He knows what waits him, but he doesn’t yet guess the violence. He was taken prisoner like his regiment and was taken to the City Hall in order to be judged. However, the procession that surrounds the governor can’t contain the incessant pressure from the crowd who intends to do justice to De Launay. On the way, a man appearing out of nowhere pushes the soldiers around De Launay, another appears, jumps, feet forward on the prisoner’s chest. Delaunay is knocked down, but the assailant doesn’t waste a minute, he slits the officer’s throat. De Launay’s convulsions didn’t prevent the man from plunging his blade again into the throat. Around him, a monumental crowd prevents the soldiers from restoring calm. Then, a big yell is heard. A man holds De Launay’s head, dripping wet. It’s said that some even go so far as to drink his blood – that’s part of the myth- Others intend to continue the purge. Jacques de Flesselles, provost of merchants, therefore the equivalent of the mayor of Paris, will suffer the same fate as De Launay, their two severed heads will be walked through the streets of Paris. « This is how we get revenge on traitors » is what sings the crowd. The Bastille is taken. In Versailles, the king returned from hunting and noted, dated July 14, 1789: “Nothing ». We have often misunderstood this « nothing », in fact it just referred to hunting not what had just happened, he had no idea what had happened in the Bastille at that time. In Paris they celebrate and take advantage to destroying the Bastille the next day. Certain men smell the good deal and, while the crowd destroys this monument of royal despotism, they reserve certain stones and do a prison replica sculpted in each of it that they’ll sell at a high price in all regions of France – the revolution, it can always pay off for some – On July 15, the King gave in again, and confirmed the dismissal of the troops massed around Paris. Is set up at the Hôtel de ville de Paris, a new « commune of Paris », a new form of municipal government which moved to the capital with Bailly as mayor of the city. The next day, Louis XVI recalls Necker while Baron de Breteuil, who had only been in finance for 5 days, took the opportunity to emigrate a few days later, which will be done by several aristocrats and military officers, for fear to suffering the same fate as De Launay and Flesselles. Dejected, the King now bowed to the demands of the Assembly, he agreed to surrender in Paris on July 17, and recognizes the new constituted authority. The man who welcomed him enjoyed great popularity, the Marquis de Lafayette, he became known with the American Revolution of 1776. He’s also called, the hero of America who, for a time, will single-handedly embody the French Revolution and will soon be given the title of hero of both worlds. When he then receives the king, is in his capacity as Commander of the National Guard formed of bourgeois militias of 48,000 citizens. He offers Louis XVI the tricolor cockade. They got rid of the green cockade of Desmoulins, also associated with that of the Comte d’Artois, brother of King. Next to blue and red, the color of the city of Paris, Lafayette has added the white of the Monarchy, giving to the Sovereign a central place in the new definition of powers. Then, is impossible think of France without Louis XVI. The assembly authority established henceforth in Paris and no longer in Versailles is fully recognized and it must work to draft the constitution, but it’ll have to take into account a third power that tipped the scale in his favor in the conflict with the king, well yes: the people of Paris. The Great Fear – The French Revolution Volume IV We left after July 1789. It’s not over, it’ll even accelerate. Another event will permanently mark this year 1789, what is called the Great Fear. No no, he’s not a super hero, she’s a super heroine! Come on, today in History will tell us, the French Revolution, the Great Fear. Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com The deputies must now get down to work to rebuild the political, social, and economic structure of France. A vast program that involves drafting a constitution by introducing reforms requested in the grievance books, those we have already discussed, but of course, they must also resolve the financial crisis. Rumors are multiplying everywhere in the kingdom, and as we know, just it need one person to convince a second, who will then confirm the information to a group because this one is considered as a « reliable source », the rumor has good back – Victor Hugo has besides written a very good text on the subject, you see it here there- Go read it – From the famous “on-dit”, we go to: “I have a reliable source! » and voilà, a rumor that turns into reality. After the storming of the Bastille and the outbreak of people, they have the impression that the balance of power is being reversed -I said it feels like, eh- because when attacking the powerful, it’s not uncommon for the counter-offensive to be particularly bloody, you know what they say. When we attack the empire, the empire strikes back. In Paris, but especially in provinces, the fear of repression is growing. There is talk of an aristocratic plot to punish the Third Estate or of foreign troops, English in particular, who would land on the continent to divide France and seize rich abandoned lands. Out of the question to let them do it! Villagers arm themselves to defend their families, their homes, and communities. The vagrants, these people who are said to be without fire and without confessions, vectors of disorder will be chased. This historic moment, which we call the Great Fear, soon spread to all France. Fear of enemies, of course, but also fear that the grievances transmitted to the States General, therefore, to the National Assembly, remain dead letters. It’s not a question of going back, the Revolution must advance towards better days, those of the peasants and the oppressed. Chateaubriand will also say: « People in shoes were ready to go out of the hall, and already the clogs were knocking on the door ”- clogs, that’s those of the people, and the shoes, the beautiful ones, are those of the aristocracy- However, massacres continued, like that of Bertier de Sauvigny and Foulon, on July 22, 1789. Foulon is carried away and hanged from the lantern facing the town-house not far from Paris City Hall. Twice the rope will break and the poor man will fall back on his knees, like a disarticulated puppet. Workers want to kill him to shorten his torment. They put him aside. After a quarter of an hour waiting, the unfortunate man is hanged a third time, and will die at last. A furious man cuts off his head, stuffs his mouth with hay and on the tip of a spike pole carries what looks like a kind of trophy. This type of massacres frightens the local authorities, some will flee, of course, this will generate a great amount of fear in them but everywhere in the kingdom too. The phenomenon isn’t general, but it’s developing in several provinces. Fear spreads to Versailles, where the Constituent Assembly sits, well I said it was in Paris but not immediately, we’re still in Versailles. Amplified, rumors arrive to the ears of the Versaillese, and stir up alarm. To calm the anger of the poor, some diputies suggest debating the issue of feudal rights. Parisian political life continues to change the face of the Revolution. Several deputies, then gathered in clubs or fraternal societies – we had spoken the last time – will define coherent thoughts to fix the futures from France – well, where are we here? At what moment? – We’re on August 4, 1789, night of the Great Fear in Versailles, the Breton club, which will be soon called the Jacobins club, develops a strategy to cut to pieces what its called or what is calify Old Regime, or all that was founded by the society before the Estates General. We often say 1789. This is the end of this called Old Regime and begins, for some, what is called the contemporary period. The pressures coming from the provinces will constitute a golden opportunity to put an end to the arbitrary abuses of the Monarchy of divine right. Thus, on this Tuesday, August 4, 1789, it’s 8 in the evening. The Duc de Noailles, then the Duke of Aiguillon, both aristocrats of their properties, have a moment of grace or enthusiasm and decide to propose a decree to address inequalities -I told you that the word inequality is important. It returns here- So, on that hot night in Versailles where time hangs on the lips of drunken dukes with the words happiness, people, equality, well, the whole social structure collapses almost suddenly, at least in theory. What is this building? The seigneurial monopoly of hunting, the tithe, the privileges of provinces and cities, seigniorial justice, venality charges, corporations, nepotism, but also civil and fiscal equality is proclaimed, privileges are abolished. It’s the triumph of freedom and individualism. But beware, the rose-colored glasses that the Assembly is wearing at this time don’t prevent keeping the three orders, it’s often forgotten, the society remains hierarchical. The Assembly, after the night of August 4, is working on a grandiose project, a project which will show the face of the world the essentially new aspect of the Revolution taking place in France, and this is important: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which will be promulgated by the Marquis de Lafayette. « All men are born and remain free and equal in rights”, article 1 makes the people dream, it makes think of a France which listens to its subjects, rather to its citizens, and that understood the malaise and stagnation in which society was entangled. Besides, I like to say it, there is no longer talk of « subjects » attached to the King, but of « citizens », who have rights. However, these rights are only « declared », in no way are affirmed, proclaimed or asserted. Moreover, there are two classes of citizens, actives and passives. All French people are citizens, but therefore don’t have the right to vote. To be an « active citizen », you must be at least 25 years old, reside in the city or the canton for at least one year, be registered with the roll of the national guard in the municipality of the domicile, have taken civic oath and paid a direct contribution equal to three working days. In passive citizens are found women, people in charge, bankrupts, insolvent and the servants – they’re far from being all equal in this society – It’s not about giving the keys of the house to the people, but of giving them hope that perhaps, one day, by dint of self-sacrifice and hard work, some of those who can and will, will fall into this category of active citizens. Robespierre will also say: « So, you want to divide the nation into two classes, one of which will only be armed to contain the other”. A disastrous prelude. September 11, for the needs of the vote by show of hands, and therefore to make the clearer accounting, they divide the Constituent Assembly into two: the right side of the room, in relation to the President of the Assembly, is said to be « the queen’s side », partisans of the Old Regime, and the left of the president the « side of the Palais-Royal », architects of the reform – does that mean anything to the left and the right? Well, that’s where it comes from – However, all these fine words don’t give the people more to eat. Bread is still so expensive, wages so low and the economic situation is degrades over and over again. Some refuse to pay tax and thieves continue to survey the country to rob travelers they meet. The noise arrives in Paris from a banquet given at Versailles by the soldiers of the regiment of Flanders. In the midst of libations, luxury and good flesh, they’d have trampled on feet the tricolor cockade and greeted with joy to the Queen and her son. The hatred that the Parisians felt towards Marie-Antoinette could not be greater. In October, in fact, October 5, 1789, more than 700 women coming from Les Halles, so where the most large Parisian market, and who are tired of running out of everything and especially bread, basis of their diet, they get organized. They gather at the Town Hall, collect 1,700 rifles and 4 cannons. In addition, workers from the suburb of Saint-Marceau and Saint-Antoine. They decide to go to Versailles. Several men join to the procession. In fact, they decide to dress as a woman and lead the procession, this, of course, in order to avoid blows by the police. According to the legend, one would have shouted: « We want bread », a woman would have launched: « Let’s go find the couple (he/she) of bakers! », And another should add: « and the little baker! » The King, the Queen and the Dauphin, in the comfort of Versailles don’t know that they live their last hours in the castle built by Louis XIV. Arrived at Versailles, they continue to rant. They ask to see the King. The Marquis de Lafayette, again he, who is in charge of the King’s security, can’t contain the crowd who invests the castle. The royal family gets wind of what’s going on, well, I hope because they entered into the castle. The legend attributes to Marie-Antoinette sinister words that she would never have said: « If they don’t have bread, let them eat cake! » On the contrary, when Louise Chabrit, a young girl of 17 years, eaten away by hunger and fatigue faints before the royal couple the Sovereign promises to those who face him that they’ll have bread. In fact, she makes a solemn promise. Moreover, he who was tackling the Declaration of the Rights of Man, wondering if this was a good thing, agree to sign it. Yet it wasn’t over, the women decide to keep the upper hand. They don’t intend to move until their claims will not be fulfilled. They’re getting impatient, the guards of Versailles struggle to contain the crowd, which is a form of living organism where we can’t define limits and impulses. In the night, there are clashes between women in the royal guards and in the Flanders regiment, the same that had organized a banquet in honor of the Queen. The Queen is then qualified of « Austrian bitch », the crowd is clamoring for her head. For lack of anything better, two guards will be decapitated and their heads carried at the end of a spike pole, it becomes a kind of revolutionary model wich will extend to several demonstrations, but not to all. Lafayette begs the King to appear on the balcony. Once again the King hesitates, recoils, observes from afar and kneads into a silence that no one can interpret, once again. Finally, in the marble courtyard of the central body of the castle, the King appears. The crowd is silent, keep respect for the monarch. Then, it’s the Queen’s turn. Insults burst forth, are quickly replaced by unanimous screams: « To Paris! ». The king nods, he no longer hesitates, he lets himself be guided. A few minutes later, he enters a richly decorated coach, with his wife and children, takes a look at his home. Goodbye Versailles. The King in Paris – The French Revolution Volume V We stayed when the king arrived in Paris in October 1789 Arrived in Paris precisely, the Sovereign is received by Bailly, the mayor of Paris and the king says that: « you always see with pleasure and confidence in the midst of the inhabitants of your good city of Paris. They are meet in the Tuileries castle, in the heart of Paris, where his own great-grandfather Louis XIV wanted to leave when he built Versailles because he found that the Tuileries it was so cold, also impersonals, but above all because he didn’t want to fall prey to the Parisian crowd, which he saw as unpredictable and dangerous. Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 5: the French Revolution! Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com When Louis XVI walked the steps of the Tuileries castle on October 6, 1789, entered without know it in the first of his Parisian prisons, the one that will undoubtedly be the most pleasant of all. The Assembly declares itself inseparable from the king and decides to move to Paris. It was his turn to expose itself to the passions of the street. Then, the king loses his title of King by divine right by decree of the Assembly, he’s no longer King of France, but King of the French, and he can no longer oppose to the Assembly whose superiority is confirmed. However, the heart of the problem remains economic. That the National Assembly endow itself or endow France with a constitution, very good for them, but how to manage this crucial problem which caused the upheaval and which even led France to a Revolution? What to do? Borrow? The practice no longer inspires too much confidence. Ask the patriots to make donations? They try it out, but the practice is more symbolic than effective. They have to find money, a lot of money. The more so since taxpayers have no more means to pay and a great mess reigns over tax collection, the great fear made many administrators in charge of collection flee. On October 10, 1789, a lame nobleman but with a perfect countenance put forward a proposal, to say the least, original. Talleyrand, forced into an ecclesiastical career, was then Bishop of Autun. Napoleon will say of him this famous insult: « you belong to a shit in a silk stocking! » But we’re not there yet. Let us return to 1789, Talleyrand isn’t yet at the zenith of his power, which will be under the Empire, but his proposal has something to seduce. He assesses the budget deficit, not to be confused with the debt which is much larger, at 2 billion. If the debt isn’t paid, the deficit should be paid off. But the man goes further on, he argues that the land fortune of the Church is also assessed, coincidentally, at 2 billion. A solution is needed: nationalize the property of the clergy in order to respond to the financial crisis. The idea seduces and constitutes the first blow to the power and the religious foundation from France. On November 2, the goods of the clergy are made available to the nation. At the same time, they set up a paper system, called « assignats », whose value was pledged by Church property which has become national property. Originally issued for a worth 400 million pounds, it’ll only lose their value over the years, weakening the diet a little more, causing new crises and, eventually, completely questioning this system that will be put aside in 1797. The measure to nationalize the property of the clergy isn’t new, in itself. Joseph II of Austria, Marie Antoinette’s brother, set up this system himself by confiscating and secularizing ecclesiastical property. Let’s go back to France. The French deputies who vote for the measure aren’t men animated by a desire for revenge on the Church, on the contrary, it’s more about placing new beacons on this overly powerful owner who takes his orders not from the nation, but from Rome! However, the blow to the Church will not be the last because, they understand that the Church isn’t a monolithic block. In this Church of France organized in dioceses, about 120, the archbishops and bishops are at the top of the hierarchy, who have considerable wealth and temporal power, one could say that they’re, in certain way, princes of the Church. But much further below are the secular priests, those who live among men and the regulars, divided into contemplative and mendicant orders. If the first withdrawn from the world to the abbeys, the seconds, for example, the Franciscans or the Dominicans live in the city, in convents, and dedicate themselves to the mission of assist the poor and preaching. Therefore, the deputies decide to attack, as a first step, the contemplative orders, the less popular, no doubt. Thus, on February 13, 1790, the suppression of religious orders was ordered. Protests are heard from the clergy then deprived of the essential factor to their survival, the tithe that can be levied in kind on the products on the land, such as fat tithe, vegetables and fruits, small tithe and on the increase of catte, tithes of meat, which makes it possible to meet the expenses of worship. On April 3, 1790, they push even further. With the help of the Declaration of Human Rights, they establish the equality of cults, they no longer recognize Catholicism as the official religion of the State and, plus, it’s now up to the State to take charge of the registration of baptisms and deaths, in addition to establishing a civil marriage, which will soon follow the proclaimed divorce on August 30, 1792. But the most violent blow has yet to strike. On July 12, 1790, they vote in favor of the civil constitution of the clergy. Representatives of God no longer have to answer for their acts to the Pope, but to the Nation. They’ll thus be remunerated by the state that will take over their function. The Church is part of the administration, the relationship with religion is made functional by ensuring the loyalty of its representatives and the values ​​of the Revolution. Those who accept this new order of things must take an oath « to the nation, to the law, and the king ”. The dioceses then correspond to the 89 departments. While the Pope is fuming in Rome, there without doubt many priests don’t see these changes in the right tone, they refuse to take an oath. The pope at the time, Pius VI sent the condemnation of the text the next day. The priests who refuse to sign will be qualified as « refractory priests ». Tensions at the heart of the revolutionary movement are appearing more and more. It’s no longer a question of clubs or fraternal societies which intend to assert their demands in the new order of things, but positions which are, henceforth, irreconcilable that emerge. Either they’re in favor of the Revolution or against. Some great nobles take the roads of exile, not just to leave the country, but to organize resistance outside. But the year 1790 was also marked by a colorful event: the party of the Federation of July 14, 1790, this festival that we celebrate every year in France. To celebrate the storming of the Bastille, but also all the progress made from the Estates General, all the people are invited to come together and celebrate this French Revolution. At the Champs-de-Mars, a vast space capable of holding nearly 100,000 people, an altar is erected in the open air. All social categories have come together to level the playing field, it’s even said that Louis XVI came to bring his pickaxe. They sing, they dance, they kiss. It’s no longer a question of death or fighting, but rather of harmony, union and freedom. A term begins to be used: « regeneration ». After degeneration of a regime, the Old Regime, the Revolution allowed man to regenerate on the basis of ideas of justice and equality. They want to rediscover the innocence of man buried in human nature. Give man back all his virtues, that is the watchword. To achieve this a great staging must serve the purpose. Mass is celebrated by Talleyrand, but soon the man of the Revolution appears, the Marquis de Lafayette, who arrives at the head of the National Guard on a magnificent white horse. The man is proud, he loves to be seen and gets drunk on the cheers that he hears, cutting through the crowd, his gaze straight, straining towards the future. Then, he takes an oath on behalf of the National Guard. The King, seated on a throne, contemplates the ceremony which lasts several hours. But nuance is important, he attends the show, he’s no longer the show, others take his place. Yet not everything is so golden and bright in this party, dissensions are palpable. The King was forced to attend the feast, the aristocrats were left out, they weren’t allowed to attend, they were excluded from the party. In Europe look and wait to see what will happen in France. None of the great powers, whether England, Prussia, or Austria doesn’t intend to intervent, on the one hand because nothing justifies it and, on the other hand, because on the European scene, it’s on Poland that they intend to focus their attention, their troops are massed in the east and not on the western border with France. The war is rearing its head. Varennes – The French Revolution Volume VI The political transformations taking place in France will bring a new way of exchanging, debating and disseminating ideas. After the installation of the Assembly in the hall of the Manege near the garden of Tuileries, and therefore in the heart of Paris, political life will transform upon contact of the capital, because this political life needs several places and not only of the Assembly. Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 6 of the French Revolution: a new political culture and the flight from Varennes! The hotbeds of disputes are the Palais-Royal and the Tuileries gardens where speakers like to dissect, comment and criticize all political life, we see the birth of new forms of speech diffusion, we could even speak of a explosion of free speech. Long live free speech! – no, something else was happening – Initially, the Jacobins club set up in July 1789 which moved to rue Saint-Honoré, right bank, opened up to the bourgeoisie, then to more modest citizens. The major dominant figures are Mirabeau and Robespierre, we’ll see soon to Robespierre. In April 1790, the Cordeliers club was founded, established in the former Cordeliers convent, left bank, near the Sorbonne where the membership fee is much lower than the Jacobins, which means that there is more of the popular fringe of Paris. There are political figures such as Jean-Paul Marat, Jacques-René Hébert, or again Camille Desmoulins. Some, like Georges Danton, will start at the Cordeliers before moving on to the Jacobins. Another determining element, political newspapers, we had already spoken about it here. But before 1789, censorship imposed tight control on literary production, so periodicals were no exception. However, with the Revolution we see the flourishing of printing carried by the multiplication of newspapers. Just to give you figures, in June 1789, we only count 5 newspapers while that in December of the same year the figure rose to 130. Freedom of the press allows everyone to write and print their ideas. Freedom goes through the printing press, it’s completely unpublished! Among the most important titles of the Revolution, we can count: « The old cordeliers », by Camille Desmoulins who, as its name suggests, we can imagine that will promote the ideas of his club, « Le Patriote Français » de Brissot, « Le père Duchesne » de Hébert, and « L’Ami du people » of Marat. These newspapers then reach a formidable number of Parisians, even those who aren’t familiarized with reading, as it’s not uncommon to find individuals who read aloud in the middle of the street newspaper articles to encourage the population to join to their ideas. Speech is free, as we have already said, it knows no limits, she goes everywhere! However, after almost a year of Revolution, many agree on the idea that now they have to come full circle, i.e., put an end to the Revolution. With the Mirabeau death in April 1791, who were said to be in love with money, wine and women and that this happy mixture led him to the grave, three participants from the Jacobin club arrive, Barnave, Lameth and Duport, who want to set the limits for the end of this Revolution. « The Revolution is over. It must be fixed and preserved by combating excess. We must restrict equality, reduce freedom and fix opinion. The government must be strong, solid, and stable », that’s Duport who declared it on May 17, 1791. This will arises from the fear of what is now called the Counter-Revolution. Not all of them have found their account in recent events, and in particular the nobility, who continues to flee, such as the Count of Artois, brother of the King, and several will join him in particular in the city of Koblenz or even in Italy, in Turin. The decrees against the emigrants harden, June 28, 1791: the exit of France without passport is prohibited, November 9, 1791: every Frenchman who is part of the meetings formed outside the kingdom is declared in a state of conspiracy against the fatherland and on January 1, 1792, the death penalty was decreed against emigrants who don’t lay down their arms. These departures from the best of the French nobility will gradually inspire the Sovereign. Louis XVI had many advisers in his entourage, the most radical urged him to leave Paris, take refuge in a friendly Kingdom, form an army and return to march triumphantly on Paris. Others instead like the Comte de Mirabeau, who is still alive and receives money from the sovereign to be sure that the Assembly remains faithful to the King, instead offered him to take refuge in the center of France in order to not being at the mercy of the Parisians. The idea gained ground, but on April 18, 1791 it imposed more and more to Louis XVI. Parisian spring brings warmth and comfort, but for the Sovereign, it’s above all a question of go to the Passover, or to go to Communion. Although he accepted nationalization of the property and the civil constitution of the clergy, he remains a practicing Catholic and the freedom of worship should enable him to exercise his right. He intends to go to St-Cloud to receive communion from a refractory priest, yeah, it’s not super easy. As he prepares to leave, the people invade the Cour des Tuileries and forces him to turn around. He does, but realizes that he’s no longer free, that the Tuileries are his prison. « I gave freedom to the people and I’m forbidden to practice my religion”, said the King. Mirabeau, dead a few days before, no longer exercises his influence over the Sovereign for a moderate solution as, for example, that winning the center of France will play as an equilibrium. The Sovereign is then the prey of his faithful who hate the revolution and preach more and more insistent on a departure. Louis XVI knows that his salvation can come from abroad. He takes the quill and writes to his brother-in-law, Joseph II of Austria, therefore brother of Marie-Antoinette, to explain his project to him. She also writes to her brother and didn’t intend that her behavior was dictated by a people who knew she was unstable and who hates her, there are more and more caricatures of a sexual nature against her at that time. But Marie-Antoinette has a particularly ally, how to say, interested, Count Hans Axel de Fersen, her lover, of course. But the king will accept the idea of ​​leaving, it’s now a question of organizing everything, is Fersen who will take care of the preparations. It was on the night of June 20 to 21 that he decided to leave the Tuileries. Is a whole crew that leaving because, with the King there is, of course, the Queen and the dolphin, but also Madame Royale, daughter of the Sovereigns, Madame Elisabeth, sister of the king, and Madame de Tourzel, accompanied by 3 bodyguards. Then, they have to give roles and organize a bit of the staging. False passports are issued, with the signature of the King, particularly easy to obtain. Louis XVI then takes the name of M. Durand who would be an intendant of a Russian baroness named Korff, played by Mme de Tourzel, who would return to her country of origin. Marie-Antoinette would thus act as Madame de Tourzel’s housekeeper. But despite the pressures of the court, Louis XVI doesn’t wish to go abroad, he doesn’t want to be seen like a deserter. Thus, he chose the stronghold of Montmédy, in Lorraine. The first act falls into place. They pretend to go to bed, but the operation is much longer than usual, already delaying the leak which only occurs at 11:00 pm. The King knows he only has an 8 hour lead, because they’re going to find out, at least that’s what he thinks, at 7 am, so they have to act quickly! In the second act, the carriage carrying troop hits a stone and one of the wheels breaks. Therefore, the King took the opportunity to admire the landscape and have a picnic. Meanwhile, the Duke of Choiseul who must wait for the King at Pont-de-Somme-Vesle, at the exit of Châlons-en-Champagne, notices the delay and wonders if he’s not on the wrong path. The sun begins to get up and it’s 5 am, Choiseul knows that a troop armed with hussars risks to stir up the population and jeopardize the affair, so he says: « we’re going to leave ». So he leaves. Where the King is to be expected, there is no one! But despite the absence of Choiseul, the King and his crew after a moment of reflection decide to continue on the road. Then they arrive at Sainte-Menehould where the master of post, Jean-Baptiste Drouet, welcomes them. He greets them, doesn’t ask for passports and allows them to leave. A few minutes later the pursuers of the king arrive coming from Paris, because they now know that the King has fled. Drouet, unlike to the legend, doesn’t recognize the King on a coin, but on an assignat with the effigy of Louis XVI. Drouet then sets off in pursuit, takes a path crossing to arrive before the Berline at the next post, that of Varennes. He’s arrived before the troops and this time he recognizes the King, the cars are immobilized. This that we will soon call the flight of Varennes is consumed. Let’s go back, if you don’t mind, a few hours back to understand what happened in Paris after the King’s flight. As the king suspected, is at 7 am when the valet enters the royals apartments that the absence of the king and the royal family is noted. Then they find a document entitled: Declaration of Louis XVI to all French people on its release of Paris .., signed by the Hand of the King in that he explains the reasons for his departure. He criticizes some of the elements of reform, in particular with regard to finance, foreign affairs and religion. The Marquis de Lafayette, who was to guard the King, notes that he spun him between fingers as he swore the King’s safety on his head. In order to keeping it well tied between his two shoulders, he attempts a stroke of poker. He makes to the Assembly write to say that the King has been kidnapped, even though still was easy to demonstrate the contrary, the Declaration of Louis XVI leaving no doubt on the Sovereign’s intentions. The popularity of Lafayette is then undermined when they realize the subterfuge. Men are sent in pursuit of the King, those who will arrive at Sainte-Menehould. They know very well that he fled. And meanwhile, the hot throats of political clubs are already discussing the event. A tribute rises in the gallery, Georges Danton, and he denounces the King’s accomplices and calls to the nation to rule alone. The divisions are more and more marked between the partisans of the King who are less and less numerous and those who want to leave him aside. What’s going to happen? How will the crowd welcome the Sovereign on his return? From right to left – The French Revolution Volume VII We’re in what is called the escape of Varennes, but as we know, the King didn’t flee to Varennes, he was captured. The day after the flight from Varenne on June 22, 1791, the King and his entourage returned to Paris. In order to avoid any public disorder, they put up all over the city that is forbidden to shout and aloud when the King returns. Therefore, the Sovereign isn’t greeted with screams of hatred, but in icy silence, others will say deathly silence. The wheels of the Sedan hitting the pavement is hear. The people look down on their King, the roles are reversed. Alexandre Dumas will write that at this time, Louis XVI climbs on the first step of the scaffold, should be qualified. Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 7 of the History of the French Revolution with Louis XVI in hot water If Marie-Antoinette was then ridiculed, sometimes riding enormous phallus in front of amazed National Guards, other times representing her as an ostrich, Louis XVI will soon also be the object of mockery more violent than innocent. After the arrest of Louis XVI, a gourmet anecdote associates the King with a pig’s foot. Camille Desmoulins, in his journal, forges the idea according to which the King would have ordered a pig’s trotters, which he loves, in an inn during his escape. The time that it was being prepared would have allowed Drouet to recognize him on a 50-pound assignat and then have him arrested. Louis XVI lost by a cooking recipe, the anecdote is constantly taken up by the brochures and cartoons of the moment. The recipe will soon take the name of royal pig, passes under all the feathers of derision, the King’s curves then easily associate it with the animal that feeds on the rubbish that litter Paris. Clearly, is far from the idea of ​​a King by divine right. Beyond the fat and jubilant laughter that permeates certain publications, the fact is that France is in an even more precarious situation than in 1789. Those who wanted to end the Revolution realize the complexity of the problem and, above all, of new developments, the King’s failed escape. Thus, its put on the carpet of fundamental questions: the meaning of the Revolution, the fate of Louis XVI, and the social measures to counter the financial debacle which is far from being mastered despite the assignats. Money is lacking, that has the effect of pushing up prices, thus making the population even more dissatisfied, it doesn’t stop there. The Cordeliers intend to put an end to Louis XVI. They propose a petition to ask for the King’s abdication. The Jacobins, for their part, broke away from the project and don’t intend to set it up. On July 15, 1791, a large demonstration organized by the Cordeliers crosses Paris with banners on which its can read: Liberty or death. Several deputies are radicalizing, wanting quick solutions. However, this formula isn’t a French creation, it’s inspired by the one worn by the American politician Patrick Henry, future governor of Virginia who had popularized in 1775: “Give me Liberty, or give me Death! « . On the morning of July 17, 1791, they went to the Champs-de-Mars, the same place where they celebrated in 1790, to deposit the petition at the Altar of the Fatherland. At noon, nearly 6.000 Parisians are present. Once again, they sing, they dance, they have picnics, the atmosphere is good-natured. However, neither Robespierre, who is against the demonstration, neither Danton, nor Desmoulins, nor Marat were present, they were advised to leave Paris for fear of a coup. The crowd continues to gather, to hurry. In front of them, the National Guard of Lafayette whose mission is to preserve order. Some rioters a little more passionate than others assemble in front of Lafayette troops. Bailly, still mayor of Paris, holds the crowd at bay behind the Marquis. The space that separates the armed troops from the crowd is gradually reduced. Clods of land and stones begin to rain on the National Guards. Lafayette doesn’t want to shoot, he yells at his men to keep ranks, not to react. He believes it’s a small storm fomented by a few more motivated individuals. In fact, there it’s not. The same climate of fear that developed around the Bastille on July 14, 89 and during the Great Fear of August 4 of the same year, is again present. Bailly gives the order to Lafayette to shoot, the latter refuses to do so, he doesn’t want to be stained with french blood. The mayor of Paris summons the officer to comply. Always nothing. Bailly yells: Fire! The most experienced soldiers don’t flinch, but those who have joined to the ranks of the National Guards after 1789 fired! A woman, a child and fifty citizens are killed. The cavalry chases the fugitives, the Champs-de-Mars (Mars Field) has never been so aptly named, it’s a real war scene taking place there. Lafayette is held directly responsible for the violence, he who had lost his splendor after the flight of the King is here totally discredited. The repression that followed the Champs-de-Mars shooting was severe, printing works were dismantled, closed clubs, newspapers cease to appear and journalists or radicals spokespersons are under arrest warrants. The ties that unite the people, the nation and the Revolution are broken. Many say although the Revolution is over and the « sans-culottes », a term that is spreading to qualify the individuals of the populace, as they are called, are guilty of what happened in recent months. Thus, « sans-culotte » initially refers to those who don’t wear « breeches » but rather the trousers of the proletariat and the petty bourgeoisie. However, between July and December 1791, the term “sans-culottes” will be reversed, it’ll then designate all those who oppose the aristocracy and the counter-revolution. On the political side, the great work of the Assembly is finally completed since the deputies finally give a constitution to France on September 3, 1791. The King at first refuses the constitution but decides to accept it on September 13. France enters in a Constitutional Monarchy. The King has a right of veto in addition to the right to appoint ministers, senior officials, and ambassadors, while the Assembly has the initiative of the laws and can’t be dissolved. The constitution that emerges from the work of the Constituent is based on a few strong ideas: the need for a representative government in a country as large as France, the separation of powers, according to Montesquieu: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary and the idea that no man is really a citizen if he’s not an owner. Therefore, the electoral system distinguishes, as we have already seen here, the active and passive citizens. Executive power is vested in a monarch who is no more than the hereditary delegate from the nation to the executive. Thus, the National Assembly, which became the Constituent Assembly gave France a set of fundamental laws to regulate the destinies of the country. The Constituent Assembly is dissolved and leaves space for the Legislative Assembly, also called simply the Legislative. Robespierre, elected from the Constituent Assembly, proposes that the Legislative be populated by new men, or that those who drafted the constitution cannot be representatives in order to avoid, as he’ll say, cronyism. The nickname of the incorruptible will soon stick to Robespierre’s skin. Thus, are the new deputies, all active citizens, who are elected and take in his hands, with the King of the French, the reins of the country. Gradually, tendencies and groups emerged without being able to talk about parties yet. Let us summarize them: to the right of the president sat the aristocrats, also called the queen’s side. Its speakers are particularly brilliant, some names are Cazalès a former officer, the abbot Maury whose spice words were the admiration of his adversaries. But the right also has its newspapers: « Les actes des apotres » where Rivarol is illustrated with acerbe plume, and L’ami du roi by Abbé Royou. In the center right, the monarchs, includes Mounier, Malouet, Clermont-Tonnerre and Lally-Tollendal, who are supporters of an English-style monarchy, but which were quickly swept away. They failed to impose bicameralism, either the two-chamber system as in Great Britain and here in Canada. In the center left are found the constitutional dominated by the strong personality of Gabriel-Honoré de Riquetti, Count of Mirabeau. By his side the mayor of Paris, Bailly, then Talleyrand, La Fayette, and the duke of La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. They refused the two chambers, fearing with an upper chamber the reconstitution of an aristocracy, and willingly mingled their voices with those of the left. To the left dominates a triumvirate formed by Alexander of Lameth a veteran of war of America, Duport, who was discussed last week, adviser to Parliament of Paris, and especially Barnave, extraordinary orator. At first hostile to the court, Barnave was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the king and queen whom he was commissioned to bring back to Paris after the failure of their escape. Therefore, he became one of the disinterested advisers of Louis XVI, taking over from Mirabeau. On the far left sit lawyers like Buzot, Pétion, and Robespierre. This tendency is attached to newspapers such as « L’Ami du peuple » of Marat, « Les revolutions de France et de Brabant » by Camille Desmoulins, or « Le patriote Français » de Brissot. However, the politic continues to be done in cafes and gardens but also streets. The Parisian space is invested with politics. With the Legislative Assembly, which sits for the first time on October 1, 1791, the presents forces consist, on the one hand, the right with more than 200 members anxious to strengthen royal power and strictly enforce the constitution. They’re the Feuillants, a group that separated from the Jacobins, who represent the center-right. On the other hand, the left, suspicious of Louis XVI, whose authority it intended to reduce, mostly belongs to the Jacobins club. On October 7, Louis XVI was acclaimed to the assembly. He chose moderates from the Feuillants club as ministers. Unfortunately, these ministers were only responsible to the king, no dialogue is possible. However, two problems quickly opposed Louis XVI to the Legislative Assembly. Emigration took an important turn after the arrest of the king in Varennes and the armed rallies of emigrants on the Rhine ended by worrying the deputies. The Legislative votes, on November 9, 1791, a decree inviting the emigrants to return within two months, under penalty of being considered « suspects of conspiracy » and punished by confiscation of their property and death. The king refuses to sanction the decree, using the veto power given to him by the constitution. The deputies then vote a decree against the refractory priests, on November 29, but this time again, the king refuses to give his consent. Louis XVI’s attitude is legal, but he gives the image of a protector of emigres and priests who were enemies of the Revolution and aggravated the mistrust of the Parisian sections. All this doesn’t bode well for the King, no, no, no. The wars – The French Revolution Volume VIII We stay in the decree against refractory priests and the attitude of Louis XVI which aroused more and more mistrust. Until now the Revolution has been confined to French space, we could even say that I made her especially Parisian law. But the hopes it arouses in the other side of the border gradually turn into mistrust and soon into fear. If Austria has family interests in the person of Marie-Antoinette, Joseph doesn’t intend to intervene in France, just like his successor Leopold who took the power on February 20, 1790. In addition, Leopold II of Austria, that’s his name, like Frederick William of Prussia fears the lusts of Catherine II of Russia, who they know as very interested by Poland, yes yes Poland. Rather than intervening in France, they prefer to keep their armies for a possible coup in Poland. Therefore, the front isn’t to the west of Prussia and Austria, but rather in the East, far from France. Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 8 of the French Revolution with war! Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com The winter of 1791-92 marked many disappearances of basic necessities such as sugar, bread or wheat. Riots and unrest continue in Paris – you have understood that it’s always like that, it doesn’t change much – But the economic situation isn’t bright, far from it and in addition, soon its talking from a threat of emigrants who could regroup in armies and come to slaughter the populations who are in the kingdom and even in Paris! We can’t avoid wonder: why a State which can’t stabilize the achievements of the Revolution and whose internal divisions risk to provocate in any time the debacle would it launch into a war, eh? When things go wrong, why would we go to war? – I have lots of examples from the United States, but I have so much that I can’t figure out which one I could choose to illustrate the propose – This war of the Revolution will gradually become a solution to divert the glances of the internal situation and also to be able to pay, eventually, with the conquests, but these conquests have not yet been made, far from it. France is then the most populous country, its army has 150,000 men against 35000 Austrians. However, the French army isn’t as well organized as his opponent, the 100.000 volunteers who were raised in June 1791 didn’t have the discipline and military experience necessary to carry out troops movements and blindly obey the officers while despising death at the time of the assault, well yes, because becoming a soldier doesn’t just mean taking a gun, it does mean forget everything and go there for the sake and the glory of the motherland, wow! In Paris, they wrap it all up a bit in the idea that France, with this war, will bring the benefits of the Revolution abroad, a little later, much later, a certain Napoleon Bonaparte will take this idea and push it to its limits. Not everyone agrees with war, Robespierre even warns that, and I quote: « no one likes armed missionaries », and he continues: « the first council that nature and prudence gives to invaded people is to repel the invader”. They don’t care, on March 25, 1792, the French ambassador in Vienna issues a demanding ultimatum: the dispersion of emigrants staying in the Rhineland. On April 20, 1792, the Assembly voted on the royal proposal to declare war to the king of Bohemia and Hungary, yes, the king, because Louis XVI endorsed this declaration of war in that he can appear to be a winner on both sides, it’s the reverse of: « Damn if you do, Damn if you don’t ». He’s a winner winner. If they win, Louis XVI will be the one who encouraged the war and if he loses, he’ll be delivered of his Parisian jail and will be able to recover his powers under the authority of a stranger sovereign sensitive to his cause. The homeland is in danger, it should be defended no matter the cost. A few days later, on April 26, a young engineer officer, Rouget de Lisle, sings in front of the mayor of Strasbourg a song he composed for the army of the Rhine: “Come children of the Fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against our tyranny, Do you hear in the countryside howling these ferocious soldiers? They’re coming to your arms, slaughter our sons and our companions! To arms, To arms citizens, Form your battalions, March, march! That impure blood Water our furrows! » Its says the music inspired by a Mozart concerto but it’s not from the army of the Rhine that martial song is popularized, but by volunteers from Marseille who will resume the song and help to gradually establish it as a hymn. It’ll take the name, you know it from « La Marseillaise ». The Marseillaise then serves to the family, individual and universal values ​​that the Revolution intends to extend with its conquests. They send the soldiers of France to fight for the values ​​of the Revolution, they think that the victories will be rapid and final, it’s not. It is rather the opposite will happen. The Austrians and soon 50,000 Prussians, led by the Duke of Brunswick advance. The military leaders that are Lafayette and Dumouriez can’t contain them, the French troops take fright, avoid combat, fall back, don’t listen orders and failure, of course, ensues. Very dark is the news reaching the Assembly. The Jacobins begin to say that failures are indebted to internal enemies who harm the Revolution and, muted, work against the Assembly. The king’s guard is considered counter-revolutionary, it’s immediately dismissed. Then, a decree provides for the creation of 200.000 national guards working in Paris. The King immediately refused. Now it’sup to the King to be accused of a counter-revolutionary. His successive vets, those used against emigres and refractory priests quickly returned to memory and its begins to qualify the King of “Mr. Veto”. In order to make the Sovereign understand that the will of the people must be respected, the Cordeliers organized a large demonstration on June 20, 1792 to force the King to sign the decree. Are nearly 10,000 men, armed with pikes, knives and sticks who penetrate at the Tuileries, where the King is with his family. They sing the «Ça ira», walking forward and shouting: « Long live the sans-culottes! » Long live the patriots! Down with the veto”. The crowd manages to corner the King in the doorway out of a window and holds he at bay. He’s criticized for the use of his veto. « But the constitution gives me the right », replied the king. They don’t listen to him anymore, they want him to approve and prove his attachment to the Revolution. So he said, « What do you want me to do? » A man speaks up and takes off his own hat, which is a phrygian cap. The phrygian cap is a symbol of oriental origin worn in Paris by a native of Phrygia and son of Priam, taken up in late Roman iconography, it’ll become a symbol of Parisian sans-culottes. Thus, the man who comes before the King asks him: « Then put that », handing him the hat. Louis XVI complies, very awkwardly. Wearing the red cap, he tries to keep a proud figure, which only increases his ridiculous and causes laughter from the crowd. Contented, the crowd leaves the Tuileries. We have succeeded in making the King our puppet, some believe. Alongside this attack, the military situation is deteriorating more and more. This situation is confused, inside but as outside the country, nothing doesn’t seem certain, everything is shifting, but on July 25, 1792 the threat becomes clearer. The Duke of Brunswick, commanding the Prussian forces in Koblenz, on the banks of the Rhine, is advancing more and more towards France, sends to the Legislative a manifesto in which he writes, and I quote that: « the city of Paris and all its inhabitants without distinction will be required to submit immediately and without delay to the king” and he add that: « if the castle of the Tuileries is forced or insulted, that if it’s made the least violence, the slightest insult to Their Majesties, the King, the Queen and the Royal Family, it’ll draw an exemplary and forever memorable revenge by delivering the city of Paris to a military execution and total subversion ». The threat is clear, it’s the least that we can say. We now know that this manifesto was written by emigres and wanted by Marie-Antoinette, that’s what they say. The text spreads like wildfire. Far from provoking fear is rather the anger and fury that he develops. Others, like its sees in an engraving of the time, prefer to use it to wipe with after relieving the intestines, in short, to make the manifesto a joyful toilet paper. The effect of the Brunswick manifesto provokes states of crisis in Paris, ignite the idea that a foreign army could dictate its views on domestic French policy. The insurrection unfolds and wins faithfuls. On August 6, a new petition is presented to Champs-de-Mars. Once again, they ask for the King’s downfall, but this time the general assent gives tacit consent to the maneuver. Then, on the night of August 9 to 10, 1792, faced with the imminent dangers for the Nation, the insurrectionary commune of Paris is declared, made up of 288 members, which takes charges the Parisian municipality. Something serious is going to happen. August 10, 1792 – The French Revolution Volume IX We stay when began the night of August 9 to 10, 1792. Faced with the imminent dangers for the Nation, its declares, remember, the insurrectionary commune of Paris, formed of 288 members, which takes in charge of the Parisian municipality. We find Marat, Robespierre and Hébert there, this latter is recognized to be a revolutionary undivided, passionate, not hesitating to resort to the ends of violence to impose his views. The Legislative immediately recognizes the new Parisian authority. An atmosphere of siege reigns over Paris, but it’s not foreign enemies from whom they intends to defend, but many of those insiders, those who want and can derail the Revolution. Jacobins and Cordeliers take refuge at the Town Hall, where they find 7,000 soldiers. The King, too takes defensive measures so as not to fall prey to the Parisians as he was last June. He strengthens his positions at the Tuileries from 2 to 3,000 men, mainly Swiss guards. Phew, all this promises to be a amazing epic! Come on, today in History will tell us, the French Revolution, of course, volume 9, with August 10! Yes Yes just August 10th. Overnight we’re now on August 10th, of course – I’ve said it 4 times before- the Monarchy has only a few more hours to live, the tocsin sounds, it’s the signal for the start of the insurrection. They want to prevent the King from reconquering his rights. From the right bank as from the left bank, the crowd descends to do justice. The insurgents regroup and now intend to go to the Tuileries to dislodge the King. They manage to enter the castle through a badly closed door, that’s what its said. They see to the Swiss and promise them that they’ll not to attack if they pass now to the side of the Nation. Basically: « Come with us and nothing will pass to you ». They are several to accept and, in pledge of their agreement, they launch cartridges to the insurgents who occupy the yard, but in fact, it’s only powder bullets and therefore, it’s not real bullets! And suddenly, a gunshot ends the negotiations. The Swiss respond, the insurgents take this as a betrayal. The captain of the Swiss then launched the assault on the yard, sabers slice and cartridges this time contain bullets, strike and snatch limbs and heads. The insurgents fall back on the Town Hall. They recover and the offensive against the Swiss is then victorious. Since 6 in the morning, they have been fighting. The Tuileries are reddened by the blood of the insurgents and Swiss, the air filled with cannon gives the impression that a thick fog has descended on the capital. It’s 11 in the morning, the Swiss are asking for a cease-fire. They do. Insurgents disarm the Swiss and ask to see the King, it’s still the primary function of their assault. The king has been in his apartments and since the night only heard bullets, screams and howls of pain. He knows this time it won’t be about just wearing a red hat. A young officer passing by, an artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte witnesses the massacre, he contemplates the Monarchy which fails and falls. A mind-blowing telescope of history! The balance of the clashes is high, nearly 1000 dead, men and women participated. After descended into the courtyard, the King now faces unarmed defenders and elated insurgents, he has only one place he could go to, the Legislative that still sits on the other side of the Tuileries Garden, at the Salle du Manège. It’s a short walk of a few meters that he has to do, a walk between magnificent groves designed by the great gardener who was André Le Nôtre, a walk in the blazing sun, through the central alley, refusing to hide under the bushy foliage of the trees, it’s poetic but it’s still the end. He passes the basin, leaves the garden and goes to the Assembly where the deputies are torn between the protection and the downfall of this man, because he’s no longer a Monarch, he’s a man who presents himself to them, a man, a husband, a father of family. But beyond all that, he’s above all a symbol that they want to attack and arrested and imprisoned in the Temple. His fate will be decided later, yes sir, yes madame. The King who left the Tuileries a few minutes earlier, in fact, has only allowed to take a break and prepare the Swiss for the grim fate that awaits them, because indeed, with the King dissapear, the insurgents intend to do battle with the defenders of the Tuileries, it’s what we will call, among other things, the massacre of the Swiss guards. The Swiss guards are massacred, a witness writes on this subject: “The Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries are covered with corpses and blood, and these naked corpses, because the people stripped them, is a horror spectacle that will strike me for a long time… I believe there is no street where has not seen at least a head walked at the end of a spike pole”. With the King in prison, they’re witnessing a power vacuum which is partly taken care of by the Legislative and the insurrectionary commune of Paris. This latter redistributes the 60 city districts in 48 sections all of which will become spaces for discussion and political organization. The authority of the Commune is then without division. She decides on arrests, the suppression of newspapers, and the dismissal of officers of the National Guard. Anti-religious hatred and faith-related persecutions are on the rise. A policy known as de-Christianization begin, including the ban on wearing religious costume apart from the services and the first measures of confiscation of religious objects. But it’s not over, they’rre also attacking the symbols of power. The statues of Henri IV at Pont-Neuf, of Louis XVI at Place Vendôme are overthrown. The symbols of the monarchy are scratched everywhere. They also take the opportunity to make a ideological purification of street names, well yes, there are many that start with “Saint” in Paris. There are even a lot, almost all of them, its could says. They removes those who talk too openly about royalty or religion. This cleaning begins in 1791 by the name of Voltaire given to the ex Quai des Théatins. They first honor the precursors of the Revolution. Then, from 1792, they ban the prefix « saint » that are signed on the inscriptions of the streets, the rue Saint-Denis becomes rue Denis, rue Saint-Anne is renamed rue Helvetius and Pont Notre-Dame becomes the Bridge of Reason – much like when the Americans renamed the « Freedom fries” to mean “fries”. Oui voilà. It’s a new world that’s being built, but what’s happening in France is also of interest to foreign powers. September slaughter – The French Revolution Volume X We stay with decristianization as well as the king who had taken refuge in the Legislative Assembly. This is inside the Kingdom. Outside, the military situation is still not looking good. The Duke of Brunswick manages to cross into Lorraine, he’s on French territory. But it’s the defeat of Verdun, September 2, 1792 which frightens the deputies. Verdun was the last stronghold before Paris, which means that the road of the capital is open to enemies of the Revolution. Unlike ordinary wars, in which opposes two Sovereigns for the conquest of territory and glory, the situation of 1792 is quite different. Parisians know that what awaits them will not be fun, they know that moderation and measure will not be there. It’ll not matter to spare the populations in order to manage the war between the powerful, because whoever had to lead France, in the eyes of the Prussians, is in prison. Thus, the road to Paris being open, they understand that they can’t expect any mercy of foreign invaders. However, the new Emperor Francis I of Austria, Marie-Antoinette’s cousin is suddenly taken with inertia, the army is no longer advancing, which drives the Queen mad with rage, she eagerly awaits deliverance. Come on, today in History will tell us, the Revolution that falters! In front of this sword of Damocles that hangs above the head of Paris, many are the revolutionaries to be called for the purge, including Marat who said: “Get up! Stand up! And let the blood of traitors begin to flow”. On August 11, municipalities are allowed to arrest suspects, and on August 17, its set up an extraordinary tribunal to judge the crimes of August 10 and the 26, therefore on 26 August 1792, its confirm the deportation of refractory priests, it accelerates more and more this case, yes yes. None of the decisions succeeds in calming the passions. When the news of the defeat of Verdun reached the ears of Parisians, it was the signal for the start of the massacres. The panic is growing in the capital. Defeat is explained by betrayal. Marat calls on the patriots to take justice into their own hands. Danton, takes up the thread and asserts that to defeat the enemies from the outside, and I quote: « it takes audacy, more daring and always daring and France will be saved!  » The prisons are then full of thousands of men and women, certainly the individuals hostile to the Revolution, like the refractory priests but also the criminals of « common law » and, as we said at the time, « women of bad life » and « alienated ». They go to prisons and improvise courts whose verdict is acquittal or death. The Paris Commune, through its supervisory committee, which Marat directs, encourages the murderers who, according to some, have even been paid. One scene is particularly cruel, that of the execution of the princess of Lamballe, close friend of Marie-Antoinette. Locked in La Force prison, she was expelled from her cell before being tried. Then, the crowd attacks and hit her, they tear her clothes, they tear off her hair, she falls, falls down in the street. According to the formula, they cut off his head and put it at the end of a spike pole. They rejoice with the decision and they intend to show the Austrian, i.e. the Queen, that her turn will come soon, therefore they go naturally to the prison where the royal family is locked up. Melancholy, Marie-Antoinette, gazes languidly out of the window of her cell and sees appearing the bloodless eyes and burst lifeless veins of his confidante. Hijacking the glance, she sags and falls into a sob accompanied by a dull cry. Granpré, prison inspector, protests against the treatment of victims, Danton, with the back of his hand, replies: “I don’t give a damn about prisoners, that they become in what they can!  » There are between 1.000 and 1.400 victims. The impact of these massacres, known as the September massacres, is huge. In the provinces, it arouse disapproval and horror towards Paris, but also help to terrorize opponents. The massacres cease on September 6, the outburst of punitive violence marks the Parisians, but several deputies consider that this was necessary. They’ll call it the massacres of September 1792, of course. On September 20, 1792, as if history proved the deputies right, they find out that Dumouriez has just won the first French victory against the Duke of Brunswick, in Valmy. The wind starts to change, but this victory is nothing compared to that, more marked, from Jemappes on November 2 of the same year. Beyond the symbolic effect, Valmy allows deputies to start working again in a climate less marked by the fear of being invaded from abroad. With the imprisonment of the King, they must overhaul the constitution, it’s then a question of dissolving the Legislative Assembly and to convene a new Assembly, which takes the name of Convention, whose first session opens on September 20, 1792, shortly after the victory of Valmy. This time, they don’t take care to prevent anyone from showing up, as it has done for the deputies who had sat during the Constituent Assembly and who didn’t could be part of the Legislative, as Robespierre wanted, it was his wish that had been applied. Another fundamental novelty, the voting system, suffrage is universal, the right of voting is no longer the monopoly of active citizens. However, only 700.000 French will take advantage of their right to vote in the summer of 1792 to elect the deputies of the Convention. Three camps are emerging, the Girondins, some of whose members are from the region of Bordeaux, hence Girondins, Gironde, etc, led by Brissot, Vergniaud, Pétion, and Roland, les Montagnards more to the left with Robespierre, Marat, Danton and Saint-Just, and le Marais or la Plaine, who are the moderates with Sieyès, Boissy d’Anglas, and Cambacérès. The convention must write a new constitution, the tone is set when September 21, 1792 the abolition of royalty is formalized and the next day the Republic is proclaimed. From now on, all documents are dated Year I of the Republic. One month late, on November 20, overwhelming evidence is discovered against the King who had built an iron cabinet hidden in a wall in the Château des Tuileries. There is a whole series of letters that incriminate the Sovereign, but that also involved certain key figures of the Revolution, such as Mirabeau, whose double game now is discovered. The Mirabeau’s remains that had been brought to the Pantheon in order to paying homage will be withdrawn, it now falls into the category of traitors. Lafayette is also implicated, but he had already begun to feel the suffered and had decided to go to the enemy in August 1792. The corruption to which devoted to the King since 1789 is brought to light, he rises symbolically the second step of the scaffold. Le Montagnard Saint-Just, a close friend of Robespierre, then spoke at the Convention: “A King must reign or die”. Heavy applause ensued. Saint-Just is the first to say openly what many people think, but dare not consider. Robespierre asks that Louis XVI not be tried. He said, « He has already been judged and condemned by August 10”. The Convention doesn’t follow him and decides that “Louis Capet » will be translated at the helm of the convention, emanation of the nation and the only one capable of judge. Louis’ trial begins. The Death of Louis XVI – The French Revolution Volume XI We had stayed when they agreed to judge Luis. On December 11, 1792, then opens the trial of Louis Capet, so that he responds of his acts in front the Nation, the Republic and the French people. Louis agrees to be judged and intends to defend himself. Come on, no time to waste, let’s start. Today in History will tell us, the trial of Louis Capet. Louis faces 11 charges including trying to prevent the reunification of the States-General, and thereby to have infringed upon liberty and to have ordered the storage of beans, sugar and coffee, to have made an agreement with Leopold II and the King of Prussia to restore the French monarchy, and to have put his veto against refractory priests, so many accusations! Yeah, yeah. At each of the accusations, Louis rebels and intends to weigh his arguments, he knows that the dice are cast and that he can do nothing to move away from his fatal fate, but it doesn’t say he’ll let it pass. He’s judged by the Convention, so he has little sympathy to expect from his judges and his accusers, because both are merge. On January 15, the Convention declares Louis Capet guilty of conspiring against public liberty by 691 « yes » and any « no ». The roll call on the sentence begins the next day at 8 pm, in an tense atmosphere and under the pressure of the stands. Four questions are asked. The first: is Louis Capet guilty of conspiring against public freedom and attacks against the general security of the State, yes or no? Only answer yes, 673. The second question: Will the judgment of the National Convention against Louis Capet be subject to the people’s ratification, yes or no? The no wins with 423 votes. The third, the most important, and remember that the majority is 361, the third question is: What penalty will be inflicted on Louis? Voted unconditional death: 361. When we say that every vote counts. However, the fourth question can still postpone Louis’ death. Question: Will there be a stay of execution of the judgment of Louis Capet, yes or no? 380 votes weigh so much and condemn Louis to the guillotine. A tenacious legend surrounds the design of the guillotine that its designer, Joseph Ignace Guillotin would have asked the King’s advice for the realization of his famous guillotine, nothing is further from the truth. It’s also wrong to think that Louis XVI was the first to be beheaded by the guillotine, because on April 25, 1792, on the Place du Carrousel in Paris, the great record thief Nicolas Jacques Pelletier, is the first condemned to death, and who is guillotine. But, it’s true to say that the revolutionaries considered the object as a form of advancement for humanity. At the time, public executions could be particularly cruel and unpleasant. If an executioner could not break the limbs or the neck with a sword blow, he could be sued for inflicting unforeseen suffering in the execution sentence. So, there is an infinite number of ways to execute, since the wheel passing through the fire, to arrive at the decapitation that is declined according to the social category to which the executed belong. I can’t recommend Pascal Bastien’s book enough to know more on the subject. The guillotine appears then as a form of equality in death for all citizens. Its designer, Mr. Guillotin, also affirms that the condemned only feels a slight breath pass on his neck. Nevertheless, no comments could be collected from users, they having literally lost his head. Finally, it’s true to say that the executioner who officiates that day has a long family history in the profession, because the Sanson family is a famous family of Normans executioners who worked in Paris from 1688 to 1847. When the Revolution broke out, Charles Henri Sanson, who was then 50 years old, followed the movement without participating in it but acquired the title of citizen in 1789. It’s with his hand that all those who will be guillotined in Paris will die. On January 21, 1793 is a cold day in Paris. It’s those winters when the sun is veiled by a gray sky which makes the atmosphere gloomy, black and icy, the winter of 1793 is one of those. Louis in the morning is locked in his cell at the Temple, he prays for the salvation of his soul and prepares to meet his creator. When the officers come to pick him up, he’s resigned, but his body still refuses to follow the depression of his mind, he rears up and refuses to move forward. With a strong shoulder they give Louis the impetus necessary to set it in motion. They arrive at Place de la Révolution, now Place de la Concorde. On one side, Louis sees the Tuileries garden, and on the other, the Champs Élysées. He suddenly hears a dull noise and receives in his ears a wall of sounds formed by screams, howls and insults that comes to grab him, accusing him of the coup. Louis, in the wagon that brings him pulls his chest back and lowers his eyes, he sees the crowd, here, there, everywhere. He sees only a shapeless mass of mouths, fists and eyes. The invectives no longer affect him, he has regained consciousness of his environment and gets off the dumper. He now shows up in his shirt, looks up and sees the great widow, the one which will release him a little from all this pressure that is building up in his head. He makes a step but feels behind his back that his hands are tied. He climbs the steps towards the scaffold, but when arrives on the platform where the guillotine wait for him, he rebels, he decides to speak to the crowd, is no longer a question of letting them interpreted his silences, he said: « I die, innocent of all the crimes of which I’m accused, forgive those who are guilty of my death and I pray to god that the blood that you’ll spread not fall on France ”. They roll the drums to bury his voice and, with another push, they put him back in the saddle so that his eyes are riveted on the guillotine, his voice breaks and his words get lost. He’s tied to a wooden plank, he feels splinters penetrating his skin. Then, the ropes come to his torso and his legs, to fix him definitively at his last point of contact on this earth. They push the board with Louis on it, in front of another board flanked by a circular opening where the Louis’s neck. It’s 10:24 a.m. In a few seconds, descend a similar plank up his neck and Sanson pulls on the lever that drops a blade that cuts off Louis’ head and puts it a few centimeters lower, in a wicker basket. Sanson grabs his head by the hair and showing it to people. « Long live the Nation, long live the Republic », its hears, then they take up the chorus «Ça ira» by marking well the places where its talk about putting the aristocrats in the lantern. The Revolution is writing a new chapter, yes. 1793: The Betrayals – The French Revolution Volume XII We had stayed when the king had lost his head. It’s not over, well no. Let’s see! The King is executed, Marie-Antoinette far in the Temple prison, hears the cries of joy of the people of Paris. She kneels in front of her son and immediately recognizes him as Louis XVII, the new King of France. “The King is dead. Long live the King”, they say at the time to signal that there is no vacancy on the throne and that they recognize the successor upon the death of the Sovereign. Louis XVI entered the grand seraglio of martyrs on January 21, 1793 since the execution of the King becomes a rallying sign in France for the counter-revolutionaries and an additional proof of French barbarism for foreign powers, an argument more to continue and intensify the war. Let’s go, today in History will tell us, volume 12 of the French Revolution with plots, murders, trials and betrayals! Spain and Portugal join the anti-French coalition in January 1793 and, on February 1, France declared war on Great Britain and the United Provinces. Lafayette gone, only General Dumouriez remains, architect of the victories of Valmy and Jemmapes, but on April 5, 1793, he too went to the enemy. Those betrayals strikes the Revolution in the heart, but it will give way to others warlords, including a certain commander who will soon be general named Napoleon Bonaparte, again he, who distinguished himself at the end of this year 1793 at the siege of Toulon. On February 24, 1793, 300,000 men capable of fighting are forcibly recruited, in fact is about a requisition and it’s the poorest classes who are brought to defend the values ​​of the Republic. Yet only 97.000 men are enlisted and of this figure only 37.000 are ready to go. However, it was in Paris that the Revolution will know a turning point. The first months of the year saw a marked opposition to the Convention between, on the one hand, the Montagnards with Robespierre and Danton, and the Girondins with Brissot, Roland, de la Platière, of course, and Buzot. The Girondins are then linked to General Dumouriez and benefit from his victories while it lasted to put forward their ideas, but when Dumouriez passes to the enemy, immediately discredit his relatives, including the Girondins. The context don’t help them because they look everywhere for traitors who would risk putting the Republic in peril. Robespierre, in his writings, but even more in his speeches is particularly obsessed by conspiracies. Even within France, counterrevolutionar bastion are beginning to be seen, the most famous and the most powerful is, undoubtedly, the region of Vendée that then includes part of Anjou, Poitou and Brittany. They refuse conscription and they have always opposed to the civil constitution of the clergy. The danger is at the heart of France, military leaders improvise, take up arms and intend to bring a Revolution that goes too far. Nantes, a city seized by the counter-revolutionaries, is a vital artery for France by its importance as a port of access to the Atlantic, so they can’t afford to leave a city of such importance to the inner enemies, what is soon called the enemies of the Revolution! Arrived in Paris, the news of the Vendée is added to that of the Anti-French Coalition which is taking shape and brings together all the powers of Europe and, of course, the treacherous Albion, England. Yet there is also an even more dangerous peril, the lack of food in Paris. We knows that Paris is the heart of France. Not having enough food or even seeing prices soar are the two dangers facing moderates, those who want to work in peace to propose reforms that aim for consensus. None of these conditions is present in this month of February 1793. Riots break up. A new group emerges, the Enrrages, headed by Jacques-René Hébert. We are witnessing the radicalization of political groups. They target those they calls hungrys and enemies of the Revolution, a formula that will become usual to qualify those who aren’t on the same political side as ours. However, there is no question of seeing the young Republic crashing and the deputies work tirelessly to deliver to the French people the fruit of their efforts since the establishment of the Convention. They agree that they should not give in to the enemies of the Revolution, therefore, on March 1793, is located an extraordinary criminal tribunal which will take the name of revolutionary tribunal whose function will be to judge and condemn, and I quote its functions, all counterrevolutionaries companies, the attacks on freedom, equality and the unity of the Republic. Vast program, it could be said. Who will assume the function of prosecutor is Antoine Fouquier-Tinville who is in charge of organizing trials and evidence against the accused. His verve and his oratory will be unparalleled in this court, he handles the verb like others wield the sword, cutting and knowing how to strike at the heart. A few days later, surveillance committees were created in each town in order to control strangers and suspects. The most important committee will be invested of wide powers, the Committee of Public Safety which, in fact, replaces the ministers in law enforcement. They want, as Danton will say, to give an antidote to revenge people. Everything is good to find, judge and slaughter to the enemies, those who will not agree, must also be eliminated. The new deal then confronts the two major groups of the Convention, the Montagnards and the Girondins. The guillotine can destroy enemies, but even more to send a message to potential conspirators lurking in the shadows. Robespierre is more and more convinced of this, they must be brought to light. Marat also sees plots everywhere but goes further, he develops a theory of necessary violence. He says: « it’s in the fires of subversion that where the freedom born ». He’ll even ask for a hundred thousand heads. In no way does he aspire to end the Revolution. The Girondins manage to pass a decree of indictment against Marat, he’ll have face the court, so Marat! Mis Marat is a weakened man, plagued by skin illness that forces him to spend long hours in a bath, where he often enjoys writing articles for his newspaper L’Ami du peuple. Nevertheless, Marat is also a remarkable orator who knows how to parry the blows of his opponents. Thus, when he was arrested on April 23, 1793, he trusted his art. The next day, he was acquitted and carried in triumph. The Girondins are then in the sight of Montagnards, they no longer hesitate to qualify them as enemies of the Revolution. Untenable, the Montagnards-Girondins opposition would end in the annihilation of one of the two groups, because tension and anger had been fueled. The Montagnards knew how to channel the claims of the Sans-Culottes and point to the Girondins. With the betrayal of Dumouriez, supported by the Girondins, but also after the failed episode in the Marat trial, the Brissots, Vergniaud, Pétion, and Roland knew that darks hours awaited them. Dumouriez, passed to the enemy, then warns to the Convention that he intends to march on Paris, and I quote him: « to purge France of assassins and agitators ». The military situation deteriorates rapidly, all victories are quickly erased by crushing defeats, the Prussians resume their march and advance towards France. People are scolding, the sans-culottes intend to assert their claims, by force if necessary. The Convention sits in an electric atmosphere, they’re attack a dozen key cases head-on which all risk ruining the achievements of the Revolution. To relieve people and give themselves a little respite, the Convention votes what it describes as « Maximum » that is, in fact, the establishment of a maximum price for the first need products. They want to solve the problem of a huge price change. This is too few. Robespierre gets up and points his finger at the Girondins who are totally overwhelmed by the events. We are in June 1793. The Enrrages and the Sans-Culottes position their camps in front of the shops, they want bread, they’ll have. On June 1 and 2, 29 deputies from the Girondins were arrested, it was the end. The Montagnards and their charismatic leaders can finally take power and exercise it without sharing. On June 24, 1793, the new Bill of Rights was submitted for ratification by the French, 2 million approve it and around 10.000 say no. Three men aspire to lead France, Robespierre, Danton, and Marat, all Montagnards. But it would be wrong to believe that the group is homogeneous and works towards a common goal, rather, it’s fraught with tensions that, at any moment, run the risk of creating more « impasses ». Marat isn’t as present as his two acolytes, his health problems prevent him to have a sustained presence in the public space. However, his texts of L’Ami du peuple newspaper, are read, re-read and commented on everywhere, in Paris and in provinces. It’s also in the provinces, in Caen that a certain Charlotte Corday, was able to read these lines published by Marat and he says: « A year ago five or six hundred heads dejected would have made we free and happy. Today, they would have to sacrifice ten thousand. In a few months perhaps they’ll shoot a hundred thousand, and they’ll do wonderfully ». Charlotte Corday, 25, a descendant of one of the greatest tragic actors, Pierre Corneille, has shivers down her spine. Marat, according to her, is perverting the Revolution, he’s the enemy to be defeated, he goes too far. Thus, out of respect for the principles that made the Revolution, she decides to sacrifice herself. She leaves Caen and arrives in Paris in July 1793. She goes to Marat’s home. She claims to reveal to him the names of the Girondins in exile who are hiding in Caen. At the time when Marat is in his bath about to write, Charlotte Corday, on July 13, 1793, plunges the long kitchen knife she had bought into the heart of Marat. Marat died immediately. They find out about his murder, and the man leaves in triumph, his work is lauded. They bring his remains to the Pantheon a few months later while Charlotte Corday is tried and sentenced to death on July 17, and to explain his gesture she says: « I killed a man to save a hundred thousand ». However, in the summer of 1793, it was the war that was to become the main topic of discussion, but even more the catalyst for a set of decisions that, in the long term, will put in abeyance the constitution, the declaration of the rights of man and the ideal of Revolution itself. The offensive of the Anti-French Coalition is increasingly threatening, Savoy is invaded, the stronghold of Mainz is abandoned and Valenciennes falls also on July 27. In addition, the wars taking place in the Vendée see significant victories for the counter-revolutionaries in May and June. That’s not all, now its adds revolts in Normandy, in the region of Bordeaux and Lyon, the eviction of Girondins left many dissatisfied and these revolts are fruit of their marginalization. Then begins what some call the « Terror », the guillotine is now called the « national knife ». The Terror – The French Revolution Volume XIII In September 1793, the French Revolution fell into horror, France was threatened from outside by war against the greatest European powers and internally by the insurrection of several departments, the deputies of the Convention decide to take exceptional measures. Come on, no time to waste, today, for volume 13 of the French Revolution, we start with what we have called « Terror »! After having suspended the Constitution until peace, entrusted the reality of power to the Public Safety Committee, dominated by the harshest elements of the Revolution, the terror is placed at the center of concerns: « Heads fell like slates », will say Fouquier-Tinville, the prosecutor. The omnipotence of the Public Safety Committee is increasingly asserted. His eleven members become essentials, especially with Robespierre, Couthon, Collot d’Herbois, and Saint-Just. The revolutionary government is committed to establishing a new order. Robespierre, he always, writes: « The revolutionary government owes to good citizens all national protection; he owes only death to the enemies of the people ”. The tone is set. Judgments and trials against counter-revolutionaries aren’t new, but it’ll intensify. However, the idea that « terror has been put on the agenda » is wrong. In fact, this is a mistake. Let’s give the facts. We’re at the Convention, on September 5, 1793, is Bertrand Barère, deputy of the Convention and member of the Public Safety Committee , who says to the sans-culottes: « You, the sans-culottes, demand that we put terror on the agenda, therefore, we decide that you’ll have the creation of a revolutionary army”. The sans-culottes left the Convention without understanding, believing that the terror had been proclaimed, it’ll be said for more than a month in Paris. However, from an institutional point of view, no law says so. Moreover, several deputies continue to assert that Terror is the weapon of tyrants and kings. Indeed, the thing isn’t new. Tamerlan intended to provoke the terror by piling up pyramids of skulls to subdue the cities in which he was going to arrive, showing them what might happen if they resisted. César Borgia for his part, in the 15th century, sent one of his lieutenants to terrorize a region and then executed him at his command to show people that he was the master of Terror, that he could unleash and stop it according to his goodwill. More recent still, the devastation of the Palatinate in 1674 then in 1689 by the French armies of Louis XIV are all examples where the Terror served political aims using violence to make exemplary cases while sending messages to potential enemies that resistance is useless. Before the guillotine, we’re witnessing a large enterprise aimed at regenerating France giving it new foundations. Therefore, it’s advisable to destroy the old superstitions, the Catholic religion and its creatures, but also all its manifestations in the public space. A violent campaign of dechristianization had been launched. They pursue it and intensify it. On September 25, 1793 all priests and nuns must obligatorily meet marry or adopt a child or even, and I quote: « to maintain and feed at his table a needy old man”. In addition, all public religious signs must be destroyed. From now on, at the entrance to cemeteries, it should read: « death is eternal sleep », to assert that all life after death is a superstition of the Old Regime. The most surprising change, but also possibly the most confusing one is the imposition of a new revolutionary calendar in October 1793, work of Fabre d’Églantine. They wanna get rid of the old schedule also associated with the saints and religious feasts. The year is then divided into twelve months of thirty days with bucolic names: Floréal, or climatic: Pluviôse, Ventôse, Brumaire. The week is replaced by the decade and Sunday by Decadi. The year is completed by five additional days known as « sans-culottides ». From now on it’ll speak, for example, of the 1st Frimaire year II, formerly November 21, 1793. However, on closer inspection, we realize that there is much less holidays, since Sunday or Decadi isn’t every 7, but every 10 days, a measure aiming to make workers, who already have to do exhausting work, work even harder. The names of saints are also proscribed: Saint-Denis becomes Franciade, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was transformed, on November 10, 1793, into the Temple of Reason. Almost all streets of Paris have religious references, such as rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. They launched a major campaign to rename the streets of Capital, we saw the birth of the Place des Piques (Place Vendôme), Place de la Fraternité (Place du Carroussel), and rue Révolutionnaire (rue Princesse). In provinces, the holy Ampoule of the coronation in Reims is destroyed. A real cultural revolution is brewing. They make a clean sweep of the past, and more particularly of all visible signs of the monarchy. Certainly, there was already started several months ago, but here they’re going much further, the process is radicalized. The statue of Louis XIV on the Place des Victoires is demolished and for that of Henri IV on the Pont-Neuf is planned to be replaced by an immense effigy of Hercules. In October 1793, a law established equality of sons and daughters in inheritance, it becomes impossible to favor one child over another in a will. Its had already allowed, by decree of August 30, 1792 that « marriage is dissolvable by the divorce ». This allows individuals to be masters of their own destiny. The children who will be born may be called Brutus or Rousseau, they not only want to sing the glory of the Revolution, but also that it can be seen and heard in everyday words. This is also why politeness, or rather, the « know-how » brands will be completely reconsidered. The typically French politeness that embodies the foundations of royalty and absolutism aims to distinguish itself as much as possible by removing individuals of bodily instincts. Civility is opposed to the Revolution so it’s a sign of distinction. In Paris, the revolutionary newspaper Le Mercure National publishes an appeal « for a change of manners and customs, the establishment of a revolutionary politeness”. All citizens are invited to use only familiarity. Since no one is anyone else’s master, they replace « Monsieur » and « Madame » by « citizens”. But the practice is difficult to impose, it becomes a sign of political membership. The radicalization of the Revolution will confront this tendency. Finally, in November 1793, a decree prohibited the act of assimilating to a counterrevolutionary demonstration, liable to the scaffold. However, there is no law passed by that side. The use of familiarity is unofficially compulsory. On December 15, 1793, a waiter from Le Procope, on the left bank, after a long working day he forgets, he sees two citizens. They get carried away and bring the poor man before the Public Safety Committee so he is immediately incarcerated. Moreover, they should no longer call « Monsieur », the word Monsieur, because « sieur » is a drift of Monsignor, symbol of the Old Regime, rather they shoud be called « citizen » because all individuals are equal, without distinction. What was called the “Terror” affects all aspects of Parisian society. The Stock Exchange was closed in August 1793 to avoid speculation and avoid a strength loan. At the same time, the constitution of a public debt ledger is decreed to reassure the State’s creditors. A law establishes the death penalty for hoarders and traders who don’t declare their stocks: mainly wheat, bread and beef. The effect of this measure was mediocre, the Convention must face up to popular emotions. Revolutionaries invent the « metric system » in favor of the creation of a stable system of weights and measures, uniform, simple for all citizens of the kingdom of France. In August 1793, new units, the meter and the gram are standardized throughout the Kingdom. Uniformity and standardization must serve to productivity and better understanding. They want to offer new social markers and new institutions. However, despite all this new structure that they’re building in a very short time perhaps, some will say, a decision will mark the new regime that is established. We’re on September 17, 1793. A law intends to put an end to the plotters, the people without confession and to those counter-revolutionaries who poison the future that the French try to give themselves by voting for the common good, at least that’s what they say. The law of the suspects is sanctioned by the Convention and will allow to give a job without respite to the executioner Sanson, the purification will begin with about twenty severed heads per day. « All those who will not be able to bring tangible proof of their commitment to the Revolution, will automatically be liable of arrest”, indicates Saint-Just. One thing, however, is more pernicious because its target to nobles, the emigres and, in a very vague way, leaving room for speculation and difficulty of interpretation: « Those who, either by their conduct, or by their relations, or by their words, or their writings, have shown themselves to be supporters of tyranny or federalism, and enemies of freedom”. In Paris, the revolutionary tribunal will proceed to the judgments. Here, let’s say the numbers have often been exaggerated. Berriat-Saint-Prix, a 19th century jurist, speaks of 14.000 condemned, while in 1935, the American historian Donald Greer speaks of 16.000 individuals tried and executed. In 1987, the economist René Sédillot by him of 35.000 victims of Terror. As Jean-Clément Martin points out, in his recent “La terreur, Vérités et légendes”, “the Sédillot’s book doesn’t generate any critic . publication » so it’s telling you how it was received. American historian Julia Douthwaite speaks for her side of 377 convicts between November 1, 1793 to March 31, 1794 and 2,229 from April 1 to July 31 of the same year. For Robespierre, there is no question of blindly hitting all those who put themselves in the path of the armies and deputies of the Revolution. To terror he attaches an idea that marks the framework in which the Public Safety Committee and the revolutionary tribunal must work: « The virtue without which terror is fatal. Terror, without which virtue is powerless” he’ll say. In October 1793, they plan to attack the last « monument » of the old Monarchy: Marie-Anoinette. Since the death of her husband, the former Queen has been transferred to the Conciergerie prison, not far from the Seine, but without enjoying the benefits that its banks bring to Sunday walkers. Her cell is narrow, poorly lit, damp and uncomfortable. With the law of suspects, they want to act quickly. The prosecutor Fouquier-Tinville, whose work table fills up to no not knowing too much how to handle all this paperwork, don’t intend to leave spin off the culprits. For Marie-Antoinette, Jacques-René Hébert constitutes the dossier. He’s the leader of what are called the « Enrrages », who constantly want to accelerate and to push the Revolution further. Hébert provides evidence that the Austrian would have been guilty of incest towards her son, little Louis-Charles of France (Louis XVII) legitimate heir to the throne. Impassive, but her gaze transfixed by the coarseness of the accusation, Marie-Antoinette says nothing. A juror took the opportunity to mark the accusing silence of the Queen. She rebels and stands up, violently, throwing her chair on which she was hardly leaning. Her eyes moist, her voice hoarse, but her hand outstretched to the audience, she implores: « If I didn’t answer it’s because nature itself refuses to answer such an accusation made to a mother. I appeal to all who can be found here! ». They want to make one example, another. She’s accused of being an accomplice in the betrayal of Louis Capet, the great widow is waiting for it. His sentence was pronounced on October 16, 1793 at 4 am, she is taken to the scaffold a few hours later. The woman that the crowd sees looks like an old woman, her hair is bleached, her features are drawn, her shoulders slumped, yet she’s only 38 years old. The young Louis XVII, who had been taken from his mother in July 1793, is under the care of his jailer. For some, he died in 1795 at the age of 10, for others he was simply lost track, so there is a lot of speculation. Paris isn’t the only theater of the executions of the enemies of the Revolution. In Lyon, forces loyal to the monarchy rose up. In October, a violent repression ensues by the Republican troops, its proceeds to 1667 executions. The Convention decides the destruction of the city: « All that was inhabited by the rich will be demolished. Only the poor man’s house will remain, the buildings specially used to industry and monuments dedicated to humanity and public education ». The measure will remain a dead letter, but they take the opportunity to change the name of the city to « Commune-Affranchie ». Another black episode, in November 1793, the prisons of Nantes are overcrowded, food is scarce. They want to eliminate 10.000 prisoners, they say. Shootings and executions are no longer enough. They then propose « national baths » to drown the opponents in a « revolutionary torrent ». The prisoners tied up are crammed into boats that are taken to the middle of the Loire. Breaches are made so that they sink quickly in the icy waters. It’s estimated that over 3.500 victims will suffer this fate. In Toulon, Bonaparte in December succeeded in ravishing the city which had been taken by the coalition led by Great Britain and Spain. « The infamous name of Toulon is deleted. This town will henceforth bear the name of Port-la-Montagne”, they decreed at the Convention a few days later. The successes in France against the insurgents, and more particularly against the Vendée at the end of 1793 gradually brought the deputies turn to look at each other for traitors and enemies of the Revolution. Paris returns to center stage. Of course, they continue to fight outside, several victories will also strengthen France’s positions at the borders. The subsistence problems that Paris has known since the beginning of 1789 are still far from being reabsorbed, worse, it’s worsened still further. The famine seems, at first, to serve the ambitions of the « Enrrages », the radical sans-culottes, who want to carry out new purges. Beside the radicals of the Public Safety Committee or of the Enrrages of Hébert, they see the building up of a force that seeks to calm the spirits and try, once again, to put an end to the Revolution while retaining what its achievements. It is Camille Desmoulins who best embodies this figure of the Indulgents. He publishes the first issue of Vieux Cordelier on December 5, 1793 by attacking to « advanced » revolutionaries. Desmoulins wrote: « They want to exterminate all their enemies with the guillotine! But, could there ever have been a greater madness? Can you kill a single one on the scaffold without earning ten enemies from their family or friends? » He wants this to end. It’s a literary success, but also a political success since the ideas of Indulgent spread like wildfire. Not all are of this opinion, radicals in the first place, and specifically those who sit on the Public Safety Committee: Saint-Just, Robespierre and Couthon. What’s going to happen? Thermidor – The French Revolution Volume XIV We stay with what we called « Terror ». The year 1794 will be that of « political trials », it’s above all a power struggle to determine who will take the ascendancy in this whirlwind called the Terror which is mixed with the threat of external wars, although these seem less dangerous. Today in History will tell us, volume 14 of the French Revolution. The rigors of winter and the difficulties of supply allow the Enrrages to launch a call for insurrection on March 4, 1794. Now, Saint-Just had taken the ahead: having understood the danger, the Public Safety Committee takes social measures. The property of the suspects is then confiscated and distributed to the indigent whose list is drawn up in the communes. This measure is enough to paralyze insurgency projects elaborated by the Enrage. Hébert, for his part, continues to pour out his anger three times a week in his newspaper Le père Duchesne, he attacks everyone. Danton and Robespierre agree to put an end to Hébert, he was guillotined on March 24, 1794. The Indulgents rejoice. For Robespierre, I quote: « Terror is nothing other than prompt justice, severe, inflexible. It’s less a particular principle than a consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing needs of the fatherland ”. Robespierre is then rid of the most uncontrollable elements of his left wing, he can reign over the deputies of the Mountain. So, remains an opponent in front of him: Georges Danton. Danton’s reputation is well known. He loves money, women and the good meat. He doesn’t hesitate to turn casaque for a well filled purse. The man is know to be corrupt, this isn’t a special case because many are corrupt, but not Robespierre, he’s nicknamed « the incorruptible ». However, it’s not Danton’s venality that makes Robespierre insist, but his influence on what are called « factions » of the Indulgents. A faction crisis opposes the Enraged to the Indulgents. The debates between the two extend beyond the Convention. They divides while they should unite. With the Enraged overthrown, it’s convenient to attack the second force present: the Indulgents, including one Georges Danton who became the leader in late 1793. The nation must be reunified, says Robespierre, and Danton is an obstacle to this union. Everything is in place to see the battle. Two men, two styles, two personalities. Everything opposes them. One, Danton, plump, talkative, stabbing verb, domineering gaze. The other, Robespierre, slender, cold, eloquence coated, sometimes pompous, but always effective. Certainly they agreed to bring down Hébert, but nothing unites them anymore. Robespierre fell ill in mid-February, he remains cloistered in his small room where Saint-Just brings him the news and listens to the words of the Revolution’s strong man. Danton isn’t suspicious: “They’ll not dare! » he says. Especially because he’s close to Camille Desmoulins, who is a childhood friend of Robespierre. The son of Desmoulins’s godfather is Robespierre. It’s a small world that has been known for a long time. Therefore, he doesn’t see how Robespierre would dare. However, it was Danton who had said a few months earlier « we need audacy, more daring and always daring and France is saved! ». Robespierre, who intends to put principles before men know it and he will dare. Fouquier-Tinville, always him, instructs a lawsuit against Danton and Desmoulins. It’s quickly understands that everything is arranged, they already know the trial, but Danton doesn’t care, he doesn’t believe in the maneuver. Marat had managed to get out of the woods, he also thinks he can do it, but what he forgets is that the context has changed, Robespierre knows which string to pull to bring down his enemies. The eloquence of Saint-Just, the perpetual threat of plots, the enemies of the Revolution and the armies from abroad which threaten the integrity of the Republic are all the ingredients Robespierre needs, he simply must measure them and use his arguments correctly, which he does wonderfully. Danton is accused of fraudulent operations and to be corrupted. Danton’s lines are memorable: “Me sold! Me! A man of my caliber is priceless! », but doesn’t help to his defense. Little by little, he was understanding it, just like Desmoulins who, in his cell, wrote on April 4, 1794, to his wife: “I had dreamed of a republic that everyone would adore. I couldn’t believe that men were so fierce and unfair”. The next day, April 5, Desmoulins and Danton were brought at Place de la Révolution. Robespierre sends his friend to the Guillotine, he has his bedroom shutters closed, he doesn’t want to see or hear nothing. However, the convoy that takes the Indulgents to the place, passes by Robespierre’s windows, Danton recognizes the place, who standing in the cart that leads him, shout out: « Robespierre, you follow me! Your house will be shaved! We’ll sow salt! ». A shiver runs through Robespierre’s spine, snuggled up in his bed which coughs more and more. Desmoulins is the first to climb the steps of the scaffold. They place him, they hold his body and engages his head between the wooden plates. The ax falls, he barely has time to howl in a full voice, in his last breath the name of his wife: « Lucile », who will be guillotined 8 days later. Camille Desmoulins was 34 years old, Danton also aged 34 climbs after him on the scaffold. It’s a whole young generation that passes. Men and women who have been at heart of events are in the prime of their lives. Robespierre can reign supreme. In Europe soon speak of the France of Robespierre. Saint-Just had affirmed that « happiness is a new idea in Europe », it’s appropriate now to put it into practice. Robespierre had always considered desacralization and attacks on the cult as unworthy, even going so far as to assert that there is a certain relationship between religious and republican principles. However, it wasn’t about putting Catholic worship back at the center, but rather offering an alternative so that the French can regain some faith in a higher been. He wanted a cult without dogma and without clergy. On May 7, Floréal 18, Robespierre presents to the Convention a report on the principles of political morality that should guide the assembly. He defends virtue and supports the existence of a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul. Subjugated, the Convention approved a decree: « The French people recognize the existence of the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul ”. On June 7, Robespierre was unanimously elected president of the Convention. The party of the Supreme Being, June 8, 1794, Prairial 20, is the pinnacle of the new principles developed. The staging is the work of one of the most prominent artists who will transform painting: Jacques-Louis David. A pyramid represents a monster, Atheism surrounded by Ambition, Selfishness and false Simplicity. Robespierre sets fire to this ensemble which once burned unmasks a statue of Wisdom which, by the effect of flames and ashes, appears rather blackish than golden, as was expected. However, the population remains a bit shocked while many deputies laugh at them. The word « tyrant » is hear here and there directed against Robespierre. Communion between the people and the new strong man didn’t happen. Even within the ranks of Robespierre, it’s scarier to wonder which way to go next. They know the man, they know he’s obsessed with conspiracies and by a certain desire to constantly purify France of undesirable elements. Who knows if the very relatives of Robespierre will not end up on the wrong side of the barrier, didn’t the man send one of his close friends to the guillotine? Desmoulins. The march is all set for the men who fear Robespierre, there are many of them. The plan of action is to make the guillotine frantic, repeating everywhere without cease and confidentially, that Robespierre demands that it be so. On June 29, fifty-four culprits were executed the same day. However, Robespierre doesn’t condemn all that. Robespierre is an austere and chaste man, they don’t know him in any romantic or sexual relationship, his incorruptible nickname is as much a quality as a foil. Here is a man with whom one can’t compromise. The principle always takes precedence over men. He has only one passion, virtue and wants to protect the people by the « Invincible and holy law for all », as he would say, marking the word « law » with penetrating sincerity. He sees conspiracies everywhere even in the fact of his glory and his power, he knows threatened and these aren’t the jokes and insults heard during the Feast of the Supreme Being that will calm him down. However, in the spring of 1794, Robespierre, despite being president of the Convention, from June 4 to 19, 1794, despite being the strong man, despite the criticisms and threats he sees everywhere, withdraws. Absent from the Convention, it’s said that he’s ill. The men who accompany him affirm that he was vacillating on his legs, perhaps he knew he was doomed by some disease. The misfortunes that overwhelmed man during this period never really knew, and specifically his health problems, because according to some witnesses, he had become unable to perform his duties, that is why he’s absent regularly and for longer and longer periods. It’s whispered at the Convention. Rumors go by good train. They fear a return of the man and they guess that the ax will fall again. But, this time, who will it target? In the republican calendar, the decades, series of ten days, all had a peculiar denomination, the first decade of Thermidor, the one we’re now entering, is then dedicated to misfortune. On July 26, 8 Thermidor Year II, Robespierre appears abruptly to the Convention. What is he going to say? He begins his speech. He denounces, as was feared, a new plot, « a criminal coalition”, before continuing: “What is the remedy for this evil? To punish traitors and crush all factions with the weight of national authority, to raise upon the ruins the power of justice and liberty”. The ban continues. Seizure, the Convention votes the publication of the speech, but asks the names of the suspects mentioned by Robespierre. Cambon, then Minister of Finance, is directly targeted by Robespierre, he knows it and gets up in his turn: « It’s time to tell the whole truth”, asking Robespierre to reveal all of the evidence he has against traitors. Robespierre doesn’t get up, he stand there. In the evening, Robespierre resumes his speech at the Jacobins club, this time two men, Billaud-Varenne and Collot d’Herbois, then President of the Convention, couldn’t take it anymore, they left the room, jostled by Robespierre’s supporters. During the night of July 26 to 27, 1794, from 8 to 9 Thermidor, a number of plotters including Tallien, Fouché, and Boissy d’Anglas will find most of the deputies by saying that Robespierre’s speech is only the prelude to a new fall of heads: « You’re on the list », they told them. Dawns on 9 Thermidor year II, July 27, 1794, it’s Sunday at 1 pm, Saint-Just speaks and comments: « I’m not from any faction, I’ll fight them all », he’s interrupted by Tallien who goes up to the platform and pushes Saint-Just. He gives a violent shoulder blow to drop him. Unbalanced, Saint-Just hangs on. Robespierre, who observes the scene and to rejoin his protected runs to the rostrum. Three men are fighting over a tiny space that can barely hold one. Tallien takes out a knife and points it at Robespierre: « If you don’t vote for the arrest of the dictator, I kill him ”. The tension is at its height. The deputies acussed last night by Robespierre no longer hesitate, they all continue: « Down with the tyrant! » They scream, they shout, they call out. Robespierre withdraws, but not before the Convention has had time to vote the arrest of the man and his accomplices, Saint-Just and Couthon. Robespierre is led at the Luxembourg prison, the guards refuse to take him, he’s then sent to the police station, at the Quai des Orfèvres, while Saint-Just was sent to the former Scots school, transformed into a prison, and Couthon, the paralytic who advances in a wheelchair, goes straight to the Port-Libre prison, installed in the Abbey of Port-Royal. This isn’t the end, however, since they organize and get everyone released just a few hours after their respective incarceration. Will Robespierre manage to turn the situation around? But above all, does he want to do it? They’re installed in the City Hall. Nearly 3.500 men show up in front of the building to defend Robespierre, they know there will be an offensive to bring them to justice and execute them. Robespierre also knows it, he refuses to send so many men to the slaughterhouse: « Enough blood, all is lost », he said. The 3500 leave on the night of July 27 to 28, there is no one left to defend him. The guards and gendarmes who remained faithful to the Convention are ordered to invest the City Hall and seize the men against whom an arrest warrant has been issued. Robespierre’s brother, Augustin, from the top of his 26 years, jumps out of the window, he smashes the legs. Lebas, Robespierre’s brother-in-law, commits suicide. Couthon, the paralytic, would have been launched from his wheelchair by the gendarmes from the top of the grand staircase of the city hall. A gunshot is heard, either fired by a gendarme named Merda, or by Robespierre who allegedly attempted suicide. However, the result isn’t in doubt, a bullet went through Robespierre’s jaw, unhooking it. The prisoners are taken to the Conciergerie. It’s 14h. They grab a cloth to encircle Robespierre’s face to rearrange his jaw. The blood keeps flowing, the man breathes with difficulty between cries of pain. At 19h, after a simple identification in court, they’re sent to the guillotine. They take great care to keep Robespierre for the end. They remove the blindfold that held his jaw, we see this open and bloody mouth from which escapes a howl, these will be his last words. This isn’t the end of terror, however, with the 22 mountain dwellers guillotined that day, will soon follow 85 other people also close to Robespierre. After the fall of Robespierre and this famous 9 Thermidor, an atmosphere of joy filled Paris. Theaters, banquets and merry processions punctuate the following weeks. This is also the period during which all those who worked for the fall of Robespierre will organize a well-conducted propaganda to assert that it was then a « passing shock ». However, under the pressure of public opinion, accountability is required. Two months later, begin the trials of those who set up, what we’ll call to posteriori, Terror. There is talk of bloodshed, bloody terrorism, men obsessed with death and murder. We’re gradually entering a conservative regime which will take the name of Directory, established in 1795. Consensus is restored, universal suffrage is abolished, Boissy d’Anglas affirms: “A country governed by the owners is in the social order”. Little by little, a strong figure emerges who will embody a new regime: Napoleon Bonaparte. After the Directory, which ended in 1799, came the Consulate in which Bonaparte is the center of power and, finally, the first empire with Napoleon I and the campaigns throughout Europe. But that of course, you’ll understand, is for another story. It’s over for this sequence on the French Revolution. Maybe I could do the continuation, but for now, take advantage of the 14, yes, the 14 volumes that you have. Maybe I’ll put them together in one tome to see what it looks like but until then, don’t hesitate to subscribe to the channel to have many more stories and don’t forget to activate the little bell below. And for those who really liked the series on the Revolution, well, you can see the Patreon just below and support us for other major series. There are some series coming but I’m not going to tell you which ones, it’s a surprise. See you! .

Déroulement de la vidéo:

0.19 The Revolution, over and over again the Revolution. It&;s at the heart of French history,
0.19 but even more global history.
0.19 We can&;t understand the world in which we currently live without taking into account
0.19 the importance of the events which took place in France at the end of the 18th century.
0.19 Today in History will tell us, we&;re starting a series on the History of
0.19 the French Revolution and since we have to start from the beginning, well, we start by the late 1780s!
0.19 Subtitles:salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com
0.19 The origins of the French Revolution
0.19 Social crises are often a translation of serious economic difficulties. The revolution of 1789
0.19 isn&;t an exception to this model, but the magnitude of the problem is beyond comprehension.
0.19 During the 18th century, the spending of the monarchy didn&;t stop increasing: from 200 million in 1740, it went to, hold on tight:
0.19 630 million in 1788. The expenses are staggering and among them, the financing of the American war of
0.19 1776, well yes, it&;s partly the fault of the damned Americans!
0.19 The war would have cost 2 billion to the Crown of France, four times the annual
0.19 budget! Four times anyway!
0.19 This expense isn&;t the only one, we must add major works, such as constructions
0.19 that continue in the Palace of Versailles, well yes it&;s not finished-, but even
0.19 more the maintenance of huge buildings and estates in Paris, such as the Louvre, the
0.19 Tuileries garden, the Champs Élysées, but also in Versailles with the expenses of
0.19 game of the Queen, but also buildings such as the Queen&;s Hamlet or the
0.19 housing of courtiers – it&;s expensive to have a kingdom like that –
0.19 On the other hand, the recipes don&;t follow suit. They try to raise taxes,
0.19 but Parliaments are systematically opposed to any increase.
0.19 How to do? They can borrow, but who would agree to lend to a Kingdom that
0.19 is know to have an abysmal deficit?
0.19 On top of that, the Monarchy has already borrowed too much and that&;s the amount of interest
0.19 is the main source of the deficit.
0.19 Rumors of state bankruptcy are growing, the economic and political climate
0.19 is gloomy.
0.19 In the countryside the situation is far from get better.
0.19 On June 8, 1783, and until February 1784, a crack of 25 kilometers in length
0.19 opens in Iceland, in Laki, after a violent explosion. For eight months,
0.19 lava flows and sulfuric gas emissions flow into the territory.
0.19 The consequences are catastrophic for Iceland but also for the rest of Europe.
0.19 A fog, filled with dust, covers two thirds of France and settles
0.19 on the ground, causing thousands of deaths.
0.19 The fog also causes violent thunderstorms that trigger with significant falls
0.19 of hailstorm, killing livestock.
0.19 Another consequence of the volcanic cloud: a cooling of the entire northern hemisphere.
0.19 Winter is exceptionally cold. The countryside world is going through a difficult
0.19 period, however, it&;s the main outlet for the textile industry and
0.19 urban craft.
0.19 They then need labor, workers wages are lowered when they&;re not
0.19 laid off. Bankruptcies multiply. Queues form in front of bakeries.
0.19 For the people of Paris, the consequences boil down to one effect:
0.19 the price of bread increases.
0.19 The crisis soon reached the royal finances. No taxes are collected, the taxpayer can no
0.19 longer pay more. To sustain and stabilize society, the state must invest, but
0.19 it no longer even has the means.
0.19 In 1786, Calonne, the comptroller general of finance, i.e., the finance
0.19 Minister, proposes a new plan: a new tax that would apply to all
0.19 lands and under all conditions.
0.19 Calonne wants to put an end to the privileges of the nobles and ecclesiastics, the richest
0.19 of the kingdom, since this particular privilege allows them to be exempt from taxes.
0.19 The Parliament, composed mainly of privileged people, categorically refuses the
0.19 measure proposed by Calonne.
0.19 So, it&;s the impasse. How are they going to solve the problem? How are they going to settle the deficit?
0.19 On November 19, 1787, the Parliamentarians demanded, yes, the States General.
0.19 What are the States-General? They bring together the three orders of the kingdom: the nobility,
0.19 the clergy and the Third State, in order to determine the procedure to follow to get France
0.19 out of the economic recession in which it finds itself.
0.19 The States-General haven&;t been convened for over 150 years. The last time
0.19 was in 1614, after the death of Henri IV and they had seen the a great person
0.19 emerge from this mob: Cardinal de Richelieu.
0.19 Louis XVI knows that the States General are turbulent times when the Kingdom is
0.19 undermined, he doesn&;t want to resort to this extreme. He rejects it and therefore refuses the proposal
0.19 of the Parliamentarians.
0.19 The tension is already palpable in France, clans are forming.
0.19 Then, the Parliament makes vote what will take the name of Declaration of the rights of the nation,
0.19 in May 3, 1788.
0.19 They allow themselves to question the Louis XVI&;s absolutism, by attacking his capacity
0.19 to make decisions without relying on Parliament, but also, because it&;s not
0.19 over, the seal letters that allow the King to send to prison whoever he wishes
0.19 without referring him to a court of law. The opposition is growing, after
0.19 Paris, it&;s soon Toulouse, Rennes, Dijon or Grenoble begins the march.
0.19 In August 1788, France, the most powerful, the most feared and admired nation
0.19 of Europe is on the verge of bankruptcy.
0.19 The King then appointed Jacques Necker, Swiss banker, close to the philosophers of the Enlightenment
0.19 at the head of what is the Ministry of Finance, a mandate he had already held
0.19 between 1776 and 1781 and during which he too tried to completely reform
0.19 the financial system of France.
0.19 Necker takes a look at all this, he realizes that he has only two choices.
0.19 First: disavow France&;s debts -yes, isn&;t very trendy- and the second,
0.19 well yes, we see it coming: the States General.
0.19 Louis XVI, therefore, resigned himself, he summoned the States General for May 1, 1789.
0.19 This victory, if it&;s one for Parliaments, raises more questions than expected.
0.19 Indeed, during the last States General, the voting system which had been adopted
0.19 was that of the vote by order, i.e., a vote for the nobility, a vote for the clergy,
0.19 and a vote for the Third State, and we can guess how it happened: the nobility
0.19 and the clergy got back together, two against one and it was over.
0.19 But between 1614, the last States General, and 1789, the situation changed greatly,
0.19 we have seen the emergence of an urban bourgeoisie, with notaries, doctors,
0.19 lawyers, but also artisans, bankers, men of letters and all
0.19 these categories of individuals, which are versed in political life, they want to participate
0.19 to this birth of what some qualify as public opinion.
0.19 Yet, all these individuals fall into the large reservoir that is the Third Estate.
0.19 And the Third Estate includes all those who are neither nobles nor members of clergy,
0.19 that is a lot of people, i.e., almost 96% of the population.
0.19 The stake will then be to know how they&;ll vote in 1789 during the Estates General.
0.19 The Parliament then refuses two principles which are supported by the members of the Third Estate,
0.19 namely, the vote by head, which would give the majority to the Third Estate and the doubling of the same,
0.19 according to which they would summon twice as many representatives of the Third Estate.
0.19 Louis XVI will finally accept the doubling of the Third Estate, in December 1788, however, without
0.19 specify how the vote will take place.
0.19 The popularity of Parliament is then ruined, it&;ll no longer be the vector of renewal
0.19 in France, men from other horizons are picking up the thread of the dispute.
0.19 And among them, a certain Sieyès, who in a small work entitled "What is
0.19 the Third Estate", writes and quoting: "What is the Third Estate? All.
0.19 What has he had so far in the political order? Nothing. What is he asking for? To become
0.19 something. Nothing can go without him, everything would be better without the others”.
0.19 Therefore, the table is set, at least for the Third Estate which intends to question everything.
0.19 In March 1789, before the assembly of the States General, the three orders were asked to write
0.19 that we call grievances notebooks, a sort of list of proposals to re-establish
0.19 the financial situation of France.
0.19 Anyway, they take the time to think about it, because this is a new space
0.19 to talk that will lead to complaints, how to say, unprecedented.
0.19 For their part, the nobility and the clergy write their notebooks, which
0.19 translate of course love for the King, for France and, above all, for the established
0.19 order. Conservatism is the order of the day, could they really do something else
0.19 whith them? Well no.
0.19 For them, the path is already laid out, it&;ll be a matter of determining how they&;ll
0.19 be able to tax and impose the Third Estate more effectively in order to fill the state
0.19 coffers, nothing new under the sun.
0.19 However, the Third Estate, this shapeless mass that brings together all social conditions
0.19 of the Kingdom requires much more than simple financial reform. In grievance
0.19 notebooks, what do we read? “Enough with privileges!", "Enough chores!"
0.19 The complaints ring and echo like the screams
0.19 of an army on the march.
0.19 And in these notebooks, we see as much the state of the roads, the education of childs,
0.19 freedom to think and write, the price of bread, the regulations governing corporations,
0.19 and of course, the need to make everyone pay taxes.
0.19 The Estates General haven&;t even started and the Pandora&;s box is already open.
0.19 Louis XVI ignores all of these claims, yes, because the hunting season
0.19 opens soon for him.
0.19 Parallelly as the drafting of the grievance books, the elections are held
0.19 in March 1789 to elect 291 deputies for the clergy, 285 for the nobility, and 578
0.19 deputies for the Third Estate, among which famous names stand out like Robespierre, Mounier,
0.19 Barnave, Sieyès or even Count Mirabeau who, although a noble, chose to sit for
0.19 the third Estate.
0.19 These men are young, the most in their late twenties and early thirties. They have
0.19 the desire of a new France, a regenerated France, the word will be used
0.19 everywhere to qualify the renovation that they&;re trying to impose.
0.19 The Estates General – The French Revolution Volume II
0.19 We remain after the elections of the deputies of the 3 orders, those of the clergy, the nobility, and the Third Estate.
0.19 Come on, we don&;t waste time, because we want to know what happens over the months
0.19 of April, May, and June 1789.
0.19 Events will soon unfold at incredible speed.
0.19 Since the convocation of the States General, Paris has been in turmoil. The call of the States-General
0.19 therefore resonates very strongly.
0.19 The price of bread is still increasing. It feels that at every street corner, people are waiting. He
0.19 expects bread from his King and his representatives, that they bring their demands to the
0.19 platform.
0.19 It&;s in the suburb of Saint-Antoine, a Mecca for workers, that expectations are undoubtedly
0.19 the biggest.
0.19 On April 23, 1789, a rumor began to spread that two manufacturers,
0.19 Réveillon and Henriot would have suggested lowering the selling price of the wallpaper
0.19 they produce, a measure which they believe would require lower wages and,
0.19 therefore, the cost of manufactured products.
0.19 However, we must qualify, Réveillon had made a hypothesis on the salary which was
0.19 taken for a threat when he paid his workers very well, but then begins
0.19 what we will call the Réveillon affair.
0.19 The suburb is stung! It&;s know that the rioters aren&;t mostly from
0.19 Réveillon workers and that some of them are undoubtedly agitated for
0.19 other reasons. On April 27 and 28, the rumor rumbles and continues to expand.
0.19 Armed troops are sent to contain the seditious crowd, the Saint-Antoine suburb
0.19 is declared closed.
0.19 The crowd retaliates throwing stones at the troops, as well as tiles and
0.19 furnitures from the roofs of houses – still, eh? –
0.19 The troops are firing. As for the soldiers there are 12 killed and 80 wounded, on the side
0.19 of the insurgents, 200 killed and 300 wounded – actually, the number of victims is unknown –
0.19 But the suburb is traumatized by the violence of the repression. The elite claim that
0.19 this is all the work of thieves and has nothing to do with political riot.
0.19 At the beginning of May 1789, it was in this context that the deputies arrived at Versailles
0.19 to sit for what takes the name, for the moment, of States-General.
0.19 On May 5, at 8 am, they enter in the Salle des Menues Plaisirs, the hall
0.19 was hastily prepared, a few weeks before, where they&;re piling up so far
0.19 decorations and costumes used for the king&;s celebrations – yes, the Menues Plaisirs are
0.19 them who take care that everyone has fun in the parties that are organized
0.19 for the crown-
0.19 Louis XVI indicates that he brought together the States General to help him to restore
0.19 public finances. Of course, he&;s not talking about reforms.
0.19 The way in which the work sessions are distributed for each order will have a decisive impact
0.19 in the sequence of events.
0.19 There are only two rooms planned for meetings of each order, which is bizarre by itself
0.19 because it was three orders, but there is a room for the
0.19 nobility, one for the clergy, and the Third Estate it must remain in the main hall,
0.19 or the Salle des Menus Plaisirs, which hosts the States General.
0.19 The whole strategy of the Third Estate is then developed in this large hall, showing
0.19 that it has greater legitimacy than the other two orders.
0.19 On June 4, the Dauphin, the son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, the heir to the crown
0.19 therefore, die.
0.19 The emotion which, in the past, would have affected all of France is then reduced to the court,
0.19 first sign of disaffection of opinion with regard to the Monarchy.
0.19 Then, in the next days, some deputies of the nobility and the clergy joined to the
0.19 Third Estate.
0.19 On June 17, 1789, Sièyes proposed that the 96% of the nation constitute an National Assembly
0.19 representative of the people and working for their good. There is no need for nobility
0.19 and clergy. Three days later, the deputies of the
0.19 new national assembly go to the room where they usually sit.
0.19 The room is closed. They head to the "jeu de paume", not far from there.
0.19 The deputies then take an oath, a mythical oath that will be immortalized by the painter
0.19 David – the painting will never be finished –
0.19 All the deputies raise their hands and say that they want to give France a Constitution
0.19 and chant, in a decided and deep tone that one "must never separate
0.19 and meet where circumstances require until the constitution
0.19 of the kingdom is established ”.
0.19 Then comes the Marquis de Dreux-Brézé, the master of ceremonies invites the Third
0.19 Estate to disperse.
0.19 To which the Comte de Mirabeau replied -it has become celebrated now-: “Come on,
0.19 tell to your master that we&;re here by the will of the people and that we&;ll only get
0.19 out by the force of bayonets!". Louis XVI gives in and he&;d have said: “Well! If they
0.19 don&;t want to go away, let them stay”. He cedes the ground.
0.19 The discussions of the National Assembly are continuing, they intend to debate everything,
0.19 all the content, as diverse as it&;s, everything that they find in the grievance books,
0.19 well, they want to talk about that and not just about the debt.
0.19 The whole political, social, economic, cultural structure, everything must be re-examined and,
0.19 if necessary, transformed.
0.19 On June 25, 27 deputies of the nobility joined the Assembly, including the Duke of Orleans,
0.19 the cousin of the king, yes yes, of Louis XVI.
0.19 On July 9, it&;s the creation of the Constituent Assembly whose will is to fix
0.19 a constitution as had been demanded for years. It&;s not a spontaneous,
0.19 thoughtless movement, but the result of long years of reflection.
0.19 Not everyone is in favor of this change of course and there are many courtiers who are pressuring
0.19 the King to make it all end.
0.19 On July 11, Couronne decides to withdraw the Swiss and German mercenary troops
0.19 gathering around Paris, fearing the worst.
0.19 Even more strongly, Louis XVI dismissed Jacques Necker, held responsible for the disorder and
0.19 he see it as too favorable to the Third Estate.
0.19 For many, this is a coup, nothing less. Especially because the man
0.19 who is called to take charge of finances is Baron de Breteuil, an activist
0.19 of conservatism and the status quo and who intends to fight against these "seditious"
0.19 of the so-called National Assembly.
0.19 The sling of deputies becomes a revolution. Remember that
0.19 since at least 1760, the word revolution already means change of regime or Sovereign,
0.19 but this is again only the prelude to events whose resonance will be
0.19 even bigger, both in France and throughout Europe, and soon throughout the world.
0.19 July 1789 – The French Revolution Volume III
0.19 We had stayed a little before July 14th. And I guess you know what happens next, eh? No! Sure?
0.19 There are still a lot of films, series,
0.19 novels, silliness on the subject, we even say a bit of everything and anything
0.19 about July 14, 1789.
0.19 "-God sends us a test, we must put the dolphin back on his throne",
0.19 "I don&;t want to play the killjoy ”,“ What do you want the ass wipe!"
0.19 Ok, come on, let&;s try to put some order in all this and go with the
0.19 events. It&;s about the continuation of the French Revolution, July 89!
0.19 In the last episode, we were in Versailles. Come on, we&;re moving to Paris because it&;s
0.19 always in Paris that it happens, it&;s a joke but in this case yes,
0.19 it moves to Paris.
0.19 There various political groups, which will soon be known as clubs, converge
0.19 in cafes and public gardens to debate and discuss the progress of things
0.19 and the strategies to be adopted.
0.19 However, eyes and ears are always turned towards Versailles, each information
0.19 which reaches the capital, therefore Paris, is immediately dissected, interpreted,
0.19 because -of course- they have to know what&;s going on. The people, for their part, just
0.19 think about eating.
0.19 Let us also remember that this Paris of 1789 has fewer and fewer jobs for a population
0.19 ever more numerous, estimated in total between 600 and 700,000 inhabitants,
0.19 we lack very precise statistics but we&;re not wrong in these figures.
0.19 When the news of Necker&;s dismissal arrives in Paris on July 12, it&;s at the Palais
0.19 Royal, high place of political cafes and enlightened minds, where the echo was,
0.19 undoubtedly, the greatest because there was a certain Camille Desmoulins, you
0.19 know, no doubt, a little bit there.
0.19 He is a 29-year-old lawyer who, as soon as he hears the news, takes a chair
0.19 and go up there.
0.19 He harangues the crowd, calling on his fellow citizens, and therefore those around him, to take
0.19 arms and adorn their doublets with leaves from the trees of the Royal Palace that will
0.19 serve as a green cockade, a symbol of hope for those who will march with him to
0.19 arm themselves.
0.19 A few meters away, in the Tuileries garden, where you can walk while enjoying
0.19 the shade offered by the shady alleys, a few demonstrators marched holding
0.19 high up the busts of Necker and the Duke of Orleans, the latter gradually embodying the opposition
0.19 facing the authority of his cousin.
0.19 But it&;s too much, Prince de Lambesc, who commands the German royal regiment,
0.19 receives the order to clear the entrance to the Tuileries. He&;ll decide to charge
0.19 with his dragons – they charge the walkers –
0.19 They dragons rush like an army in the field into this open-air living room that
0.19 constitute the Tuileries. A man is injured, a bit later
0.19 his death is announces. The noise runs and doesn&;t stop. It&;s
0.19 hears everywhere: “The atrocious Lambesc has slashed harmless walkers".
0.19 A low growl is heard in Paris, the inhabitants feel that the progress
0.19 achieved by the National Assembly can quickly be overthrown by a coup
0.19 of the Monarchy, a coup that they don&;t intend to let happen, no, no, no!
0.19 On July 13, the price of bread goes up again -there is always a question of bread here-
0.19 Rumors seem to attest that the royal troops threaten to enter the capital
0.19 to arrest deputies who reside there.
0.19 Parisians assemble and decide to send a message to the Sovereign. They decide
0.19 to attack the heart of the regime, taxes and levies – it&;s often said that there
0.19 has only two sure things in life: death and taxes! –
0.19 In 1782, it was proposed to Louis XVI to enclose Paris in a new surrounding wall, by
0.19 drilling openings destined exclusively for the introduction of the goods necessary for
0.19 the consumption of the inhabitants of the capital. In short, they wanted to institute a new tariff
0.19 barrier around Paris to ensure that all goods are taxed.
0.19 The wall was erected in 1782. The function of the wall made it very unpopular, it&;s also said
0.19 at the time: "The wall, walling Paris, makes Paris murmur".
0.19 This famous wall, 24 km long by 3.30 m, includes 54 barrier pavilions designed by Claude
0.19 Nicolas Ledoux, and it gives the impression that Parisians are under siege.
0.19 The passages made in the enclosure, which bear the name of barriers, in
0.19 this July 13, are taken as a symbol. They attack it with unique strength
0.19 and efficiency. Of the 54 barriers, 40 were looted, burned
0.19 and set on fire.
0.19 The message is clear, freedom will also be of trade, but even more,
0.19 parisians show that they no longer intend to submit without flinching to taxes
0.19 considered unfair and, most importantly, unequal.
0.19 We can already guess in the crowd, leaders who know the political and military
0.19 geography in Paris, they&;ll lead the crowd eager for justice but who don&;t know where to take
0.19 their anger.
0.19 Faced with the unrest taking place in the capital, it was decided to form a
0.19 permanent committee and create a bourgeois guard responsible for defending everything,
0.19 both the properties and the cause of reforms. For its part, the National Assembly decides
0.19 to sit permanently.
0.19 We&;re on July 14, 1789. The price of bread, yes again, reached a historical
0.19 peak, 14 cents. For the majority of Parisians, 80% of the salary is spent on
0.19 the purchase of bread, 80% for the purchase of bread! What is left for the rent, absolutely nothing.
0.19 It&;s now a question of arming an angry people, that the leaders intend
0.19 to channel. “At the Invalides! Shout into the crowd.
0.19 It&;s 10 a.m. Then, invariably, a procession sets in motion and it&;s on
0.19 la Rive Gauche, to the west of the Saint-Germain district, towards the Hôtel Royal des Invalides, where the
0.19 Parisian crowd is heading. Almost 40,000 rifles are distributed, but there is a lack of
0.19 powder, is a shame because a gun without powder is a little bit useless.
0.19 There are different stories, then it&;s said that a voice rising from the
0.19 crowd, indistinct, but decided: "Powder it&;s in the Bastille, citizens!", this is
0.19 what is said.
0.19 Then, the convoy armed but unable to fire, takes the road to the Bastille. The
0.19 place is highly symbolic, I have already spoken about it in a video about: The Paris
0.19 of 1789. It&;s a fortress located on the edge of Paris, which faces the stormy
0.19 suburb of Saint-Antoine, which we have already discussed here with the famous Réveillon riots.
0.19 But the Bastille has become over the years in a prison where some of the
0.19 most beautiful minds of the Age of Enlightenment, including Voltaire, Beaumarchais or even Marmontel,
0.19 and others famous but unknown prisoners, including the famous iron mask, which Alexandra
0.19 Dumas wanted to make Louis XIV&;s twin – there is also a film with the
0.19 handsome Leonardo DiCaprio, but it&;s still fiction –
0.19 The Bastille is above all a symbol of royal arbitrariness, the prison where, as a
0.19 result of letters of prestige, these missives requested by the King made it
0.19 possible to send someone to prison, without trial, and put aside the issue that was damaging
0.19 to the Crown.
0.19 Thus, when the people arrive in front of the thick walls of the royal prison, it&;s as much for
0.19 reasons of necessity: powder, as symbolic: the arbitrariness that decides
0.19 to besiege the monument. However, the symbol of the Bastille has lost much of its
0.19 superb.
0.19 Louis XVI had also considered razing the prison, but due to lack of money, he had
0.19 resigned.
0.19 In addition, on July 14, 1789, the prison had only 7 prisoners, 4 counterfeiters,
0.19 2 madmen, and an aristocrat "embastilled" at the request of his family, probably for debauchery.
0.19 After the storming of the Bastille, all of them will vanish in nature, only the
0.19 2 madmen will remain and will be carried in triumph by the crowd, doubtless wondering if everything
0.19 this is real. Marquis de Sade had been transferred on July 6 to another
0.19 prison, so the aristocrat I mentioned earlier, he can&;t be the Marquis
0.19 de Sade.
0.19 It&;s around 11 am, the crowd throngs in front of the Bastille. District representatives
0.19 ask to speak to Governor De Launay, in charge of the defense of the prison which
0.19 has a little less than a hundred men, mainly invalids and Swiss guards.
0.19 De Launay was ordered to return the fortress to the people, who then refused,
0.19 isn&;t a question of trampling on his honor as a soldier.
0.19 Around 3:00 pm, about sixty French guards with 5 guns approached
0.19 the crowd. The assault is occur at 3:30 pm
0.19 De Launay, an officer experienced in the practice of war intends to defend
0.19 his position. He shoots the crowd. The first to launch fall under
0.19 bullets, screaming in pain touching their bloody wound to realize that this
0.19 time it&;s their blood that stains the cobblestones.
0.19 The howls, the gunshots, and soon cannons don&;t stop a second wave
0.19 that rush forward, also hit by a wall of bullets.
0.19 So, in successive waves, men and women are caught in bullets, their lives shattered
0.19 and their blood shed for a cause they think is beyond them. De Launay sees clearly that
0.19 he&;ll not be able to last forever, especially since the regiments that he thought could
0.19 help him have turned their heads and are now fighting against him, along with the people.
0.19 It&;s 5:00 pm, the paving stones are red, the air smells of gunpowder, it&;s difficult to distinguish
0.19 what is happening. De Launay ordered a cease-fire. There is no illusion. He knows
0.19 what waits him, but he doesn&;t yet guess the violence.
0.19 He was taken prisoner like his regiment and was taken to the City Hall in order to
0.19 be judged. However, the procession that surrounds the governor can&;t contain the
0.19 incessant pressure from the crowd who intends to do justice to De Launay.
0.19 On the way, a man appearing out of nowhere pushes the soldiers around De
0.19 Launay, another appears, jumps, feet forward on the prisoner&;s chest. Delaunay
0.19 is knocked down, but the assailant doesn&;t waste a minute, he slits the officer&;s throat.
0.19 De Launay&;s convulsions didn&;t prevent the man from plunging his blade again into
0.19 the throat.
0.19 Around him, a monumental crowd prevents the soldiers from restoring calm. Then, a big
0.19 yell is heard. A man holds De Launay&;s head, dripping wet.
0.19 It&;s said that some even go so far as to drink his blood – that&;s part of the myth-
0.19 Others intend to continue the purge.
0.19 Jacques de Flesselles, provost of merchants, therefore the equivalent of the mayor of Paris, will
0.19 suffer the same fate as De Launay, their two severed heads will be walked through
0.19 the streets of Paris. "This is how we get revenge on traitors" is what sings the crowd.
0.19 The Bastille is taken.
0.19 In Versailles, the king returned from hunting and noted, dated July 14, 1789: “Nothing".
0.19 We have often misunderstood this "nothing", in fact it just referred to hunting
0.19 not what had just happened, he had no idea what had happened in
0.19 the Bastille at that time.
0.19 In Paris they celebrate and take advantage to destroying the Bastille the next day. Certain men
0.19 smell the good deal and, while the crowd destroys this monument of royal
0.19 despotism, they reserve certain stones and do a prison replica sculpted in each of
0.19 it that they&;ll sell at a high price in all regions of France – the
0.19 revolution, it can always pay off for some –
0.19 On July 15, the King gave in again, and confirmed the dismissal of the troops massed around
0.19 Paris.
0.19 Is set up at the Hôtel de ville de Paris, a new "commune of Paris", a new
0.19 form of municipal government which moved to the capital with Bailly as mayor of
0.19 the city.
0.19 The next day, Louis XVI recalls Necker while Baron de Breteuil, who had only been
0.19 in finance for 5 days, took the opportunity to emigrate a few days later, which will
0.19 be done by several aristocrats and military officers, for fear to suffering the same fate as
0.19 De Launay and Flesselles.
0.19 Dejected, the King now bowed to the demands of the Assembly, he agreed to surrender
0.19 in Paris on July 17, and recognizes the new constituted authority.
0.19 The man who welcomed him enjoyed great popularity, the Marquis de Lafayette,
0.19 he became known with the American Revolution of 1776. He&;s also called,
0.19 the hero of America who, for a time, will single-handedly embody the French Revolution
0.19 and will soon be given the title of hero of both worlds.
0.19 When he then receives the king, is in his capacity as Commander of the National Guard
0.19 formed of bourgeois militias of 48,000 citizens.
0.19 He offers Louis XVI the tricolor cockade. They got rid of the green cockade
0.19 of Desmoulins, also associated with that of the Comte d&;Artois, brother of
0.19 King. Next to blue and red, the color of the city of Paris, Lafayette has added
0.19 the white of the Monarchy, giving to the Sovereign a central place in the new definition
0.19 of powers.
0.19 Then, is impossible think of France without Louis XVI. The assembly authority
0.19 established henceforth in Paris and no longer in Versailles is fully recognized and it must
0.19 work to draft the constitution, but it&;ll have to take into account a third
0.19 power that tipped the scale in his favor in the conflict with the king, well yes: the people of Paris.
0.19 The Great Fear – The French Revolution Volume IV
0.19 We left after July 1789. It&;s not over, it&;ll even accelerate.
0.19 Another event will permanently mark this year 1789,
0.19 what is called the Great Fear.
0.19 No no, he&;s not a super hero, she&;s a super heroine!
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, the French Revolution, the Great Fear.
0.19 Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com
0.19 The deputies must now get down to work to rebuild the political, social, and economic
0.19 structure of France.
0.19 A vast program that involves drafting a constitution by introducing reforms
0.19 requested in the grievance books, those we have already discussed, but of course,
0.19 they must also resolve the financial crisis. Rumors are multiplying everywhere
0.19 in the kingdom, and as we know, just it need one person to
0.19 convince a second, who will then confirm the information to a group because
0.19 this one is considered as a "reliable source", the rumor has good back – Victor Hugo has
0.19 besides written a very good text on the subject, you see it here there- Go
0.19 read it –
0.19 From the famous “on-dit”, we go to: “I have a reliable source!" and voilà,
0.19 a rumor that turns into reality.
0.19 After the storming of the Bastille and the outbreak of people, they have the impression that
0.19 the balance of power is being reversed -I said it feels like, eh- because
0.19 when attacking the powerful, it&;s not uncommon for the counter-offensive to be
0.19 particularly bloody, you know what they say. When we attack the empire,
0.19 the empire strikes back.
0.19 In Paris, but especially in provinces, the fear of repression is growing.
0.19 There is talk of an aristocratic plot to punish the Third Estate or of foreign troops,
0.19 English in particular, who would land on the continent to divide France and seize
0.19 rich abandoned lands. Out of the question to let them do it!
0.19 Villagers arm themselves to defend their families, their homes, and communities.
0.19 The vagrants, these people who are said to be without fire and without confessions, vectors of disorder
0.19 will be chased.
0.19 This historic moment, which we call the Great Fear, soon spread to all
0.19 France.
0.19 Fear of enemies, of course, but also fear that the grievances transmitted to the States General,
0.19 therefore, to the National Assembly, remain dead letters. It&;s not a question of
0.19 going back, the Revolution must advance towards better days, those of the peasants and
0.19 the oppressed.
0.19 Chateaubriand will also say: "People in shoes were ready to go out of
0.19 the hall, and already the clogs were knocking on the door ”- clogs, that&;s
0.19 those of the people, and the shoes, the beautiful ones,
0.19 are those of the aristocracy-
0.19 However, massacres continued, like that of Bertier de Sauvigny and Foulon,
0.19 on July 22, 1789. Foulon is carried away and hanged from the lantern facing the
0.19 town-house not far from Paris City Hall.
0.19 Twice the rope will break and the poor man will fall back on his knees, like a
0.19 disarticulated puppet. Workers want to kill him to shorten his torment. They put
0.19 him aside. After a quarter of an hour waiting, the unfortunate man is hanged a third time,
0.19 and will die at last. A furious man cuts off his head, stuffs his mouth with hay and on the tip
0.19 of a spike pole carries what looks like a kind of trophy. This type of massacres
0.19 frightens the local authorities, some will flee, of course, this will generate a great amount of
0.19 fear in them but everywhere in the kingdom too. The phenomenon isn&;t general, but
0.19 it&;s developing in several provinces.
0.19 Fear spreads to Versailles, where the Constituent Assembly sits, well I said it was
0.19 in Paris but not immediately, we&;re still in Versailles. Amplified, rumors arrive
0.19 to the ears of the Versaillese, and stir up alarm.
0.19 To calm the anger of the poor, some diputies suggest debating the issue
0.19 of feudal rights. Parisian political life continues to change the face of the Revolution.
0.19 Several deputies, then gathered in clubs or fraternal societies – we had
0.19 spoken the last time – will define coherent thoughts to fix the futures
0.19 from France – well, where are we here? At what moment? –
0.19 We&;re on August 4, 1789, night of the Great Fear in Versailles, the Breton club, which will be
0.19 soon called the Jacobins club, develops a strategy to cut to pieces what its
0.19 called or what is calify Old Regime, or all that was founded by
0.19 the society before the Estates General. We often say 1789. This is the end of this
0.19 called Old Regime and begins, for some, what is called the
0.19 contemporary period.
0.19 The pressures coming from the provinces will constitute a golden opportunity to put
0.19 an end to the arbitrary abuses of the Monarchy of divine right.
0.19 Thus, on this Tuesday, August 4, 1789, it&;s 8 in the evening. The Duc de Noailles, then the
0.19 Duke of Aiguillon, both aristocrats of their properties, have a moment
0.19 of grace or enthusiasm and decide to propose a decree to address
0.19 inequalities -I told you that the word inequality is important. It returns
0.19 here- So, on that hot night in Versailles
0.19 where time hangs on the lips of drunken dukes with the words happiness, people, equality,
0.19 well, the whole social structure collapses almost suddenly, at least in theory.
0.19 What is this building? The seigneurial monopoly of hunting, the tithe,
0.19 the privileges of provinces and cities, seigniorial justice, venality
0.19 charges, corporations, nepotism, but also civil and fiscal equality
0.19 is proclaimed, privileges are abolished. It&;s the triumph of freedom and individualism.
0.19 But beware, the rose-colored glasses that the Assembly is wearing at this time
0.19 don&;t prevent keeping the three orders, it&;s often forgotten, the society
0.19 remains hierarchical.
0.19 The Assembly, after the night of August 4, is working on a grandiose project, a project
0.19 which will show the face of the world the essentially new aspect of the Revolution
0.19 taking place in France, and this is important: the Declaration of the Rights of Man
0.19 and of the Citizen, which will be promulgated by the Marquis de Lafayette. "All men are born
0.19 and remain free and equal in rights”, article 1 makes the people dream, it makes
0.19 think of a France which listens to its subjects, rather to its citizens, and that understood the
0.19 malaise and stagnation in which society was entangled.
0.19 Besides, I like to say it, there is no longer talk of "subjects" attached to the King, but
0.19 of "citizens", who have rights. However, these rights are only "declared",
0.19 in no way are affirmed, proclaimed or asserted.
0.19 Moreover, there are two classes of citizens, actives and passives.
0.19 All French people are citizens, but therefore don&;t have the right to vote.
0.19 To be an "active citizen", you must be at least 25 years old, reside in the city or
0.19 the canton for at least one year, be registered with the roll of the national guard in
0.19 the municipality of the domicile, have taken civic oath and paid
0.19 a direct contribution equal to three working days. In passive citizens
0.19 are found women, people in charge, bankrupts, insolvent
0.19 and the servants – they&;re far from being all equal in this society –
0.19 It&;s not about giving the keys of the house to the people, but of giving them hope
0.19 that perhaps, one day, by dint of self-sacrifice and hard work, some of those
0.19 who can and will, will fall into this category of active citizens.
0.19 Robespierre will also say: "So, you want to divide the nation into two classes,
0.19 one of which will only be armed to contain the other”. A disastrous prelude.
0.19 September 11, for the needs of the vote by show of hands, and therefore to make the
0.19 clearer accounting, they divide the Constituent Assembly into two: the right side of
0.19 the room, in relation to the President of the Assembly, is said to be "the queen&;s side",
0.19 partisans of the Old Regime, and the left of the president the "side of the Palais-Royal",
0.19 architects of the reform – does that mean anything to the left and the right? Well,
0.19 that&;s where it comes from –
0.19 However, all these fine words don&;t give the people more to eat.
0.19 Bread is still so expensive, wages so low and the economic situation is
0.19 degrades over and over again. Some refuse to pay tax and thieves continue
0.19 to survey the country to rob travelers they meet. The noise
0.19 arrives in Paris from a banquet given at Versailles by the soldiers of the regiment of
0.19 Flanders. In the midst of libations, luxury and good flesh, they&;d have trampled on
0.19 feet the tricolor cockade and greeted with joy to the Queen and her son. The hatred that
0.19 the Parisians felt towards Marie-Antoinette could not be greater. In October, in fact,
0.19 October 5, 1789, more than 700 women coming from Les Halles, so where the most
0.19 large Parisian market, and who are tired of running out of everything and especially bread,
0.19 basis of their diet, they get organized. They gather at the Town Hall,
0.19 collect 1,700 rifles and 4 cannons. In addition, workers from the suburb of Saint-Marceau
0.19 and Saint-Antoine. They decide to go to Versailles. Several men join
0.19 to the procession. In fact, they decide to dress as a woman and lead the procession,
0.19 this, of course, in order to avoid blows by the police. According to the legend, one would have shouted: "We want
0.19 bread", a woman would have launched: "Let&;s go
0.19 find the couple (he/she) of bakers!", And another should add: "and the little baker!"
0.19 The King, the Queen and the Dauphin, in the comfort of Versailles don&;t know that they
0.19 live their last hours in the castle built by Louis XIV.
0.19 Arrived at Versailles, they continue to rant. They ask to see the King. The Marquis de Lafayette,
0.19 again he, who is in charge of the King&;s security, can&;t contain the crowd
0.19 who invests the castle. The royal family gets wind of what&;s going on, well, I hope
0.19 because they entered into the castle. The legend attributes to Marie-Antoinette
0.19 sinister words that she would never have said: "If they don&;t have bread,
0.19 let them eat cake!" On the contrary, when Louise Chabrit, a young girl of 17
0.19 years, eaten away by hunger and fatigue faints before the royal couple the Sovereign promises
0.19 to those who face him that they&;ll have bread. In fact, she makes a solemn
0.19 promise. Moreover, he who was tackling the Declaration of the Rights of Man,
0.19 wondering if this was a good thing, agree to sign it. Yet it wasn&;t
0.19 over, the women decide to keep the upper hand. They don&;t intend to move
0.19 until their claims will not be fulfilled. They&;re getting impatient, the guards of Versailles
0.19 struggle to contain the crowd, which is a form of living organism where we
0.19 can&;t define limits and impulses. In the night, there are clashes between
0.19 women in the royal guards and in the Flanders regiment, the same
0.19 that had organized a banquet in honor of the Queen. The Queen is then qualified
0.19 of "Austrian bitch", the crowd is clamoring for her head. For lack of anything better, two guards will be
0.19 decapitated and their heads carried at the end of a spike pole, it becomes a kind of
0.19 revolutionary model wich will extend to several demonstrations, but not to all.
0.19 Lafayette begs the King to appear on the balcony. Once again the King hesitates, recoils, observes
0.19 from afar and kneads into a silence that no one can interpret, once
0.19 again. Finally, in the marble courtyard of the central body of the castle, the King appears.
0.19 The crowd is silent, keep respect for the monarch. Then, it&;s the Queen&;s turn. Insults
0.19 burst forth, are quickly replaced by unanimous screams: "To Paris!". The king
0.19 nods, he no longer hesitates, he lets himself be guided. A few minutes later,
0.19 he enters a richly decorated coach, with his wife and children, takes a look at his home. Goodbye Versailles.
0.19 The King in Paris – The French Revolution Volume V
0.19 We stayed when the king arrived in Paris in October 1789
0.19 Arrived in Paris precisely, the Sovereign is received by Bailly, the mayor of Paris and
0.19 the king says that: "you always see with pleasure and confidence in the midst of the inhabitants
0.19 of your good city of Paris.
0.19 They are meet in the Tuileries castle, in the heart of Paris, where his
0.19 own great-grandfather Louis XIV wanted to leave when he built Versailles
0.19 because he found that the Tuileries it was so cold, also
0.19 impersonals, but above all because he didn&;t want to fall prey to the Parisian crowd,
0.19 which he saw as unpredictable and dangerous.
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 5: the French Revolution!
0.19 Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com
0.19 When Louis XVI walked the steps of the Tuileries castle on October 6, 1789, entered without
0.19 know it in the first of his Parisian prisons, the one that will undoubtedly be
0.19 the most pleasant of all.
0.19 The Assembly declares itself inseparable from the king and decides to move to Paris.
0.19 It was his turn to expose itself to the passions of the street.
0.19 Then, the king loses his title of King by divine right by decree of the Assembly, he&;s
0.19 no longer King of France, but King of the French, and he can no longer oppose to the Assembly
0.19 whose superiority is confirmed.
0.19 However, the heart of the problem remains economic. That the National Assembly
0.19 endow itself or endow France with a constitution, very good for them, but how to manage
0.19 this crucial problem which caused the upheaval and which even led France to a Revolution?
0.19 What to do? Borrow? The practice no longer inspires too much confidence. Ask the patriots
0.19 to make donations? They try it out, but the practice is more symbolic than effective.
0.19 They have to find money, a lot of money. The more so since taxpayers have
0.19 no more means to pay and a great mess reigns over tax collection,
0.19 the great fear made many administrators in charge of collection flee.
0.19 On October 10, 1789, a lame nobleman but with a perfect countenance put forward a proposal,
0.19 to say the least, original. Talleyrand, forced into an ecclesiastical career, was then
0.19 Bishop of Autun. Napoleon will say of him this famous insult: "you belong to a
0.19 shit in a silk stocking!" But we&;re not there yet.
0.19 Let us return to 1789, Talleyrand isn&;t yet at the zenith of his power, which will be under
0.19 the Empire, but his proposal has something to seduce. He assesses the budget deficit,
0.19 not to be confused with the debt which is much larger, at 2 billion.
0.19 If the debt isn&;t paid, the deficit should be paid off. But the man goes
0.19 further on, he argues that the land fortune of the Church is also assessed,
0.19 coincidentally, at 2 billion. A solution is needed: nationalize the property of the clergy
0.19 in order to respond to the financial crisis.
0.19 The idea seduces and constitutes the first blow to the power and the religious foundation
0.19 from France. On November 2, the goods of the clergy are made available to the nation.
0.19 At the same time, they set up a paper system, called "assignats", whose value was
0.19 pledged by Church property which has become national property. Originally issued for a
0.19 worth 400 million pounds, it&;ll only lose their value over the years,
0.19 weakening the diet a little more, causing new crises and, eventually,
0.19 completely questioning this system that will be put aside in 1797.
0.19 The measure to nationalize the property of the clergy isn&;t new, in itself.
0.19 Joseph II of Austria, Marie Antoinette&;s brother, set up this system himself
0.19 by confiscating and secularizing ecclesiastical property.
0.19 Let&;s go back to France. The French deputies who vote for the measure aren&;t
0.19 men animated by a desire for revenge on the Church, on the contrary,
0.19 it&;s more about placing new beacons on this overly powerful
0.19 owner who takes his orders not from the nation, but from Rome!
0.19 However, the blow to the Church will not be the last because, they understand that
0.19 the Church isn&;t a monolithic block. In this Church of France organized in
0.19 dioceses, about 120, the archbishops and bishops are at the top of
0.19 the hierarchy, who have considerable wealth and temporal power,
0.19 one could say that they&;re, in certain way, princes of the Church.
0.19 But much further below are the secular priests, those who live among men
0.19 and the regulars, divided into contemplative and mendicant orders. If the first
0.19 withdrawn from the world to the abbeys, the seconds, for example, the Franciscans
0.19 or the Dominicans live in the city, in convents, and dedicate themselves to the mission
0.19 of assist the poor and preaching.
0.19 Therefore, the deputies decide to attack, as a first step, the contemplative orders,
0.19 the less popular, no doubt.
0.19 Thus, on February 13, 1790, the suppression of religious orders was ordered.
0.19 Protests are heard from the clergy then deprived of the essential factor
0.19 to their survival, the tithe that can be levied in kind on the products on the land, such as
0.19 fat tithe, vegetables and fruits, small tithe and on the increase
0.19 of catte, tithes of meat, which makes it possible to meet the expenses of worship.
0.19 On April 3, 1790, they push even further.
0.19 With the help of the Declaration of Human Rights, they establish the equality of
0.19 cults, they no longer recognize Catholicism as the official religion of the State and,
0.19 plus, it&;s now up to the State to take charge of the registration of baptisms
0.19 and deaths, in addition to establishing a civil marriage, which will soon follow the proclaimed divorce
0.19 on August 30, 1792.
0.19 But the most violent blow has yet to strike. On July 12, 1790, they vote
0.19 in favor of the civil constitution of the clergy. Representatives of God no longer have to
0.19 answer for their acts to the Pope, but to the Nation. They&;ll thus be remunerated by
0.19 the state that will take over their function.
0.19 The Church is part of the administration, the relationship with religion is made functional
0.19 by ensuring the loyalty of its representatives and the values ​​of the Revolution. Those who
0.19 accept this new order of things must take an oath "to the nation, to
0.19 the law, and the king ”.
0.19 The dioceses then correspond to the 89 departments. While the Pope is fuming in Rome, there without
0.19 doubt many priests don&;t see these changes in the right tone, they refuse
0.19 to take an oath.
0.19 The pope at the time, Pius VI sent the condemnation of the text the next day. The
0.19 priests who refuse to sign will be qualified as "refractory priests".
0.19 Tensions at the heart of the revolutionary movement are appearing more and more.
0.19 It&;s no longer a question of clubs or fraternal societies which intend to assert their
0.19 demands in the new order of things, but positions which are, henceforth,
0.19 irreconcilable that emerge. Either they&;re in favor of the Revolution or
0.19 against.
0.19 Some great nobles take the roads of exile, not just to leave the
0.19 country, but to organize resistance outside.
0.19 But the year 1790 was also marked by a colorful event: the party
0.19 of the Federation of July 14, 1790, this festival that we celebrate every year
0.19 in France. To celebrate the storming of the Bastille, but also all the progress made
0.19 from the Estates General, all the people are invited to come together and celebrate
0.19 this French Revolution.
0.19 At the Champs-de-Mars, a vast space capable of holding nearly 100,000 people,
0.19 an altar is erected in the open air.
0.19 All social categories have come together to level the playing field, it&;s even said that
0.19 Louis XVI came to bring his pickaxe. They sing, they dance, they kiss. It&;s
0.19 no longer a question of death or fighting, but rather of harmony, union and freedom.
0.19 A term begins to be used: "regeneration". After degeneration of a regime,
0.19 the Old Regime, the Revolution allowed man to regenerate on the
0.19 basis of ideas of justice and equality.
0.19 They want to rediscover the innocence of man buried in human nature. Give man
0.19 back all his virtues, that is the watchword. To achieve this a great
0.19 staging must serve the purpose.
0.19 Mass is celebrated by Talleyrand, but soon the man of the Revolution appears,
0.19 the Marquis de Lafayette, who arrives at the head of the National Guard on a magnificent
0.19 white horse. The man is proud, he loves to be seen and gets drunk on the cheers that he
0.19 hears, cutting through the crowd, his gaze straight, straining towards the future. Then, he takes an oath
0.19 on behalf of the National Guard.
0.19 The King, seated on a throne, contemplates the ceremony which lasts several hours. But
0.19 nuance is important, he attends the show, he&;s no longer the show, others
0.19 take his place. Yet not everything is so golden and bright in this party,
0.19 dissensions are palpable. The King was forced to attend the feast, the aristocrats
0.19 were left out, they weren&;t allowed to attend, they were excluded from
0.19 the party.
0.19 In Europe look and wait to see what will happen in France. None of the
0.19 great powers, whether England, Prussia, or Austria
0.19 doesn&;t intend to intervent, on the one hand because nothing justifies it and, on the other hand,
0.19 because on the European scene, it&;s on Poland that they intend to focus
0.19 their attention, their troops are massed in the east and not on the western border with France. The war is rearing its head.
0.19 Varennes – The French Revolution Volume VI
0.19 The political transformations taking place in France
0.19 will bring a new way of exchanging, debating and disseminating ideas.
0.19 After the installation of the Assembly in the hall of the Manege near the garden of
0.19 Tuileries, and therefore in the heart of Paris, political life will transform upon contact
0.19 of the capital, because this political life needs several places and not only
0.19 of the Assembly.
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 6 of the French Revolution:
0.19 a new political culture and the flight from Varennes!
0.19 The hotbeds of disputes are the Palais-Royal and the Tuileries gardens
0.19 where speakers like to dissect, comment and criticize all political life,
0.19 we see the birth of new forms of speech diffusion, we could even speak of a
0.19 explosion of free speech. Long live free speech! – no, something else was happening –
0.19 Initially, the Jacobins club set up in July 1789 which
0.19 moved to rue Saint-Honoré, right bank, opened up to the bourgeoisie, then to
0.19 more modest citizens. The major dominant figures are Mirabeau and Robespierre,
0.19 we&;ll see soon to Robespierre.
0.19 In April 1790, the Cordeliers club was founded, established in the former Cordeliers convent,
0.19 left bank, near the Sorbonne where the membership fee is much lower
0.19 than the Jacobins, which means that there is more of the popular fringe of Paris.
0.19 There are political figures such as Jean-Paul Marat, Jacques-René Hébert, or
0.19 again Camille Desmoulins. Some, like Georges Danton, will start at the Cordeliers
0.19 before moving on to the Jacobins.
0.19 Another determining element, political newspapers, we had already spoken
0.19 about it here. But before 1789, censorship imposed tight control on literary production, so
0.19 periodicals were no exception.
0.19 However, with the Revolution we see the flourishing of printing carried by the multiplication
0.19 of newspapers.
0.19 Just to give you figures, in June 1789, we only count 5 newspapers while
0.19 that in December of the same year the figure rose to 130. Freedom of the press allows
0.19 everyone to write and print their ideas. Freedom goes through the printing press,
0.19 it&;s completely unpublished!
0.19 Among the most important titles of the Revolution, we can count: "The old cordeliers",
0.19 by Camille Desmoulins who, as its name suggests, we can imagine that will
0.19 promote the ideas of his club, "Le Patriote Français" de Brissot, "Le père
0.19 Duchesne" de Hébert, and "L&;Ami du people" of Marat.
0.19 These newspapers then reach a formidable number of Parisians, even those who aren&;t familiarized
0.19 with reading, as it&;s not uncommon to find individuals who read aloud
0.19 in the middle of the street newspaper articles to encourage the population to join
0.19 to their ideas. Speech is free, as we have already said, it knows no limits,
0.19 she goes everywhere!
0.19 However, after almost a year of Revolution, many agree on the idea that
0.19 now they have to come full circle, i.e., put an end to the Revolution. With the Mirabeau death
0.19 in April 1791, who were said to be in love with money, wine and women and that
0.19 this happy mixture led him to the grave, three participants from the Jacobin club arrive,
0.19 Barnave, Lameth and Duport, who want to set the limits for the end of this Revolution.
0.19 "The Revolution is over. It must be fixed and preserved by combating excess.
0.19 We must restrict equality, reduce freedom and fix opinion. The government
0.19 must be strong, solid, and stable", that&;s Duport who declared it on May 17, 1791.
0.19 This will arises from the fear of what is now called the Counter-Revolution.
0.19 Not all of them have found their account in recent events, and in particular the
0.19 nobility, who continues to flee, such as the Count of Artois, brother of the King,
0.19 and several will join him in particular in the city of Koblenz or even in Italy,
0.19 in Turin.
0.19 The decrees against the emigrants harden, June 28, 1791: the exit of France without
0.19 passport is prohibited, November 9, 1791: every Frenchman who is part of the meetings
0.19 formed outside the kingdom is declared in a state of conspiracy against the fatherland and
0.19 on January 1, 1792, the death penalty was decreed against emigrants who don&;t
0.19 lay down their arms.
0.19 These departures from the best of the French nobility will gradually inspire the Sovereign.
0.19 Louis XVI had many advisers in his entourage, the most radical urged him
0.19 to leave Paris, take refuge in a friendly Kingdom, form an army and return
0.19 to march triumphantly on Paris.
0.19 Others instead like the Comte de Mirabeau, who is still alive and receives
0.19 money from the sovereign to be sure that the Assembly remains faithful to the King,
0.19 instead offered him to take refuge in the center of France in order to not being
0.19 at the mercy of the Parisians. The idea gained ground, but on April 18, 1791 it imposed
0.19 more and more to Louis XVI.
0.19 Parisian spring brings warmth and comfort, but for the Sovereign, it&;s above all a question of
0.19 go to the Passover, or to go to Communion. Although he accepted nationalization of the
0.19 property and the civil constitution of the clergy, he remains a practicing Catholic and the
0.19 freedom of worship should enable him to exercise his right.
0.19 He intends to go to St-Cloud to receive communion from a refractory priest,
0.19 yeah, it&;s not super easy. As he prepares to leave, the people invade the
0.19 Cour des Tuileries and forces him to turn around. He does, but realizes
0.19 that he&;s no longer free, that the Tuileries are his prison. "I gave freedom
0.19 to the people and I&;m forbidden to practice my religion”, said the King. Mirabeau, dead
0.19 a few days before, no longer exercises his influence over the Sovereign
0.19 for a moderate solution as, for example, that winning the center of France will play as
0.19 an equilibrium.
0.19 The Sovereign is then the prey of his faithful who hate the revolution and preach
0.19 more and more insistent on a departure. Louis XVI knows that his salvation can
0.19 come from abroad. He takes the quill and writes to his brother-in-law, Joseph II of Austria,
0.19 therefore brother of Marie-Antoinette, to explain his project to him.
0.19 She also writes to her brother and didn&;t intend that her behavior
0.19 was dictated by a people who knew she was unstable and who hates her, there are more and more
0.19 caricatures of a sexual nature against her at that time. But Marie-Antoinette has
0.19 a particularly ally, how to say, interested, Count Hans Axel de Fersen,
0.19 her lover, of course.
0.19 But the king will accept the idea of ​​leaving, it&;s now a question of organizing everything,
0.19 is Fersen who will take care of the preparations.
0.19 It was on the night of June 20 to 21 that he decided to leave the Tuileries. Is
0.19 a whole crew that leaving because, with the King there is, of course, the Queen and the dolphin,
0.19 but also Madame Royale, daughter of the Sovereigns, Madame Elisabeth, sister of the king, and Madame
0.19 de Tourzel, accompanied by 3 bodyguards. Then, they have to give roles and organize
0.19 a bit of the staging.
0.19 False passports are issued, with the signature of the King, particularly easy to obtain.
0.19 Louis XVI then takes the name of M. Durand who would be an intendant of a Russian baroness
0.19 named Korff, played by Mme de Tourzel, who would return to her country of origin.
0.19 Marie-Antoinette would thus act as Madame de Tourzel&;s housekeeper. But despite the pressures
0.19 of the court, Louis XVI doesn&;t wish to go abroad, he doesn&;t want to be seen
0.19 like a deserter. Thus, he chose the stronghold of Montmédy, in Lorraine.
0.19 The first act falls into place. They pretend to go to bed, but the operation
0.19 is much longer than usual, already delaying the leak which only occurs
0.19 at 11:00 pm. The King knows he only has an 8 hour lead, because they&;re going to
0.19 find out, at least that&;s what he thinks, at 7 am, so they have to act quickly!
0.19 In the second act, the carriage carrying troop hits a stone and one of the wheels
0.19 breaks. Therefore, the King took the opportunity to admire the landscape and have a picnic. Meanwhile,
0.19 the Duke of Choiseul who must wait for the King at Pont-de-Somme-Vesle, at the exit of Châlons-en-Champagne,
0.19 notices the delay and wonders if he&;s not on the wrong path. The sun begins
0.19 to get up and it&;s 5 am, Choiseul knows that a troop armed with hussars risks
0.19 to stir up the population and jeopardize the affair, so he says: "we&;re going to leave".
0.19 So he leaves. Where the King is to be expected, there is no one!
0.19 But despite the absence of Choiseul, the King and his crew after a moment of reflection
0.19 decide to continue on the road. Then they arrive at Sainte-Menehould where the master of
0.19 post, Jean-Baptiste Drouet, welcomes them. He greets them, doesn&;t ask for passports
0.19 and allows them to leave. A few minutes later the pursuers of the king
0.19 arrive coming from Paris, because they now know that the King has fled. Drouet, unlike
0.19 to the legend, doesn&;t recognize the King on a coin, but on an assignat
0.19 with the effigy of Louis XVI. Drouet then sets off in pursuit, takes a path
0.19 crossing to arrive before the Berline at the next post, that of Varennes. He&;s arrived
0.19 before the troops and this time he recognizes the King, the cars are immobilized. This
0.19 that we will soon call the flight of Varennes is consumed.
0.19 Let&;s go back, if you don&;t mind, a few hours back to understand what
0.19 happened in Paris after the King&;s flight. As the king suspected, is
0.19 at 7 am when the valet enters the royals
0.19 apartments that the absence of the king and the royal family is noted.
0.19 Then they find a document entitled: Declaration of Louis XVI to all French people on its release
0.19 of Paris .., signed by the Hand of the King in that he explains the reasons for
0.19 his departure. He criticizes some of the elements of reform, in particular with regard to
0.19 finance, foreign affairs and religion.
0.19 The Marquis de Lafayette, who was to guard the King, notes that he spun him between
0.19 fingers as he swore the King&;s safety on his head. In order to
0.19 keeping it well tied between his two shoulders, he attempts a stroke of poker. He makes to the
0.19 Assembly write to say that the King has been kidnapped, even though still was easy
0.19 to demonstrate the contrary, the Declaration of Louis XVI leaving no doubt
0.19 on the Sovereign&;s intentions.
0.19 The popularity of Lafayette is then undermined when they realize the subterfuge.
0.19 Men are sent in pursuit of the King, those who will arrive at Sainte-Menehould.
0.19 They know very well that he fled. And meanwhile, the hot throats of
0.19 political clubs are already discussing the event.
0.19 A tribute rises in the gallery, Georges Danton, and he denounces the King&;s accomplices and calls
0.19 to the nation to rule alone. The divisions are more and more marked between the partisans
0.19 of the King who are less and less numerous and those who want to leave him aside.
0.19 What&;s going to happen? How will the crowd welcome the Sovereign on his return?
0.19 From right to left – The French Revolution Volume VII
0.19 We&;re in what is called the escape of Varennes, but as we know, the King didn&;t flee to Varennes, he was captured.
0.19 The day after the flight from Varenne on June 22, 1791, the King and his entourage returned
0.19 to Paris. In order to avoid any public disorder, they put up all over the city that
0.19 is forbidden to shout and aloud when the King returns.
0.19 Therefore, the Sovereign isn&;t greeted with screams of hatred, but in icy silence,
0.19 others will say deathly silence. The wheels of the Sedan hitting the pavement is hear.
0.19 The people look down on their King, the roles are reversed.
0.19 Alexandre Dumas will write that at this time, Louis XVI climbs on the first step of
0.19 the scaffold, should be qualified.
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 7 of the History of the French
0.19 Revolution with Louis XVI in hot water
0.19 If Marie-Antoinette was then ridiculed, sometimes riding enormous
0.19 phallus in front of amazed National Guards, other times representing her as an ostrich,
0.19 Louis XVI will soon also be the object of mockery more violent than innocent.
0.19 After the arrest of Louis XVI, a gourmet anecdote associates the King with a pig&;s foot.
0.19 Camille Desmoulins, in his journal, forges the idea according to which the King would have
0.19 ordered a pig&;s trotters, which he loves, in an inn during his escape. The time
0.19 that it was being prepared would have allowed Drouet to recognize him on a 50-pound assignat
0.19 and then have him arrested. Louis XVI lost by a cooking recipe, the anecdote
0.19 is constantly taken up by the brochures and cartoons of the moment. The recipe
0.19 will soon take the name of royal pig, passes under all the feathers of derision,
0.19 the King&;s curves then easily associate it with the animal that feeds on the rubbish
0.19 that litter Paris. Clearly, is far from the idea of ​​a King by divine right.
0.19 Beyond the fat and jubilant laughter that permeates certain publications, the fact
0.19 is that France is in an even more precarious situation than in 1789.
0.19 Those who wanted to end the Revolution realize the complexity of the problem
0.19 and, above all, of new developments, the King&;s failed escape. Thus, its put on
0.19 the carpet of fundamental questions: the meaning of the Revolution, the fate of Louis XVI, and the
0.19 social measures to counter the financial debacle which is far from being mastered
0.19 despite the assignats.
0.19 Money is lacking, that has the effect of pushing up prices, thus making the
0.19 population even more dissatisfied, it doesn&;t stop there.
0.19 The Cordeliers intend to put an end to Louis XVI. They propose a petition to
0.19 ask for the King&;s abdication. The Jacobins, for their part, broke away from the project and
0.19 don&;t intend to set it up. On July 15, 1791, a large demonstration
0.19 organized by the Cordeliers crosses Paris with banners on which its can
0.19 read: Liberty or death. Several deputies are radicalizing, wanting quick solutions.
0.19 However, this formula isn&;t a French creation, it&;s inspired by the one worn
0.19 by the American politician Patrick Henry, future governor of Virginia who had
0.19 popularized in 1775: “Give me Liberty, or give me Death! ".
0.19 On the morning of July 17, 1791, they went to the Champs-de-Mars, the same place
0.19 where they celebrated in 1790, to deposit the petition at the Altar of the Fatherland.
0.19 At noon, nearly 6.000 Parisians are present. Once again, they sing, they dance, they have picnics,
0.19 the atmosphere is good-natured. However, neither Robespierre, who is against the
0.19 demonstration, neither Danton, nor Desmoulins, nor Marat were present, they were advised
0.19 to leave Paris for fear of a coup. The crowd continues to gather, to hurry.
0.19 In front of them, the National Guard of Lafayette whose mission is to preserve order.
0.19 Some rioters a little more passionate than others assemble in front of
0.19 Lafayette troops.
0.19 Bailly, still mayor of Paris, holds the crowd at bay behind the Marquis. The space
0.19 that separates the armed troops from the crowd is gradually reduced. Clods of land
0.19 and stones begin to rain on the National Guards.
0.19 Lafayette doesn&;t want to shoot, he yells at his men to keep ranks, not to react.
0.19 He believes it&;s a small storm fomented by a few more motivated individuals. In fact,
0.19 there it&;s not.
0.19 The same climate of fear that developed around the Bastille on July 14, 89 and
0.19 during the Great Fear of August 4 of the same year, is again present. Bailly gives
0.19 the order to Lafayette to shoot, the latter refuses to do so, he doesn&;t want to be stained
0.19 with french blood. The mayor of Paris summons the officer to comply. Always nothing.
0.19 Bailly yells: Fire! The most experienced soldiers don&;t flinch, but those who have joined
0.19 to the ranks of the National Guards after 1789 fired!
0.19 A woman, a child and fifty citizens are killed. The cavalry chases the fugitives,
0.19 the Champs-de-Mars (Mars Field) has never been so aptly named, it&;s a real war
0.19 scene taking place there.
0.19 Lafayette is held directly responsible for the violence, he who had lost his splendor
0.19 after the flight of the King is here totally discredited.
0.19 The repression that followed the Champs-de-Mars shooting was severe, printing works were dismantled,
0.19 closed clubs, newspapers cease to appear and journalists or radicals
0.19 spokespersons are under arrest warrants.
0.19 The ties that unite the people, the nation and the Revolution are broken. Many say
0.19 although the Revolution is over and the "sans-culottes", a term that is spreading
0.19 to qualify the individuals of the populace, as they are called, are guilty
0.19 of what happened in recent months.
0.19 Thus, "sans-culotte" initially refers to those who don&;t wear "breeches"
0.19 but rather the trousers of the proletariat and the petty bourgeoisie.
0.19 However, between July and December 1791, the term “sans-culottes” will be reversed,
0.19 it&;ll then designate all those who oppose the aristocracy and the counter-revolution.
0.19 On the political side, the great work of the Assembly is finally completed since the deputies
0.19 finally give a constitution to France on September 3, 1791.
0.19 The King at first refuses the constitution but decides to accept it on September 13.
0.19 France enters in a Constitutional Monarchy. The King has a right of veto in addition to
0.19 the right to appoint ministers, senior officials, and ambassadors, while the Assembly
0.19 has the initiative of the laws and can&;t be dissolved.
0.19 The constitution that emerges from the work of the Constituent is based on a few strong ideas:
0.19 the need for a representative government in a country as large as France,
0.19 the separation of powers, according to Montesquieu: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary
0.19 and the idea that no man is really a citizen if he&;s not an owner.
0.19 Therefore, the electoral system distinguishes, as we have already seen here, the
0.19 active and passive citizens.
0.19 Executive power is vested in a monarch who is no more than the hereditary delegate
0.19 from the nation to the executive. Thus, the National Assembly, which became the Constituent Assembly
0.19 gave France a set of fundamental laws to regulate the
0.19 destinies of the country.
0.19 The Constituent Assembly is dissolved and leaves space for the Legislative Assembly, also called
0.19 simply the Legislative. Robespierre, elected from the Constituent Assembly, proposes
0.19 that the Legislative be populated by new men, or that those who drafted the
0.19 constitution cannot be representatives in order to avoid, as he&;ll say, cronyism.
0.19 The nickname of the incorruptible will soon stick to Robespierre&;s skin.
0.19 Thus, are the new deputies, all active citizens, who are elected and take
0.19 in his hands, with the King of the French, the reins of the country.
0.19 Gradually, tendencies and groups emerged without being able to
0.19 talk about parties yet. Let us summarize them: to the right of the president sat the aristocrats,
0.19 also called the queen&;s side. Its speakers are particularly brilliant, some
0.19 names are Cazalès a former officer, the abbot Maury whose spice words
0.19 were the admiration of his adversaries.
0.19 But the right also has its newspapers: "Les actes des apotres" where Rivarol is illustrated with
0.19 acerbe plume, and L&;ami du roi by Abbé Royou. In the center right, the monarchs, includes
0.19 Mounier, Malouet, Clermont-Tonnerre and Lally-Tollendal, who are supporters of an English-style monarchy,
0.19 but which were quickly swept away.
0.19 They failed to impose bicameralism, either the two-chamber system as in
0.19 Great Britain and here in Canada. In the center left are found the constitutional
0.19 dominated by the strong personality of Gabriel-Honoré de Riquetti, Count of Mirabeau. By his side
0.19 the mayor of Paris, Bailly, then Talleyrand, La Fayette, and the duke of La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt.
0.19 They refused the two chambers, fearing with an upper chamber the reconstitution of an
0.19 aristocracy, and willingly mingled their voices with those of the left.
0.19 To the left dominates a triumvirate formed by Alexander of Lameth a veteran of war
0.19 of America, Duport, who was discussed last week, adviser to Parliament
0.19 of Paris, and especially Barnave, extraordinary orator. At first hostile to the court, Barnave
0.19 was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the king and queen whom he was commissioned to bring back to
0.19 Paris after the failure of their escape. Therefore, he became one of the disinterested advisers
0.19 of Louis XVI, taking over from Mirabeau.
0.19 On the far left sit lawyers like Buzot, Pétion, and Robespierre. This
0.19 tendency is attached to newspapers such as "L&;Ami du peuple" of Marat, "Les revolutions
0.19 de France et de Brabant" by Camille Desmoulins, or "Le patriote Français" de Brissot.
0.19 However, the politic continues to be done in cafes and gardens but also
0.19 streets. The Parisian space is invested with politics.
0.19 With the Legislative Assembly, which sits for the first time on October 1, 1791, the presents forces
0.19 consist, on the one hand, the right with more than 200 members anxious to strengthen
0.19 royal power and strictly enforce the constitution.
0.19 They&;re the Feuillants, a group that separated from the Jacobins, who represent the
0.19 center-right.
0.19 On the other hand, the left, suspicious of Louis XVI, whose authority it intended to reduce,
0.19 mostly belongs to the Jacobins club. On October 7, Louis XVI was acclaimed to
0.19 the assembly. He chose moderates from the Feuillants club as ministers. Unfortunately,
0.19 these ministers were only responsible to the king, no dialogue is possible.
0.19 However, two problems quickly opposed Louis XVI to the Legislative Assembly. Emigration
0.19 took an important turn after the arrest of the king in Varennes and the armed rallies
0.19 of emigrants on the Rhine ended by worrying the deputies.
0.19 The Legislative votes, on November 9, 1791, a decree inviting the emigrants to return
0.19 within two months, under penalty of being considered "suspects of conspiracy"
0.19 and punished by confiscation of their property and death. The king refuses to sanction the
0.19 decree, using the veto power given to him by the constitution.
0.19 The deputies then vote a decree against the refractory priests, on November 29,
0.19 but this time again, the king refuses to give his consent.
0.19 Louis XVI&;s attitude is legal, but he gives the image of a protector of emigres
0.19 and priests who were enemies of the Revolution and aggravated the mistrust of the Parisian sections.
0.19 All this doesn&;t bode well for the King, no, no, no.
0.19 The wars – The French Revolution Volume VIII
0.19 We stay in the decree against refractory priests and the attitude of Louis XVI which aroused more and more mistrust.
0.19 Until now the Revolution has been confined to French space, we could even
0.19 say that I made her especially Parisian law. But the hopes it arouses in the other
0.19 side of the border gradually turn into mistrust and soon into fear.
0.19 If Austria has family interests in the person of Marie-Antoinette, Joseph
0.19 doesn&;t intend to intervene in France, just like his successor Leopold who took the
0.19 power on February 20, 1790.
0.19 In addition, Leopold II of Austria, that&;s his name, like Frederick William of
0.19 Prussia fears the lusts of Catherine II of Russia, who they know as very interested
0.19 by Poland, yes yes Poland.
0.19 Rather than intervening in France, they prefer to keep their armies for a possible coup
0.19 in Poland. Therefore, the front isn&;t to the west of Prussia and Austria, but rather
0.19 in the East, far from France.
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, volume 8 of the French Revolution with war!
0.19 Subtitles: salvadorarmandoul@gmail.com
0.19 The winter of 1791-92 marked many disappearances of basic necessities such as
0.19 sugar, bread or wheat. Riots and unrest continue in Paris – you
0.19 have understood that it&;s always like that, it doesn&;t change much –
0.19 But the economic situation isn&;t bright, far from it and in addition, soon its
0.19 talking from a threat of emigrants who could regroup in armies and come to
0.19 slaughter the populations who are in the kingdom and even in Paris!
0.19 We can&;t avoid wonder: why a State which can&;t
0.19 stabilize the achievements of the Revolution and whose internal divisions risk to provocate
0.19 in any time the debacle would it launch into a war, eh? When things go wrong, why
0.19 would we go to war? – I have lots of examples from the United States, but I
0.19 have so much that I can&;t figure out which one I could choose to illustrate
0.19 the propose –
0.19 This war of the Revolution will gradually become a solution to divert
0.19 the glances of the internal situation and also to be able to pay, eventually,
0.19 with the conquests, but these conquests have not yet been made, far from it.
0.19 France is then the most populous country, its army has 150,000 men against
0.19 35000 Austrians. However, the French army isn&;t
0.19 as well organized as his opponent, the 100.000 volunteers who were raised in
0.19 June 1791 didn&;t have the discipline and military experience necessary to carry out troops movements
0.19 and blindly obey the officers while despising death at the time of the assault,
0.19 well yes, because becoming a soldier doesn&;t just mean taking a gun, it does
0.19 mean forget everything and go there for the sake and the glory of the motherland, wow!
0.19 In Paris, they wrap it all up a bit in the idea that France, with this war, will bring
0.19 the benefits of the Revolution abroad, a little later, much later, a certain
0.19 Napoleon Bonaparte will take this idea and push it to its limits.
0.19 Not everyone agrees with war, Robespierre even warns that,
0.19 and I quote: "no one likes armed missionaries", and he continues: "the first council
0.19 that nature and prudence gives to invaded people is to repel the invader”.
0.19 They don&;t care, on March 25, 1792, the French ambassador in Vienna issues a demanding ultimatum:
0.19 the dispersion of emigrants staying in the Rhineland.
0.19 On April 20, 1792, the Assembly voted on the royal proposal to declare war
0.19 to the king of Bohemia and Hungary, yes, the king, because Louis XVI endorsed this
0.19 declaration of war in that he can appear to be a winner on both sides, it&;s
0.19 the reverse of: "Damn if you do, Damn if you don&;t". He&;s a winner winner.
0.19 If they win, Louis XVI will be the one who encouraged the war and if he loses, he&;ll be delivered
0.19 of his Parisian jail and will be able to recover his powers under the authority of a stranger
0.19 sovereign sensitive to his cause. The homeland is in danger, it should be defended
0.19 no matter the cost.
0.19 A few days later, on April 26, a young engineer officer, Rouget de Lisle,
0.19 sings in front of the mayor of Strasbourg a song he composed for the army of the Rhine:
0.19 “Come children of the Fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against our
0.19 tyranny, Do you hear in the countryside howling these ferocious soldiers? They&;re coming
0.19 to your arms, slaughter our sons and our companions! To arms, To arms citizens,
0.19 Form your battalions, March, march!
0.19 That impure blood Water our furrows!"
0.19 Its says the music inspired by a Mozart concerto but it&;s not from the army
0.19 of the Rhine that martial song is popularized, but by volunteers from Marseille
0.19 who will resume the song and help to gradually establish it as a hymn. It&;ll
0.19 take the name, you know it from "La Marseillaise". The Marseillaise then serves
0.19 to the family, individual and universal values ​​that the Revolution
0.19 intends to extend with its conquests.
0.19 They send the soldiers of France to fight for the values ​​of the Revolution, they think
0.19 that the victories will be rapid and final, it&;s not. It is rather
0.19 the opposite will happen. The Austrians and soon 50,000 Prussians,
0.19 led by the Duke of Brunswick advance.
0.19 The military leaders that are Lafayette and Dumouriez can&;t contain them,
0.19 the French troops take fright, avoid combat, fall back, don&;t listen
0.19 orders and failure, of course, ensues.
0.19 Very dark is the news reaching the Assembly. The Jacobins begin
0.19 to say that failures are indebted to internal enemies who harm the Revolution
0.19 and, muted, work against the Assembly.
0.19 The king&;s guard is considered counter-revolutionary, it&;s immediately dismissed. Then, a decree
0.19 provides for the creation of 200.000 national guards working in Paris. The King immediately refused.
0.19 Now it&;sup to the King to be accused of a counter-revolutionary. His successive vets,
0.19 those used against emigres and refractory priests quickly returned to
0.19 memory and its begins to qualify the King of “Mr. Veto”.
0.19 In order to make the Sovereign understand that the will of the people must be respected,
0.19 the Cordeliers organized a large demonstration on June 20, 1792 to force the King to sign
0.19 the decree.
0.19 Are nearly 10,000 men, armed with pikes, knives and sticks who penetrate
0.19 at the Tuileries, where the King is with his family.
0.19 They sing the «Ça ira», walking forward and shouting: "Long live the sans-culottes!" Long live
0.19 the patriots! Down with the veto”. The crowd manages to corner the King in the doorway
0.19 out of a window and holds he at bay. He&;s criticized for the use of his veto.
0.19 "But the constitution gives me the right", replied the king. They don&;t listen to him anymore,
0.19 they want him to approve and prove his attachment to the Revolution. So he
0.19 said, "What do you want me to do?"
0.19 A man speaks up and takes off his own hat, which is a phrygian cap.
0.19 The phrygian cap is a symbol of oriental origin worn in Paris by a native of
0.19 Phrygia and son of Priam, taken up in late Roman iconography, it&;ll become a symbol
0.19 of Parisian sans-culottes.
0.19 Thus, the man who comes before the King asks him: "Then put that",
0.19 handing him the hat. Louis XVI complies, very awkwardly.
0.19 Wearing the red cap, he tries to keep a proud figure, which only increases
0.19 his ridiculous and causes laughter from the crowd. Contented, the crowd leaves the Tuileries.
0.19 We have succeeded in making the King our puppet, some believe.
0.19 Alongside this attack, the military situation is deteriorating more and more. This
0.19 situation is confused, inside but as outside the country, nothing
0.19 doesn&;t seem certain, everything is shifting, but on July 25, 1792 the threat becomes clearer.
0.19 The Duke of Brunswick, commanding the Prussian forces in Koblenz, on the banks of the Rhine,
0.19 is advancing more and more towards France, sends to the Legislative a manifesto
0.19 in which he writes, and I quote that: "the city of Paris and all its inhabitants without
0.19 distinction will be required to submit immediately and without delay to the king” and he add
0.19 that: "if the castle of the Tuileries is forced or insulted, that if it&;s made the least
0.19 violence, the slightest insult to Their Majesties, the King, the Queen and the Royal Family,
0.19 it&;ll draw an exemplary and forever memorable revenge by delivering the city of Paris
0.19 to a military execution and total subversion". The threat is clear, it&;s the least
0.19 that we can say.
0.19 We now know that this manifesto was written by emigres and wanted by Marie-Antoinette,
0.19 that&;s what they say. The text spreads like wildfire. Far from provoking
0.19 fear is rather the anger and fury that he develops. Others, like
0.19 its sees in an engraving of the time, prefer to use it to wipe
0.19 with after relieving the intestines, in short, to make the manifesto a joyful
0.19 toilet paper.
0.19 The effect of the Brunswick manifesto provokes states of crisis in Paris, ignite
0.19 the idea that a foreign army could dictate its views on domestic French
0.19 policy. The insurrection unfolds and wins faithfuls. On August 6, a new
0.19 petition is presented to Champs-de-Mars.
0.19 Once again, they ask for the King&;s downfall, but this time the general assent
0.19 gives tacit consent to the maneuver.
0.19 Then, on the night of August 9 to 10, 1792, faced with the imminent dangers for the Nation,
0.19 the insurrectionary commune of Paris is declared, made up of 288 members, which takes
0.19 charges the Parisian municipality. Something serious is going to happen.
0.19 August 10, 1792 – The French Revolution Volume IX
0.19 We stay when began the night of August 9 to 10, 1792. Faced with the imminent dangers for the Nation,
0.19 its declares, remember, the insurrectionary commune of Paris, formed of 288 members, which takes
0.19 in charge of the Parisian municipality.
0.19 We find Marat, Robespierre and Hébert there, this latter is recognized to be a revolutionary
0.19 undivided, passionate, not hesitating to resort to the ends of violence
0.19 to impose his views. The Legislative immediately recognizes the new
0.19 Parisian authority. An atmosphere of siege reigns over Paris, but it&;s not
0.19 foreign enemies from whom they intends to defend, but many of those insiders, those
0.19 who want and can derail the Revolution.
0.19 Jacobins and Cordeliers take refuge at the Town Hall, where they find 7,000 soldiers.
0.19 The King, too takes defensive measures so as not to fall prey to the Parisians
0.19 as he was last June. He strengthens his positions at the Tuileries from 2 to 3,000
0.19 men, mainly Swiss guards.
0.19 Phew, all this promises to be a amazing epic! Come on, today in History
0.19 will tell us, the French Revolution, of course, volume 9, with August 10! Yes Yes
0.19 just August 10th.
0.19 Overnight we&;re now on August 10th, of course – I&;ve said it 4 times before-
0.19 the Monarchy has only a few more hours to live, the tocsin sounds, it&;s
0.19 the signal for the start of the insurrection. They want to prevent the King from reconquering
0.19 his rights.
0.19 From the right bank as from the left bank, the crowd descends to do justice.
0.19 The insurgents regroup and now intend to go
0.19 to the Tuileries to dislodge the King.
0.19 They manage to enter the castle
0.19 through a badly closed door,
0.19 that&;s what its said.
0.19 They see to the Swiss and promise them that they&;ll not to attack
0.19 if they pass now to the side of the Nation. Basically: "Come with us and
0.19 nothing will pass to you".
0.19 They are several to accept and, in pledge of their agreement, they launch cartridges
0.19 to the insurgents who occupy the yard, but in fact, it&;s only powder bullets
0.19 and therefore, it&;s not real bullets!
0.19 And suddenly, a gunshot ends the negotiations. The Swiss respond, the insurgents take
0.19 this as a betrayal. The captain of the Swiss then launched the assault on the yard,
0.19 sabers slice and cartridges this time contain bullets, strike and snatch
0.19 limbs and heads.
0.19 The insurgents fall back on the Town Hall. They recover and the offensive against
0.19 the Swiss is then victorious. Since 6 in the morning, they have been fighting. The Tuileries
0.19 are reddened by the blood of the insurgents and Swiss, the air filled with
0.19 cannon gives the impression that a thick fog has descended on the capital.
0.19 It&;s 11 in the morning, the Swiss are asking for a cease-fire. They do. Insurgents
0.19 disarm the Swiss and ask to see the King, it&;s still the primary function
0.19 of their assault. The king has been in his apartments and since the
0.19 night only heard bullets, screams and howls of pain.
0.19 He knows this time it won&;t be about just wearing a red
0.19 hat. A young officer passing by, an artillery officer named Napoleon
0.19 Bonaparte witnesses the massacre, he contemplates the Monarchy which fails and falls.
0.19 A mind-blowing telescope of history!
0.19 The balance of the clashes is high, nearly 1000 dead, men and women participated.
0.19 After descended into the courtyard, the King now faces unarmed defenders and
0.19 elated insurgents, he has only one place he could go to, the Legislative that
0.19 still sits on the other side of the Tuileries Garden, at the Salle du Manège.
0.19 It&;s a short walk of a few meters that he has to do, a walk between
0.19 magnificent groves designed by the great gardener who was André Le Nôtre, a
0.19 walk in the blazing sun, through the central alley, refusing to hide
0.19 under the bushy foliage of the trees, it&;s poetic but it&;s still the end.
0.19 He passes the basin, leaves the garden and goes to the Assembly where the deputies
0.19 are torn between the protection and the downfall of this man, because he&;s
0.19 no longer a Monarch, he&;s a man who presents himself to them, a man, a husband, a father
0.19 of family.
0.19 But beyond all that, he&;s above all a symbol that they want to attack and
0.19 arrested and imprisoned in the Temple. His fate will be decided later, yes sir,
0.19 yes madame.
0.19 The King who left the Tuileries a few minutes earlier, in fact, has only allowed
0.19 to take a break and prepare the Swiss for the grim fate that awaits them, because indeed,
0.19 with the King dissapear, the insurgents intend to do battle with the defenders of the Tuileries, it&;s
0.19 what we will call, among other things, the massacre of the Swiss guards.
0.19 The Swiss guards are massacred, a witness writes on this subject: “The Champs-Élysées
0.19 and the Tuileries are covered with corpses and blood, and these naked corpses, because the people
0.19 stripped them, is a horror spectacle that will strike me for a long time…
0.19 I believe there is no street where has not seen at least a head walked at the end of a
0.19 spike pole”.
0.19 With the King in prison, they&;re witnessing a power vacuum which is partly taken care of
0.19 by the Legislative and the insurrectionary commune of Paris. This latter redistributes the
0.19 60 city districts in 48 sections all of which will become spaces for discussion
0.19 and political organization.
0.19 The authority of the Commune is then without division. She decides on arrests,
0.19 the suppression of newspapers, and the dismissal of officers of the National Guard.
0.19 Anti-religious hatred and faith-related persecutions are on the rise.
0.19 A policy known as de-Christianization begin, including the ban on wearing religious costume
0.19 apart from the services and the first measures of confiscation of religious objects.
0.19 But it&;s not over, they&;rre also attacking the symbols of power. The statues of Henri
0.19 IV at Pont-Neuf, of Louis XVI at Place Vendôme are overthrown.
0.19 The symbols of the monarchy are scratched everywhere. They also take the opportunity to make a
0.19 ideological purification of street names, well yes, there are many that start with
0.19 “Saint” in Paris. There are even a lot, almost all of them, its could says. They
0.19 removes those who talk too openly about royalty or religion. This cleaning begins
0.19 in 1791 by the name of Voltaire given to the ex Quai des Théatins.
0.19 They first honor the precursors of the Revolution. Then, from 1792, they ban
0.19 the prefix "saint" that are signed on the inscriptions of the streets, the rue Saint-Denis
0.19 becomes rue Denis, rue Saint-Anne is renamed rue Helvetius and Pont Notre-Dame
0.19 becomes the Bridge of Reason – much like when the Americans renamed the "Freedom
0.19 fries” to mean “fries”. Oui voilà.
0.19 It&;s a new world that&;s being built, but what&;s happening in France is also of interest to foreign powers.
0.19 September slaughter – The French Revolution Volume X
0.19 We stay with decristianization as well as the king who had taken refuge in the Legislative Assembly.
0.19 This is inside the Kingdom.
0.19 Outside, the military situation is still not looking good. The Duke
0.19 of Brunswick manages to cross into Lorraine, he&;s on French territory. But it&;s
0.19 the defeat of Verdun, September 2, 1792 which frightens the deputies.
0.19 Verdun was the last stronghold before Paris, which means that the road
0.19 of the capital is open to enemies of the Revolution. Unlike ordinary wars,
0.19 in which opposes two Sovereigns for the conquest of territory and glory,
0.19 the situation of 1792 is quite different.
0.19 Parisians know that what awaits them will not be fun, they know
0.19 that moderation and measure will not be there. It&;ll not matter
0.19 to spare the populations in order to manage the war between the powerful, because whoever
0.19 had to lead France, in the eyes of the Prussians, is in prison.
0.19 Thus, the road to Paris being open, they understand that they can&;t expect any mercy
0.19 of foreign invaders. However, the new Emperor Francis I of Austria,
0.19 Marie-Antoinette&;s cousin is suddenly taken with inertia, the army is no longer advancing,
0.19 which drives the Queen mad with rage, she eagerly awaits deliverance.
0.19 Come on, today in History will tell us, the Revolution that falters!
0.19 In front of this sword of Damocles that hangs above the head of Paris, many are
0.19 the revolutionaries to be called for the purge, including Marat who said: “Get up! Stand up! And
0.19 let the blood of traitors begin to flow”.
0.19 On August 11, municipalities are allowed to arrest suspects, and on August 17, its
0.19 set up an extraordinary tribunal to judge the crimes of August 10 and the 26, therefore on 26
0.19 August 1792, its confirm the deportation of refractory priests, it accelerates
0.19 more and more this case, yes yes.
0.19 None of the decisions succeeds in calming the passions. When the news of the defeat
0.19 of Verdun reached the ears of Parisians, it was the signal for the start of the massacres.
0.19 The panic is growing in the capital. Defeat is explained by betrayal.
0.19 Marat calls on the patriots to take justice into their own hands.
0.19 Danton, takes up the thread and asserts that to defeat the enemies from the outside,
0.19 and I quote: "it takes audacy, more daring and always daring
0.19 and France will be saved! "
0.19 The prisons are then full of thousands of men and women, certainly the individuals
0.19 hostile to the Revolution, like the refractory priests but also the criminals of
0.19 "common law" and, as we said at the time,
0.19 "women of bad life" and "alienated".
0.19 They go to prisons and improvise courts whose verdict is acquittal
0.19 or death. The Paris Commune, through its supervisory committee, which
0.19 Marat directs, encourages the murderers who, according to some, have even been paid.
0.19 One scene is particularly cruel, that of the execution of the princess of
0.19 Lamballe, close friend of Marie-Antoinette.
0.19 Locked in La Force prison, she was expelled from her cell before being tried. Then,
0.19 the crowd attacks and hit her, they tear her clothes, they tear off
0.19 her hair, she falls, falls down in the street.
0.19 According to the formula, they cut off his head and put it at the end of a spike pole. They rejoice
0.19 with the decision and they intend to show the Austrian, i.e. the Queen, that her turn will come soon,
0.19 therefore they go naturally to the prison where the royal family is locked up.
0.19 Melancholy, Marie-Antoinette, gazes languidly out of the window of her cell and sees appearing
0.19 the bloodless eyes and burst lifeless veins of his confidante. Hijacking the
0.19 glance, she sags and falls into a sob accompanied by a dull cry.
0.19 Granpré, prison inspector, protests against the treatment of victims,
0.19 Danton, with the back of his hand, replies: “I don&;t give a damn about prisoners,
0.19 that they become in what they can! "
0.19 There are between 1.000 and 1.400 victims. The impact of these massacres, known as the September massacres,
0.19 is huge. In the provinces, it arouse disapproval and horror towards Paris, but
0.19 also help to terrorize opponents.
0.19 The massacres cease on September 6, the outburst of punitive violence marks the Parisians,
0.19 but several deputies consider that this was necessary. They&;ll call it
0.19 the massacres of September 1792, of course.
0.19 On September 20, 1792, as if history proved the deputies right, they find out that
0.19 Dumouriez has just won the first French victory against the Duke of Brunswick,
0.19 in Valmy. The wind starts to change, but this victory is nothing compared to that,
0.19 more marked, from Jemappes on November 2 of the same year.
0.19 Beyond the symbolic effect, Valmy allows deputies to start working again
0.19 in a climate less marked by the fear of being invaded from abroad.
0.19 With the imprisonment of the King, they must overhaul the constitution, it&;s then a question of dissolving
0.19 the Legislative Assembly and to convene a new Assembly, which takes the name of Convention,
0.19 whose first session opens on September 20, 1792, shortly after the
0.19 victory of Valmy.
0.19 This time, they don&;t take care to prevent anyone from showing up, as it
0.19 has done for the deputies who had sat during the Constituent Assembly and who didn&;t
0.19 could be part of the Legislative, as Robespierre wanted, it was his
0.19 wish that had been applied.
0.19 Another fundamental novelty, the voting system, suffrage is universal, the right
0.19 of voting is no longer the monopoly of active citizens. However, only 700.000 French
0.19 will take advantage of their right to vote in the summer of 1792 to elect the deputies of
0.19 the Convention.
0.19 Three camps are emerging, the Girondins, some of whose members are from the region
0.19 of Bordeaux, hence Girondins, Gironde, etc, led by Brissot, Vergniaud, Pétion, and
0.19 Roland, les Montagnards more to the left with Robespierre, Marat, Danton and Saint-Just, and
0.19 le Marais or la Plaine, who are the moderates with Sieyès, Boissy d&;Anglas, and Cambacérès.
0.19 The convention must write a new constitution, the tone is set when September 21, 1792
0.19 the abolition of royalty is formalized and the next day the Republic is proclaimed.
0.19 From now on, all documents are dated Year I of the Republic. One month
0.19 late, on November 20, overwhelming evidence is discovered against the King who had built
0.19 an iron cabinet hidden in a wall in the Château des Tuileries.
0.19 There is a whole series of letters that incriminate the Sovereign, but that
0.19 also involved certain key figures of the Revolution, such as Mirabeau, whose
0.19 double game now is discovered.
0.19 The Mirabeau&;s remains that had been brought to the Pantheon in order to
0.19 paying homage will be withdrawn, it now falls into the category of traitors.
0.19 Lafayette is also implicated, but he had already begun to feel the
0.19 suffered and had decided to go to the enemy in August 1792. The corruption to which
0.19 devoted to the King since 1789 is brought to light, he rises symbolically the second
0.19 step of the scaffold.
0.19 Le Montagnard Saint-Just, a close friend of Robespierre, then spoke at the Convention: “A
0.19 King must reign or die”. Heavy applause ensued.
0.19 Saint-Just is the first to say openly what many people think, but dare not consider.
0.19 Robespierre asks that Louis XVI not be tried. He said, "He has already been judged
0.19 and condemned by August 10”. The Convention doesn&;t follow him and decides that “Louis Capet"
0.19 will be translated at the helm of the convention, emanation of the nation
0.19 and the only one capable of judge. Louis&; trial begins.
0.19 The Death of Louis XVI – The French Revolution Volume XI
0.19 We had stayed when they agreed to judge Luis.
0.19 On December 11, 1792, then opens the trial of Louis Capet, so that he responds
0.19 of his acts in front the Nation, the Republic and the French people. Louis agrees to be
0.19 judged and intends to defend himself.
0.19 Come on, no time to waste, let&;s start. Today in History will tell us,
0.19 the trial of Louis Capet.
0.19 Louis faces 11 charges including trying to prevent
0.19 the reunification of the States-General, and thereby to have infringed upon liberty and to have
0.19 ordered the storage of beans, sugar and coffee, to have made an agreement with
0.19 Leopold II and the King of Prussia to restore the French monarchy, and to have put his
0.19 veto against refractory priests, so many accusations! Yeah, yeah.
0.19 At each of the accusations, Louis rebels and intends to weigh his arguments,
0.19 he knows that the dice are cast and that he can do nothing to move away from his fatal
0.19 fate, but it doesn&;t say he&;ll let it pass.
0.19 He&;s judged by the Convention, so he has little sympathy to expect from his
0.19 judges and his accusers, because both are merge.
0.19 On January 15, the Convention declares Louis Capet guilty of conspiring against
0.19 public liberty by 691 "yes" and any "no".
0.19 The roll call on the sentence begins the next day at 8 pm, in an tense
0.19 atmosphere and under the pressure of the stands. Four questions are asked.
0.19 The first: is Louis Capet guilty of conspiring against public freedom
0.19 and attacks against the general security of the State, yes or no? Only answer
0.19 yes, 673.
0.19 The second question: Will the judgment of the National Convention against Louis Capet be
0.19 subject to the people&;s ratification, yes or no? The no wins with 423 votes.
0.19 The third, the most important, and remember that the majority is 361, the third
0.19 question is: What penalty will be inflicted on Louis? Voted unconditional death:
0.19 361. When we say that every vote counts.
0.19 However, the fourth question can still postpone Louis&; death. Question: Will there be
0.19 a stay of execution of the judgment of Louis Capet, yes or no? 380 votes weigh
0.19 so much and condemn Louis to the guillotine.
0.19 A tenacious legend surrounds the design of the guillotine that its designer,
0.19 Joseph Ignace Guillotin would have asked the King&;s advice for the realization of his
0.19 famous guillotine, nothing is further from the truth.
0.19 It&;s also wrong to think that Louis XVI was the first to be beheaded
0.19 by the guillotine, because on April 25, 1792, on the Place du Carrousel in Paris, the great
0.19 record thief Nicolas Jacques Pelletier, is the first condemned to death, and who is
0.19 guillotine.
0.19 But, it&;s true to say that the revolutionaries considered the object as a form
0.19 of advancement for humanity. At the time, public executions could be
0.19 particularly cruel and unpleasant.
0.19 If an executioner could not break the limbs or the neck with a sword blow,
0.19 he could be sued for inflicting unforeseen suffering
0.19 in the execution sentence. So, there is an infinite number of ways to execute,
0.19 since the wheel passing through the fire, to arrive at the decapitation that is declined according to
0.19 the social category to which the executed belong.
0.19 I can&;t recommend Pascal Bastien&;s book enough to know more
0.19 on the subject.
0.19 The guillotine appears then as a form of equality in death for all citizens.
0.19 Its designer, Mr. Guillotin, also affirms that the condemned only feels a slight breath
0.19 pass on his neck.
0.19 Nevertheless, no comments could be collected from users, they
0.19 having literally lost his head.
0.19 Finally, it&;s true to say that the executioner who officiates that day has a long family
0.19 history in the profession, because the Sanson family is a famous family of Normans
0.19 executioners who worked in Paris from 1688 to 1847. When the Revolution broke out, Charles
0.19 Henri Sanson, who was then 50 years old, followed the movement without participating in it but acquired
0.19 the title of citizen in 1789. It&;s with his hand that all those who will be
0.19 guillotined in Paris will die.
0.19 On January 21, 1793 is a cold day in Paris. It&;s those winters when the sun
0.19 is veiled by a gray sky which makes the atmosphere gloomy, black and icy, the winter of 1793
0.19 is one of those.
0.19 Louis in the morning is locked in his cell at the Temple, he prays for the salvation of his soul
0.19 and prepares to meet his creator. When the officers come to pick him up,
0.19 he&;s resigned, but his body still refuses to follow the depression of his mind, he
0.19 rears up and refuses to move forward. With a strong shoulder they give Louis the impetus
0.19 necessary to set it in motion.
0.19 They arrive at Place de la Révolution, now Place de la Concorde.
0.19 On one side, Louis sees the Tuileries garden, and on the other, the Champs Élysées.
0.19 He suddenly hears a dull noise and receives in his ears a wall of sounds formed by
0.19 screams, howls and insults that comes to grab him, accusing him of the coup.
0.19 Louis, in the wagon that brings him pulls his chest back and lowers his eyes, he sees the
0.19 crowd, here, there, everywhere. He sees only a shapeless mass of mouths, fists and
0.19 eyes. The invectives no longer affect him, he has regained consciousness of his environment
0.19 and gets off the dumper.
0.19 He now shows up in his shirt, looks up and sees the great widow, the one
0.19 which will release him a little from all this pressure that is building up in his head. He makes a
0.19 step but feels behind his back that his hands are tied.
0.19 He climbs the steps towards the scaffold, but when arrives on the platform where the guillotine
0.19 wait for him, he rebels, he decides to speak to the crowd, is no longer a question of letting them interpreted
0.19 his silences, he said: "I die, innocent of all the crimes of which I&;m accused,
0.19 forgive those who are guilty of my death and I pray to god that the blood that
0.19 you&;ll spread not fall on France ”.
0.19 They roll the drums to bury his voice and, with another push,
0.19 they put him back in the saddle so that his eyes are riveted on the guillotine, his voice
0.19 breaks and his words get lost.
0.19 He&;s tied to a wooden plank, he feels splinters penetrating his skin.
0.19 Then, the ropes come to his torso and his legs, to fix him definitively
0.19 at his last point of contact on this earth. They push the board with Louis on it,
0.19 in front of another board flanked by a circular opening where the
0.19 Louis&;s neck. It&;s 10:24 a.m.
0.19 In a few seconds, descend a similar plank up his neck and Sanson pulls
0.19 on the lever that drops a blade that cuts off Louis&; head and puts it
0.19 a few centimeters lower, in a wicker basket. Sanson grabs
0.19 his head by the hair and showing it to people. "Long live the Nation, long live the Republic",
0.19 its hears, then they take up the chorus «Ça ira» by marking well the places
0.19 where its talk about putting the aristocrats in the lantern.
0.19 The Revolution is writing a new chapter, yes.
0.19 1793: The Betrayals – The French Revolution Volume XII
0.19 We had stayed when the king had lost his head. It&;s not over, well no. Let&;s see!
0.19 The King is executed, Marie-Antoinette far in the Temple prison, hears the cries of joy
0.19 of the people of Paris. She kneels in front of her son and immediately recognizes him
0.19 as Louis XVII, the new King of France. “The King is dead. Long live the King”, they say at the time
0.19 to signal that there is no vacancy on the throne and that they recognize the successor
0.19 upon the death of the Sovereign.
0.19 Louis XVI entered the grand seraglio of martyrs on January 21, 1793 since the execution
0.19 of the King becomes a rallying sign in France for the counter-revolutionaries
0.19 and an additional proof of French barbarism for foreign powers, an argument
0.19 more to continue and intensify the war.
0.19 Let&;s go, today in History will tell us, volume 12 of the French Revolution
0.19 with plots, murders, trials and betrayals!
0.19 Spain and Portugal join the anti-French coalition in January 1793
0.19 and, on February 1, France declared war on Great Britain and the United Provinces.
0.19 Lafayette gone, only General Dumouriez remains, architect of the victories of Valmy
0.19 and Jemmapes, but on April 5, 1793, he too went to the enemy.
0.19 Those betrayals strikes the Revolution in the heart, but it will give way to others
0.19 warlords, including a certain commander who will soon be general named Napoleon
0.19 Bonaparte, again he, who distinguished himself at the end of this year 1793
0.19 at the siege of Toulon.
0.19 On February 24, 1793, 300,000 men capable of fighting are forcibly recruited, in fact
0.19 is about a requisition and it&;s the poorest classes who are brought
0.19 to defend the values ​​of the Republic. Yet only 97.000 men are enlisted
0.19 and of this figure only 37.000 are ready to go.
0.19 However, it was in Paris that the Revolution will know a turning point. The first months
0.19 of the year saw a marked opposition to the Convention between, on the one hand, the Montagnards
0.19 with Robespierre and Danton, and the Girondins with Brissot, Roland, de la Platière,
0.19 of course, and Buzot.
0.19 The Girondins are then linked to General Dumouriez and benefit from his victories
0.19 while it lasted to put forward their ideas, but when Dumouriez passes to
0.19 the enemy, immediately discredit his relatives, including the Girondins. The context
0.19 don&;t help them because they look everywhere for traitors who would risk putting the
0.19 Republic in peril.
0.19 Robespierre, in his writings, but even more in his speeches is particularly obsessed
0.19 by conspiracies. Even within France, counterrevolutionar bastion are beginning
0.19 to be seen, the most famous and the most powerful is, undoubtedly, the
0.19 region of Vendée that then includes part of Anjou, Poitou and Brittany.
0.19 They refuse conscription and they have always opposed to the civil constitution of the clergy.
0.19 The danger is at the heart of France, military leaders improvise, take up arms
0.19 and intend to bring a Revolution that goes too far.
0.19 Nantes, a city seized by the counter-revolutionaries, is a vital artery for France by
0.19 its importance as a port of access to the Atlantic, so they can&;t afford to leave
0.19 a city of such importance to the inner enemies, what is soon called
0.19 the enemies of the Revolution!
0.19 Arrived in Paris, the news of the Vendée is added to that of the Anti-French Coalition
0.19 which is taking shape and brings together all the powers of Europe and, of course, the
0.19 treacherous Albion, England.
0.19 Yet there is also an even more dangerous peril, the lack of food in Paris.
0.19 We knows that Paris is the heart of France. Not having enough food or even
0.19 seeing prices soar are the two dangers facing moderates,
0.19 those who want to work in peace to propose reforms that aim for consensus.
0.19 None of these conditions is present in this month of February 1793. Riots
0.19 break up. A new group emerges, the Enrrages, headed by Jacques-René
0.19 Hébert. We are witnessing the radicalization of political groups. They target those they
0.19 calls hungrys and enemies of the Revolution, a formula that will become usual
0.19 to qualify those who aren&;t on the same political side as ours.
0.19 However, there is no question of seeing the young Republic crashing and the deputies
0.19 work tirelessly to deliver to the French people the fruit of their
0.19 efforts since the establishment of the Convention.
0.19 They agree that they should not give in to the enemies of the Revolution, therefore,
0.19 on March 1793, is located an extraordinary criminal tribunal which will take the name of revolutionary
0.19 tribunal whose function will be to judge and condemn, and I quote its functions, all
0.19 counterrevolutionaries companies, the attacks on freedom, equality and the unity of
0.19 the Republic. Vast program, it could be said.
0.19 Who will assume the function of prosecutor is Antoine Fouquier-Tinville who is
0.19 in charge of organizing trials and evidence against the accused. His verve
0.19 and his oratory will be unparalleled in this court, he handles the verb like
0.19 others wield the sword, cutting and knowing how to strike at the heart.
0.19 A few days later, surveillance committees were created in each town in order to
0.19 control strangers and suspects. The most important committee will be invested
0.19 of wide powers, the Committee of Public Safety which, in fact, replaces the ministers in
0.19 law enforcement. They want, as Danton will say, to give an antidote to revenge
0.19 people. Everything is good to find, judge and slaughter to
0.19 the enemies, those who will not agree, must also be eliminated.
0.19 The new deal then confronts the two major groups of the Convention, the Montagnards
0.19 and the Girondins. The guillotine can destroy enemies, but even
0.19 more to send a message to potential conspirators lurking in the shadows.
0.19 Robespierre is more and more convinced of this, they must be brought to light.
0.19 Marat also sees plots everywhere but goes further, he develops a theory
0.19 of necessary violence. He says: "it&;s in the fires of subversion that where
0.19 the freedom born". He&;ll even ask for a hundred thousand heads. In no way
0.19 does he aspire to end the Revolution.
0.19 The Girondins manage to pass a decree of indictment against Marat, he&;ll have
0.19 face the court, so Marat! Mis Marat is a weakened man, plagued by skin illness
0.19 that forces him to spend long hours in a bath, where he often enjoys
0.19 writing articles for his newspaper L&;Ami du peuple.
0.19 Nevertheless, Marat is also a remarkable orator who knows how to parry the blows of his opponents.
0.19 Thus, when he was arrested on April 23, 1793, he trusted his art.
0.19 The next day, he was acquitted and carried in triumph. The Girondins are then in
0.19 the sight of Montagnards, they no longer hesitate to qualify them as enemies of the Revolution.
0.19 Untenable, the Montagnards-Girondins opposition would end in the annihilation of
0.19 one of the two groups, because tension and anger had been fueled. The Montagnards
0.19 knew how to channel the claims of the Sans-Culottes and point to the Girondins.
0.19 With the betrayal of Dumouriez, supported by the Girondins, but also after the failed
0.19 episode in the Marat trial, the Brissots, Vergniaud, Pétion, and Roland knew that
0.19 darks hours awaited them. Dumouriez, passed to the enemy, then warns to the Convention
0.19 that he intends to march on Paris, and I quote him: "to purge France of assassins
0.19 and agitators".
0.19 The military situation deteriorates rapidly, all victories are quickly erased
0.19 by crushing defeats, the Prussians resume their march and advance towards
0.19 France. People are scolding, the sans-culottes intend to assert their claims,
0.19 by force if necessary.
0.19 The Convention sits in an electric atmosphere, they&;re attack a dozen key cases head-on
0.19 which all risk ruining the achievements of the Revolution. To relieve
0.19 people and give themselves a little respite, the Convention votes what it describes as
0.19 "Maximum" that is, in fact, the establishment of a maximum price for the first need
0.19 products. They want to solve the problem of a huge price change.
0.19 This is too few.
0.19 Robespierre gets up and points his finger at the Girondins who are totally overwhelmed by
0.19 the events. We are in June 1793. The Enrrages and the Sans-Culottes position
0.19 their camps in front of the shops, they want bread, they&;ll have.
0.19 On June 1 and 2, 29 deputies from the Girondins were arrested, it was the end.
0.19 The Montagnards and their charismatic leaders can finally take power and exercise it
0.19 without sharing.
0.19 On June 24, 1793, the new Bill of Rights was submitted for ratification
0.19 by the French, 2 million approve it and around 10.000 say no. Three
0.19 men aspire to lead France, Robespierre, Danton, and Marat, all Montagnards.
0.19 But it would be wrong to believe that the group is homogeneous and works towards a common goal,
0.19 rather, it&;s fraught with tensions that, at any moment, run the risk of creating more "impasses".
0.19 Marat isn&;t as present as his two acolytes, his health problems prevent him
0.19 to have a sustained presence in the public space. However, his texts of
0.19 L&;Ami du peuple newspaper, are read, re-read and commented on everywhere, in Paris and in provinces.
0.19 It&;s also in the provinces, in Caen that a certain Charlotte Corday, was able to read
0.19 these lines published by Marat and he says: "A year ago five or six hundred heads
0.19 dejected would have made we free and happy. Today, they would have to sacrifice ten thousand.
0.19 In a few months perhaps they&;ll shoot a hundred thousand, and they&;ll do wonderfully".
0.19 Charlotte Corday, 25, a descendant of one of the greatest tragic actors,
0.19 Pierre Corneille, has shivers down her spine. Marat, according to her, is perverting
0.19 the Revolution, he&;s the enemy to be defeated, he goes too far. Thus, out of respect for
0.19 the principles that made the Revolution, she decides to sacrifice herself.
0.19 She leaves Caen and arrives in Paris in July 1793. She goes to Marat&;s home.
0.19 She claims to reveal to him the names of the Girondins in exile who are hiding in Caen. At the time
0.19 when Marat is in his bath about to write, Charlotte Corday, on July 13,
0.19 1793, plunges the long kitchen knife she had bought into the heart of Marat.
0.19 Marat died immediately. They find out about his murder, and the man leaves in triumph, his work
0.19 is lauded. They bring his remains to the Pantheon a few months later while Charlotte
0.19 Corday is tried and sentenced to death on July 17, and to explain his gesture she says:
0.19 "I killed a man to save a hundred thousand".
0.19 However, in the summer of 1793, it was the war that was to become the main topic of discussion,
0.19 but even more the catalyst for a set of decisions that, in the long term, will put
0.19 in abeyance the constitution, the declaration of the rights of man and the ideal
0.19 of Revolution itself. The offensive of the Anti-French Coalition is increasingly threatening,
0.19 Savoy is invaded, the stronghold of Mainz is abandoned and Valenciennes falls
0.19 also on July 27.
0.19 In addition, the wars taking place in the Vendée see significant victories
0.19 for the counter-revolutionaries in May and June. That&;s not all, now its adds
0.19 revolts in Normandy, in the region of Bordeaux and Lyon, the eviction of
0.19 Girondins left many dissatisfied and these revolts are fruit of their marginalization.
0.19 Then begins what some call the "Terror", the guillotine is now called the "national knife".
0.19 The Terror – The French Revolution Volume XIII
0.19 In September 1793, the French Revolution fell into horror, France was threatened
0.19 from outside by war against the greatest European powers and
0.19 internally by the insurrection of several departments, the deputies of the Convention
0.19 decide to take exceptional measures.
0.19 Come on, no time to waste, today, for volume 13 of the French Revolution,
0.19 we start with what we have called "Terror"!
0.19 After having suspended the Constitution until peace, entrusted the reality of power to the
0.19 Public Safety Committee, dominated by the harshest elements of the Revolution, the terror
0.19 is placed at the center of concerns: "Heads fell like slates",
0.19 will say Fouquier-Tinville, the prosecutor.
0.19 The omnipotence of the Public Safety Committee is increasingly asserted. His eleven
0.19 members become essentials, especially with Robespierre, Couthon, Collot d&;Herbois,
0.19 and Saint-Just.
0.19 The revolutionary government is committed to establishing a new order. Robespierre,
0.19 he always, writes: "The revolutionary government owes to good citizens all
0.19 national protection; he owes only death to the enemies of the people ”. The tone is set.
0.19 Judgments and trials against counter-revolutionaries aren&;t new, but it&;ll intensify.
0.19 However, the idea that "terror has been put on the agenda" is wrong.
0.19 In fact, this is a mistake. Let&;s give the facts. We&;re at the Convention, on
0.19 September 5, 1793, is Bertrand Barère, deputy of the Convention and member of the Public Safety
0.19 Committee , who says to the sans-culottes: "You, the sans-culottes, demand that
0.19 we put terror on the agenda, therefore, we decide that you&;ll have the creation
0.19 of a revolutionary army”.
0.19 The sans-culottes left the Convention without understanding, believing that the terror had been
0.19 proclaimed, it&;ll be said for more than a month in Paris. However, from an institutional point of view,
0.19 no law says so.
0.19 Moreover, several deputies continue to assert that Terror is the weapon of
0.19 tyrants and kings. Indeed, the thing isn&;t new. Tamerlan intended to provoke the
0.19 terror by piling up pyramids of skulls to subdue the cities in which
0.19 he was going to arrive, showing them what might happen if they resisted.
0.19 César Borgia for his part, in the 15th century, sent one of his lieutenants to terrorize
0.19 a region and then executed him at his command to show people that he was
0.19 the master of Terror, that he could unleash and stop it according to
0.19 his goodwill.
0.19 More recent still, the devastation of the Palatinate in 1674 then in 1689 by the French armies
0.19 of Louis XIV are all examples where the Terror served political aims
0.19 using violence to make exemplary cases while sending messages
0.19 to potential enemies that resistance is useless.
0.19 Before the guillotine, we&;re witnessing a large enterprise aimed at regenerating France
0.19 giving it new foundations. Therefore, it&;s advisable to destroy the old
0.19 superstitions, the Catholic religion and its creatures, but also all its manifestations
0.19 in the public space. A violent campaign of dechristianization had been launched.
0.19 They pursue it and intensify it.
0.19 On September 25, 1793 all priests and nuns must obligatorily meet
0.19 marry or adopt a child or even, and I quote: "to maintain and feed at his table
0.19 a needy old man”.
0.19 In addition, all public religious signs must be destroyed. From now on,
0.19 at the entrance to cemeteries, it should read: "death is eternal sleep",
0.19 to assert that all life after death is a superstition
0.19 of the Old Regime.
0.19 The most surprising change, but also possibly the most confusing
0.19 one is the imposition of a new revolutionary calendar in October 1793,
0.19 work of Fabre d&;Églantine. They wanna get rid of the old schedule also
0.19 associated with the saints and religious feasts.
0.19 The year is then divided into twelve months of thirty days with bucolic names: Floréal,
0.19 or climatic: Pluviôse, Ventôse, Brumaire. The week is replaced by the decade and
0.19 Sunday by Decadi. The year is completed by five additional days
0.19 known as "sans-culottides".
0.19 From now on it&;ll speak, for example, of the 1st Frimaire year II, formerly November 21, 1793.
0.19 However, on closer inspection, we realize that there is much less
0.19 holidays, since Sunday or Decadi isn&;t every 7, but every 10 days, a measure
0.19 aiming to make workers, who already have to do exhausting work, work even harder.
0.19 The names of saints are also proscribed: Saint-Denis becomes Franciade, Notre-Dame
0.19 Cathedral in Paris was transformed, on November 10, 1793, into the Temple of Reason. Almost
0.19 all streets of Paris have religious references, such as rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
0.19 They launched a major campaign to rename the streets of Capital, we saw the birth of the
0.19 Place des Piques (Place Vendôme), Place de la Fraternité (Place du Carroussel), and
0.19 rue Révolutionnaire (rue Princesse). In provinces, the holy Ampoule of the coronation in Reims
0.19 is destroyed.
0.19 A real cultural revolution is brewing. They make a clean sweep of the past, and more particularly
0.19 of all visible signs of the monarchy. Certainly, there was already
0.19 started several months ago, but here they&;re going much further, the process is radicalized.
0.19 The statue of Louis XIV on the Place des Victoires is demolished and for that of Henri IV on
0.19 the Pont-Neuf is planned to be replaced by an immense effigy of Hercules.
0.19 In October 1793, a law established equality of sons and daughters in inheritance,
0.19 it becomes impossible to favor one child over another in a will. Its
0.19 had already allowed, by decree of August 30, 1792 that "marriage is dissolvable by
0.19 the divorce". This allows individuals to be masters of their own destiny.
0.19 The children who will be born may be called Brutus or Rousseau, they not only want to
0.19 sing the glory of the Revolution, but also that it can be seen and heard
0.19 in everyday words. This is also why politeness, or
0.19 rather, the "know-how" brands will be completely reconsidered.
0.19 The typically French politeness that embodies the foundations of royalty
0.19 and absolutism aims to distinguish itself as much as possible by removing individuals
0.19 of bodily instincts. Civility is opposed to the Revolution so it&;s a sign
0.19 of distinction.
0.19 In Paris, the revolutionary newspaper Le Mercure National publishes an appeal "for a change
0.19 of manners and customs, the establishment of a revolutionary politeness”. All citizens
0.19 are invited to use only familiarity.
0.19 Since no one is anyone else&;s master, they replace "Monsieur" and "Madame" by
0.19 "citizens”. But the practice is difficult to impose, it becomes a sign of political
0.19 membership. The radicalization of the Revolution will confront this tendency. Finally,
0.19 in November 1793, a decree prohibited the act of assimilating to a counterrevolutionary demonstration,
0.19 liable to the scaffold. However, there is no law passed by that side.
0.19 The use of familiarity is unofficially compulsory.
0.19 On December 15, 1793, a waiter from Le Procope, on the left bank, after a
0.19 long working day he forgets, he sees two citizens. They get carried away
0.19 and bring the poor man before the Public Safety Committee so he is immediately
0.19 incarcerated. Moreover, they should no longer call "Monsieur", the word Monsieur,
0.19 because "sieur" is a drift of Monsignor, symbol of the Old Regime, rather they
0.19 shoud be called "citizen" because all individuals are equal, without distinction.
0.19 What was called the “Terror” affects all aspects of Parisian society.
0.19 The Stock Exchange was closed in August 1793 to avoid speculation and avoid a strength
0.19 loan. At the same time, the constitution of a public debt ledger is
0.19 decreed to reassure the State&;s creditors.
0.19 A law establishes the death penalty for hoarders and traders who don&;t declare
0.19 their stocks: mainly wheat, bread and beef. The effect of this measure was mediocre,
0.19 the Convention must face up to popular emotions. Revolutionaries invent
0.19 the "metric system" in favor of the creation of a stable system of weights and
0.19 measures, uniform, simple for all citizens of the kingdom of France. In August 1793, new
0.19 units, the meter and the gram are standardized throughout the Kingdom. Uniformity
0.19 and standardization must serve to productivity and better understanding.
0.19 They want to offer new social markers and new institutions.
0.19 However, despite all this new structure that they&;re building in
0.19 a very short time perhaps, some will say, a decision will mark the new
0.19 regime that is established.
0.19 We&;re on September 17, 1793. A law intends to put an end to the plotters, the
0.19 people without confession and to those counter-revolutionaries who poison the future that the French
0.19 try to give themselves by voting for the common good, at least that&;s what they say.
0.19 The law of the suspects is sanctioned by the Convention and will allow to give a job
0.19 without respite to the executioner Sanson, the purification will begin with about twenty severed heads
0.19 per day. "All those who will not be able to bring
0.19 tangible proof of their commitment to the Revolution, will automatically be liable
0.19 of arrest”, indicates Saint-Just.
0.19 One thing, however, is more pernicious because its target to nobles, the emigres
0.19 and, in a very vague way, leaving room for speculation and difficulty of interpretation:
0.19 "Those who, either by their conduct, or by their relations, or by their words,
0.19 or their writings, have shown themselves to be supporters of tyranny or federalism, and enemies
0.19 of freedom”.
0.19 In Paris, the revolutionary tribunal will proceed to the judgments. Here, let&;s say the numbers have
0.19 often been exaggerated. Berriat-Saint-Prix, a 19th century jurist, speaks of 14.000
0.19 condemned, while in 1935, the American historian Donald Greer speaks of 16.000 individuals
0.19 tried and executed. In 1987, the economist René Sédillot by him of 35.000 victims
0.19 of Terror. As Jean-Clément Martin points out, in his recent “La terreur, Vérités
0.19 et légendes”, “the Sédillot&;s book doesn&;t generate any critic .
0.19 publication" so it&;s telling you how it was received.
0.19 American historian Julia Douthwaite speaks for her side of 377 convicts between
0.19 November 1, 1793 to March 31, 1794 and 2,229 from April 1 to July 31 of the same
0.19 year.
0.19 For Robespierre, there is no question of blindly hitting all those who put themselves
0.19 in the path of the armies and deputies of the Revolution. To terror he attaches
0.19 an idea that marks the framework in which the Public Safety Committee and the
0.19 revolutionary tribunal must work: "The virtue without which terror is fatal. Terror,
0.19 without which virtue is powerless” he&;ll say.
0.19 In October 1793, they plan to attack the last "monument" of the old Monarchy:
0.19 Marie-Anoinette. Since the death of her husband, the former Queen has been transferred to
0.19 the Conciergerie prison, not far from the Seine, but without enjoying
0.19 the benefits that its banks bring to Sunday walkers.
0.19 Her cell is narrow, poorly lit, damp and uncomfortable. With the law of suspects,
0.19 they want to act quickly. The prosecutor Fouquier-Tinville, whose work table fills up to no
0.19 not knowing too much how to handle all this paperwork, don&;t intend to leave
0.19 spin off the culprits.
0.19 For Marie-Antoinette, Jacques-René Hébert constitutes the dossier. He&;s the
0.19 leader of what are called the "Enrrages", who constantly want to accelerate and
0.19 to push the Revolution further. Hébert provides evidence that the Austrian
0.19 would have been guilty of incest towards her son, little Louis-Charles of France
0.19 (Louis XVII) legitimate heir to the throne.
0.19 Impassive, but her gaze transfixed by the coarseness of the accusation, Marie-Antoinette says
0.19 nothing. A juror took the opportunity to mark the accusing silence of the Queen. She
0.19 rebels and stands up, violently, throwing her chair on which she was hardly
0.19 leaning. Her eyes moist, her voice hoarse, but her hand outstretched to the audience, she implores:
0.19 "If I didn&;t answer it&;s because nature itself refuses to answer
0.19 such an accusation made to a mother. I appeal to all
0.19 who can be found here!".
0.19 They want to make one example, another. She&;s accused of being an accomplice in the betrayal of Louis
0.19 Capet, the great widow is waiting for it. His sentence was pronounced on October 16, 1793 at 4 am,
0.19 she is taken to the scaffold a few hours later.
0.19 The woman that the crowd sees looks like an old woman, her hair is bleached,
0.19 her features are drawn, her shoulders slumped, yet she&;s only 38 years old. The young Louis
0.19 XVII, who had been taken from his mother in July 1793, is under the care of his
0.19 jailer. For some, he died in 1795 at the age of 10, for others he
0.19 was simply lost track, so there is a lot of speculation.
0.19 Paris isn&;t the only theater of the executions of the enemies of the Revolution. In Lyon,
0.19 forces loyal to the monarchy rose up. In October, a violent repression ensues
0.19 by the Republican troops, its proceeds to 1667 executions.
0.19 The Convention decides the destruction of the city: "All that was inhabited by the rich
0.19 will be demolished. Only the poor man&;s house will remain, the buildings specially used
0.19 to industry and monuments dedicated to humanity
0.19 and public education".
0.19 The measure will remain a dead letter, but they take the opportunity to change the name of the city
0.19 to "Commune-Affranchie". Another black episode, in November 1793, the prisons of Nantes
0.19 are overcrowded, food is scarce. They want to eliminate 10.000 prisoners, they say.
0.19 Shootings and executions are no longer enough. They then propose "national baths"
0.19 to drown the opponents in a "revolutionary torrent".
0.19 The prisoners tied up are crammed into boats that are taken to the middle of
0.19 the Loire. Breaches are made so that they sink quickly in the icy waters.
0.19 It&;s estimated that over 3.500 victims will suffer this fate.
0.19 In Toulon, Bonaparte in December succeeded in ravishing the city which had been taken by
0.19 the coalition led by Great Britain and Spain. "The infamous name of Toulon
0.19 is deleted. This town will henceforth bear the name of Port-la-Montagne”, they decreed
0.19 at the Convention a few days later.
0.19 The successes in France against the insurgents, and more particularly against the Vendée
0.19 at the end of 1793 gradually brought the deputies turn to look at each
0.19 other for traitors and enemies of the Revolution.
0.19 Paris returns to center stage. Of course, they continue to fight outside,
0.19 several victories will also strengthen France&;s positions at the borders.
0.19 The subsistence problems that Paris has known since the beginning of 1789 are still
0.19 far from being reabsorbed, worse, it&;s worsened still further.
0.19 The famine seems, at first, to serve the ambitions of the "Enrrages", the
0.19 radical sans-culottes, who want to carry out new purges. Beside the radicals
0.19 of the Public Safety Committee or of the Enrrages of Hébert, they see the building
0.19 up of a force that seeks to calm the spirits and try, once again, to put an end to the Revolution
0.19 while retaining what its achievements.
0.19 It is Camille Desmoulins who best embodies this figure of the Indulgents. He publishes
0.19 the first issue of Vieux Cordelier on December 5, 1793 by attacking to "advanced"
0.19 revolutionaries.
0.19 Desmoulins wrote: "They want to exterminate all their enemies with the guillotine! But,
0.19 could there ever have been a greater madness? Can you kill a single one on the scaffold without
0.19 earning ten enemies from their family or friends?" He wants this to end.
0.19 It&;s a literary success, but also a political success since the ideas of
0.19 Indulgent spread like wildfire. Not all are of this opinion,
0.19 radicals in the first place, and specifically those who sit on the Public Safety Committee:
0.19 Saint-Just, Robespierre and Couthon. What&;s going to happen?
0.19 Thermidor – The French Revolution Volume XIV
0.19 We stay with what we called "Terror".
0.19 The year 1794 will be that of "political trials", it&;s above all a
0.19 power struggle to determine who will take the ascendancy in this whirlwind
0.19 called the Terror which is mixed with the threat of external wars, although
0.19 these seem less dangerous.
0.19 Today in History will tell us, volume 14 of the French Revolution.
0.19 The rigors of winter and the difficulties of supply allow the Enrrages
0.19 to launch a call for insurrection on March 4, 1794. Now, Saint-Just had taken the
0.19 ahead: having understood the danger, the Public Safety Committee takes social measures.
0.19 The property of the suspects is then confiscated and distributed to the indigent whose list
0.19 is drawn up in the communes. This measure is enough to paralyze insurgency projects
0.19 elaborated by the Enrage.
0.19 Hébert, for his part, continues to pour out his anger three times a week in his
0.19 newspaper Le père Duchesne, he attacks everyone. Danton and Robespierre
0.19 agree to put an end to Hébert, he was guillotined on March 24, 1794.
0.19 The Indulgents rejoice.
0.19 For Robespierre, I quote: "Terror is nothing other than prompt justice,
0.19 severe, inflexible. It&;s less a particular principle than a consequence of the general
0.19 principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing needs of the fatherland ”.
0.19 Robespierre is then rid of the most uncontrollable elements of his left wing,
0.19 he can reign over the deputies of the Mountain. So, remains an opponent in front of him: Georges
0.19 Danton. Danton&;s reputation is well known. He loves money, women and the good
0.19 meat. He doesn&;t hesitate to turn casaque for a well filled purse. The man
0.19 is know to be corrupt, this isn&;t a special case because many are corrupt, but not
0.19 Robespierre, he&;s nicknamed "the incorruptible".
0.19 However, it&;s not Danton&;s venality that makes Robespierre insist, but
0.19 his influence on what are called "factions" of the Indulgents. A faction crisis
0.19 opposes the Enraged to the Indulgents.
0.19 The debates between the two extend beyond the Convention.
0.19 They divides while they should unite. With the Enraged overthrown, it&;s
0.19 convenient to attack the second force present: the Indulgents, including one
0.19 Georges Danton who became the leader in late 1793. The nation must be reunified,
0.19 says Robespierre, and Danton is an obstacle to this union.
0.19 Everything is in place to see the battle. Two men, two styles, two personalities.
0.19 Everything opposes them. One, Danton, plump, talkative, stabbing verb,
0.19 domineering gaze. The other, Robespierre, slender, cold, eloquence coated,
0.19 sometimes pompous, but always effective. Certainly they agreed to bring down
0.19 Hébert, but nothing unites them anymore.
0.19 Robespierre fell ill in mid-February, he remains cloistered in his small room where
0.19 Saint-Just brings him the news and listens to the words of the Revolution&;s strong man.
0.19 Danton isn&;t suspicious: “They&;ll not dare!" he says. Especially because he&;s
0.19 close to Camille Desmoulins, who is a childhood friend of Robespierre. The son of
0.19 Desmoulins&;s godfather is Robespierre. It&;s a small world that has been known for a long time.
0.19 Therefore, he doesn&;t see how Robespierre would dare. However, it was Danton who had said a few
0.19 months earlier "we need audacy, more daring and always daring and
0.19 France is saved!". Robespierre, who intends to put principles before
0.19 men know it and he will dare.
0.19 Fouquier-Tinville, always him, instructs a lawsuit against Danton and Desmoulins. It&;s
0.19 quickly understands that everything is arranged, they already know the trial, but Danton
0.19 doesn&;t care, he doesn&;t believe in the maneuver. Marat had managed to get out of the woods,
0.19 he also thinks he can do it, but what he forgets is that the context
0.19 has changed, Robespierre knows which string to pull to bring down his enemies.
0.19 The eloquence of Saint-Just, the perpetual threat of plots, the enemies of the Revolution
0.19 and the armies from abroad which threaten the integrity of the Republic are all
0.19 the ingredients Robespierre needs, he simply must measure them and use his
0.19 arguments correctly, which he does wonderfully. Danton is accused of
0.19 fraudulent operations and to be corrupted.
0.19 Danton&;s lines are memorable: “Me sold! Me! A man of my caliber
0.19 is priceless!", but doesn&;t help to his defense. Little by little, he was understanding it,
0.19 just like Desmoulins who, in his cell, wrote on April 4, 1794, to his wife: “I had
0.19 dreamed of a republic that everyone would adore. I couldn&;t believe that men
0.19 were so fierce and unfair”.
0.19 The next day, April 5, Desmoulins and Danton were brought at Place de la Révolution.
0.19 Robespierre sends his friend to the Guillotine, he has his bedroom shutters closed, he
0.19 doesn&;t want to see or hear nothing. However, the convoy that takes the Indulgents to the
0.19 place, passes by Robespierre&;s windows, Danton recognizes the place, who standing
0.19 in the cart that leads him, shout out: "Robespierre, you follow me! Your house will be
0.19 shaved! We&;ll sow salt!". A shiver runs through Robespierre&;s spine,
0.19 snuggled up in his bed which coughs more and more.
0.19 Desmoulins is the first to climb the steps of the scaffold. They place him, they hold his
0.19 body and engages his head between the wooden plates. The ax falls, he barely has
0.19 time to howl in a full voice, in his last breath the name
0.19 of his wife: "Lucile", who will be guillotined 8 days later.
0.19 Camille Desmoulins was 34 years old, Danton also aged 34 climbs after him on the scaffold.
0.19 It&;s a whole young generation that passes. Men and women who have been at
0.19 heart of events are in the prime of their lives.
0.19 Robespierre can reign supreme. In Europe soon speak of the France of Robespierre.
0.19 Saint-Just had affirmed that "happiness is a new idea in Europe", it&;s appropriate
0.19 now to put it into practice.
0.19 Robespierre had always considered desacralization and attacks on the cult
0.19 as unworthy, even going so far as to assert that there is a certain relationship between
0.19 religious and republican principles.
0.19 However, it wasn&;t about putting Catholic worship back at the center, but rather
0.19 offering an alternative so that the French can regain some faith in a
0.19 higher been. He wanted a cult without dogma and without clergy. On May 7, Floréal 18,
0.19 Robespierre presents to the Convention a report on the principles of political morality
0.19 that should guide the assembly.
0.19 He defends virtue and supports the existence of a Supreme Being and the immortality
0.19 of the soul. Subjugated, the Convention approved a decree: "The French people recognize
0.19 the existence of the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul ”.
0.19 On June 7, Robespierre was unanimously elected president of the Convention. The party
0.19 of the Supreme Being, June 8, 1794, Prairial 20, is the pinnacle of the new principles
0.19 developed. The staging is the work of one of the most prominent artists who will
0.19 transform painting: Jacques-Louis David.
0.19 A pyramid represents a monster, Atheism surrounded by Ambition, Selfishness and
0.19 false Simplicity. Robespierre sets fire to this ensemble which once
0.19 burned unmasks a statue of Wisdom which, by the effect of flames and ashes, appears
0.19 rather blackish than golden, as was expected. However, the population remains
0.19 a bit shocked while many deputies laugh at them. The word "tyrant" is hear here and
0.19 there directed against Robespierre. Communion between the people and the new
0.19 strong man didn&;t happen.
0.19 Even within the ranks of Robespierre, it&;s scarier to wonder which
0.19 way to go next. They know the man, they know he&;s obsessed with conspiracies
0.19 and by a certain desire to constantly purify France of undesirable elements.
0.19 Who knows if the very relatives of Robespierre will not end up on the wrong side of
0.19 the barrier, didn&;t the man send one of his close friends to the guillotine? Desmoulins.
0.19 The march is all set for the men who fear Robespierre, there are many of them.
0.19 The plan of action is to make the guillotine frantic, repeating everywhere without
0.19 cease and confidentially, that Robespierre demands that it be so. On June 29, fifty-four
0.19 culprits were executed the same day. However,
0.19 Robespierre doesn&;t condemn all that.
0.19 Robespierre is an austere and chaste man, they don&;t know him in any romantic or
0.19 sexual relationship, his incorruptible nickname is as much a quality as a foil.
0.19 Here is a man with whom one can&;t compromise.
0.19 The principle always takes precedence over men. He has only one passion, virtue
0.19 and wants to protect the people by the "Invincible and holy law for all", as he
0.19 would say, marking the word "law" with penetrating sincerity.
0.19 He sees conspiracies everywhere even in the fact of his glory and his power, he
0.19 knows threatened and these aren&;t the jokes and insults heard during the Feast
0.19 of the Supreme Being that will calm him down. However, in the spring of 1794, Robespierre,
0.19 despite being president of the Convention, from June 4 to 19, 1794, despite being
0.19 the strong man, despite the criticisms and threats he sees everywhere, withdraws.
0.19 Absent from the Convention, it&;s said that he&;s ill. The men who accompany him affirm
0.19 that he was vacillating on his legs, perhaps he knew he was doomed by some disease.
0.19 The misfortunes that overwhelmed man during this period never really knew,
0.19 and specifically his health problems, because according to some witnesses, he had become
0.19 unable to perform his duties, that is why he&;s absent regularly
0.19 and for longer and longer periods. It&;s whispered at the Convention. Rumors go by
0.19 good train. They fear a return of the man and they guess that the ax will fall again.
0.19 But, this time, who will it target?
0.19 In the republican calendar, the decades, series of ten days, all had a
0.19 peculiar denomination, the first decade of Thermidor, the one we&;re now entering,
0.19 is then dedicated to misfortune. On July 26, 8 Thermidor Year II, Robespierre appears
0.19 abruptly to the Convention. What is he going to say?
0.19 He begins his speech. He denounces, as was feared, a new plot, "a
0.19 criminal coalition”, before continuing: “What is the remedy for this evil?
0.19 To punish traitors and crush all factions with the weight of national authority,
0.19 to raise upon the ruins the power of justice and liberty”. The ban continues.
0.19 Seizure, the Convention votes the publication of the speech, but asks the names of the suspects
0.19 mentioned by Robespierre. Cambon, then Minister of Finance, is directly
0.19 targeted by Robespierre, he knows it and gets up in his turn: "It&;s time to tell the
0.19 whole truth”, asking Robespierre to reveal all of the evidence he
0.19 has against traitors.
0.19 Robespierre doesn&;t get up, he stand there. In the evening, Robespierre resumes his speech
0.19 at the Jacobins club, this time two men, Billaud-Varenne and Collot d&;Herbois, then
0.19 President of the Convention, couldn&;t take it anymore, they left the room, jostled by
0.19 Robespierre&;s supporters.
0.19 During the night of July 26 to 27, 1794, from 8 to 9 Thermidor, a number of plotters
0.19 including Tallien, Fouché, and Boissy d&;Anglas will find most of the deputies by saying
0.19 that Robespierre&;s speech is only the prelude to a new fall of heads:
0.19 "You&;re on the list", they told them. Dawns on 9 Thermidor year II,
0.19 July 27, 1794, it&;s Sunday at 1 pm, Saint-Just speaks
0.19 and comments: "I&;m not from any faction, I&;ll fight them all", he&;s interrupted
0.19 by Tallien who goes up to the platform and pushes Saint-Just. He gives a violent
0.19 shoulder blow to drop him. Unbalanced, Saint-Just hangs on. Robespierre, who observes the scene and to rejoin his
0.19 protected runs to the rostrum. Three men are fighting over a tiny space that can barely hold one. Tallien
0.19 takes out a knife and points it at Robespierre: "If you don&;t vote for the arrest
0.19 of the dictator, I kill him ”. The tension is at its height.
0.19 The deputies acussed last night by Robespierre no longer hesitate,
0.19 they all continue: "Down with the tyrant!" They scream, they shout, they call out.
0.19 Robespierre withdraws, but not before the Convention has had time to vote
0.19 the arrest of the man and his accomplices, Saint-Just and Couthon. Robespierre is led
0.19 at the Luxembourg prison, the guards refuse to take him, he&;s then sent to the
0.19 police station, at the Quai des Orfèvres, while Saint-Just was sent to the former
0.19 Scots school, transformed into a prison, and Couthon, the paralytic who advances in a wheelchair,
0.19 goes straight to the Port-Libre prison, installed in the Abbey of Port-Royal.
0.19 This isn&;t the end, however, since they organize and get
0.19 everyone released just a few hours after their respective incarceration.
0.19 Will Robespierre manage to turn the situation around?
0.19 But above all, does he want to do it?
0.19 They&;re installed in the City Hall. Nearly 3.500 men show up in front of
0.19 the building to defend Robespierre, they know there will be an offensive to
0.19 bring them to justice and execute them. Robespierre also knows it, he refuses to send
0.19 so many men to the slaughterhouse: "Enough blood, all is lost", he said. The 3500
0.19 leave on the night of July 27 to 28, there is no one left to defend him.
0.19 The guards and gendarmes who remained faithful to the Convention are ordered to invest
0.19 the City Hall and seize the men against whom an arrest warrant has been issued.
0.19 Robespierre&;s brother, Augustin, from the top of his 26 years, jumps out of the window, he
0.19 smashes the legs.
0.19 Lebas, Robespierre&;s brother-in-law, commits suicide. Couthon, the paralytic, would have been launched
0.19 from his wheelchair by the gendarmes from the top of the grand staircase of the city hall.
0.19 A gunshot is heard, either fired by a gendarme named Merda, or by
0.19 Robespierre who allegedly attempted suicide. However, the result isn&;t
0.19 in doubt, a bullet went through Robespierre&;s jaw, unhooking it.
0.19 The prisoners are taken to the Conciergerie. It&;s 14h. They grab a
0.19 cloth to encircle Robespierre&;s face to rearrange his jaw. The blood
0.19 keeps flowing, the man breathes with difficulty between cries of pain. At 19h,
0.19 after a simple identification in court, they&;re sent to the guillotine.
0.19 They take great care to keep Robespierre for the end. They remove the blindfold that held his
0.19 jaw, we see this open and bloody mouth from which escapes a howl, these
0.19 will be his last words. This isn&;t the end of terror, however, with
0.19 the 22 mountain dwellers guillotined that day, will soon follow 85 other people also
0.19 close to Robespierre.
0.19 After the fall of Robespierre and this famous 9 Thermidor, an atmosphere of joy filled
0.19 Paris. Theaters, banquets and merry processions punctuate the following weeks. This is
0.19 also the period during which all those who worked for the fall of Robespierre
0.19 will organize a well-conducted propaganda to assert that it was then a
0.19 "passing shock".
0.19 However, under the pressure of public opinion, accountability is required. Two months
0.19 later, begin the trials of those who set up, what we&;ll call to
0.19 posteriori, Terror. There is talk of bloodshed, bloody terrorism, men
0.19 obsessed with death and murder. We&;re gradually entering a conservative regime
0.19 which will take the name of Directory, established in 1795. Consensus is restored, universal
0.19 suffrage is abolished, Boissy d&;Anglas affirms: “A country governed by the owners
0.19 is in the social order”. Little by little, a strong figure emerges who will embody a
0.19 new regime: Napoleon Bonaparte. After the Directory, which ended in 1799, came
0.19 the Consulate in which Bonaparte is the center of power and, finally, the first empire with
0.19 Napoleon I and the campaigns throughout Europe.
0.19 But that of course, you&;ll understand, is for another story.
0.19 It&;s over for this sequence on the French Revolution. Maybe I could do the
0.19 continuation, but for now, take advantage of the 14, yes, the 14 volumes that you have.
0.19 Maybe I&;ll put them together in one tome to see what it looks like but
0.19 until then, don&;t hesitate to subscribe to the channel to have many more
0.19 stories and don&;t forget to activate the little bell below. And for those who
0.19 really liked the series on the Revolution, well, you can see the Patreon just
0.19 below and support us for other major series. There are some series coming but I&;m not
0.19 going to tell you which ones, it&;s a surprise.
0.19 See you!
.