Key Question 1 Flashcards
What were the causes and immediate outcomes of the 1789 Revolution? (94 cards)
1
Q
Political Structure and Governance
What significant challenges did Louis XVI face after he was crowned as an absoloute monarch in 1775?
These challgenges were due to the country’s complex government structure
*pre-1789
A
- France had a population of approximately 27 million, with diverse regional differences that complicated centralized rule. This meant that each part of France dealt with local issues in its own way
- The king’s orders were often ignored due to local customs, different legal systems, and taxation practices that varied by region.
- The majority of the population, particularly the poor, struggled to pay taxes, leading to widespread discontent.
Monarchy couldn’t enforce power = disconnect between the king and people
2
Q
Political Structure and Governance
King Louis XVI
Description etc.
A
- top of the social hierachy
- crowned in 1775, was young and inexperienced
- great sense of duty and had many good intentions of ruling well
- inherited a system in which the king had absoloute power
3
Q
Political Structure and Governance
What were the Three Estates?
Societal hierachy
A
- The First Estate - Clergy
- The Second Estate - Nobility
- The Third Estate - Commoners
Clear exploitation between the Estates
4
Q
Political Structure and Governance
The First Estate
Taxes, population etc.
The Clergy
A
Roman Catholic Church
- wealthy
- owned 10% of the land
- paid no taxes
- led to resentment among the lower clergy and the populace
5
Q
Political Structure and Governance
The Second Estate
Taxes, population etc.
The Nobility
A
The Aritstocracy
- controlled a significant portion of wealth and land, numerous privileges
- small percentage of the population
- paid no taxes
6
Q
Political Structure and Governance
The Third Estate
Taxes, population etc.
The Commoners
A
The Poor
- the majority of the population (80%)
- primarily composed of poor peasants
- heavy taxation
- exploitation by landlords and the Church.
7
Q
Social Divisions
What divisions were present within the First Estate?
A
The Church controlled most aspects of French life. Senior posts often went to inexperienced men (aristocracy) who had little interest in their religious duties. This meant that those in lower positions could not progress and advocate for change.
Growing division between rich and poor. Church = not a unified front
8
Q
Social Divisions
What divisions were present within the Second Estate?
A
Divided into a ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ aristocracy
‘Higher’ = lived at Versailles, the court of the king of France, isolated and privileged.
‘Lower’ = resented the ‘higher’.
This meant that the ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ did not join together to protect their power.
9
Q
Social Divisions
What divisions were present within the Third Estate?
A
80% of population = peasants
Main aim was to grow enough food to survive.
The middle-class grew but they envied the power that the aristocracy had.
10
Q
Social Divisions
How would being made up of such a diverse group of people limit its attempts to bring about change in France?
A
- Lack of common interests / purposes
- There is nothing to connect them / bring them together
- Tension between classes:
Middle-class want political power
Lower-class want to survuve
11
Q
Social Divisions
Which social group was the most likely to revolt? Why?
A
The Third-Estate. The majority of the population and are at the biggest disadvantage.
The Clergy + Nobles don’t want revolution as they already have power and influence. -> Want to protect it.
12
Q
Questions from video clip 1
What was the most significant privilege of the First and Second Estates?
A
Exemption from taxes
13
Q
Questions from video clip 2
How did the tax exemptions for the clergy and nobility impact the French government’s ability to raise money?
A
Reduced tax revenue, caused a crisis for the monarch
14
Q
Questions from video clip 3
How did France’s involvement in the American Revolution contribute to the financial crisis?
A
It cost a lot of money. Left France at the brink of bankruptcy.
15
Q
Questions from video clip 4
What portion of the French national budget in the 1780s was spent on servicing the debt?
A
50%
16
Q
Questions from video clip 5
What financial strain did maintaining Versailles place on the French budget?
A
6%
17
Q
Questions from video clip 6
What portion of the French budget was allocated to the military, and was it justified?
A
19%
18
Q
Questions from video clip 7
How did the power dynamics of the nobility change during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI?
A
Aristocratic emergence, got their privileges back
19
Q
Questions from video clip 8
What was the outcome of Louis XVI’s attempt to tax the nobility by calling the Assembly of Notables in 1787?
A
Failure
20
Q
Questions from video clip 9
What significant event did Louis XVI call in 1789, and why was it historically important?
A
Calling the Estates General (Not convened since 1614)
21
Q
The poorest in society
What was life like for Rural Peasants?
A
- agriculutre was not highly developed and inefficient
- tiny plots of land to farm, wanted to grow enough food to survive
- maintain the road for their landlords (unpaid)
- landlords could hunt on their land
- had to use their landlords’ wine presses and flour mills at high prices
22
Q
The poorest in society
What was life like for Urban Workers?
A
- 3 good harvests in 19 years (1770-1789), caused rural poverty and hunger
- inadequate living in the countryside, peasants moved to towns
- growing population = poor and unskilled
- existing urban class = wages decline, food prices rose
- bread = 75% of diet, costing 50% of wages
- bad harvest = prices rise, fear of starvation, no money for necessities
- decline in wages = industrial unrest, bread riots
23
Q
The Palace of Versailles
What changes were made when the alterations at Versaille were complete?
E.g. the number of people living and working there
A
- Louis XVI moved his court into the palace
- The palace was extended to fit his servants, royal family, and government departments
- Around 10,000 people could be there at once
24
Q
The Palace of Versailles
How did Arthur Young describe Paris in comparison to Verailles?
1787
A
“The streets are very narrow, and many of them overcrowded, nine-tenths dirty, and all without footpaths”
“I saw a poor child run over and probably killed”
25
# King Louis XVI and the Parliaments
Why did many believe that Louis XVI was not suited for kinship?
- "He has a tendency to indecision, he possesses a rather weak will and he is incapable of ruling effectively. He also lacks and ability to fully appreciate the significance of what is occuring around him."
| From an entry from the private diary of l'Abbe de Veri, 1780
26
# King Louis XVI and the Parliaments
How were Louis' courtiers and ministers divided on the issue of the role of the monarch?
- Some wished to create an even more absoloute monarch, in control of every aspect of French life, and to end the ability of local parliaments to block orders from Versailles and any local autonomy.
- Some wished to go back to a system where the king had to consult the aristocracy on the matters of policy and administrations, thus reducing his power.
- Few wanted to reform the whole system and make it both more efficient and more inclusive.
27
# King Louis XVI and the Parliaments
How was this division present?
When it came to local administration, There were bitter local rivalries. This made France a difficult country to govern, and obviously in need of reform.
This made it difficult to mind common ground when major decisions needed to be taken.
28
# King Louis XVI and the Parliaments
How were laws passed traditionally?
Laws could not be carried out unless they were published by the parliaments, so these courts weer in a position to delay or prevent the implemation of royal wishes. Only lawyers of noble rank could be members, and they were usually more interested in preserving their own privileges than anything else.
29
# Law and Parliament
Evidence that parlements had more power than the French monarch:
- They could force the king to reconsider edicts by sending a remonstance (question or criticise decrees)
- They played an important role in legislation (the process of creating and enacting laws)
- They heard both civil and criminal cases
- Louis struggled to manage them
30
# Law and Parliament
Evidence that the French Monarch had more power than the parliaments:
- He could overrule his parlements and force the acceptance of an edict
31
# Pressures for change; The Enlightenment
What was The Enlightenment?
An intellectual and philosophical movement that had a major influence on the revolutionary process. It is known that many of the revolutionary leaders, like Napoleon Bonaparte, were very well read and were influenced by the ideas of these people.
Many of these people did not just criticise what they saw happening, but they also supported practical improvements.
32
# Pressure for change; The Enlightenment
Who were some of the most important figures of the Enlightenment?
- Voltaire
- Montersquieu
- Diderot
- Rousseau
- Quesnay
33
# The Enlightenment
Voltaire
| Description
- very critical of the role, wealth and influence of the Church
- attacked religious intolerance
- critical of the French legal system and its frequent miscarriages of justice
34
# The Enlightenment
Montesquieu
| Description
- critical of despotism and autocratic power
- wanted a system of checks and balances, where one part of a system of government, for example, an elected parlement, could check the actions of ministers and the king,
- impressed by the British system
- advocated the rule of the law: that everyone should be equal before the law and subject to the law of the land
35
# The Enlightenment
Diderot
| Description
- author of an encyclopaedia of 'sciences, arts and crafts'
- determined to advance knowledge
- advocate of independant thinking
- anxious to promote a critical and questioning attitude to everything
36
# The Enlightenment
Rousseau
| Description
- argued for more education
- wrote about power and liberty
- proposed many ideas on how there could be both authority and freedom for men in the same society
37
# The Enlightenment
Quesnay
| Description
- wrote on economics
- argued against the constraints on the free production and movement of goods
38
# The Enlightenment
How did these writers contribute to the revolution?
They wrote at a time when confidence in the French government was low.
- when the Ancien Regime collapsed after1789, these thinkers provided ideas that led the way forward for the new governors of France
39
# The Enlightenment
Why was confidence in the French government low?
- Famine that led to riots
- humiliated in a major war with Britain in 1763, losing most of its overseas empire
- little confidence in Louis XVI
- people hated his wife Marie Antoinette
40
# The Enlightenment
To what extent can writers of abstract ideas influence politicians or political events?
- change the hearts and minds of the people by giving their accounts and putting them in a different light
- appeal to the 3rd estate - middle class
- encouraged revolts
- put pressure on those in charge
- create different political opinions
41
# Impact of the Enlightenment
Who was the target of the pro-revolutionary cartoons and pamphlets?
- the monarchy
- the privileged
The king was impotent
The Queen was promiscuous
The aristocracy was perverted
42
# Impact of the Enlightenment
How did the ideas of the Enlightenment bring about revolution?
- did not bring about revolution , they rather provided a framework for it to take place
i.e. revolutionaries turned to the ideas of the Enlightenment for guidance
- however, they never offered a clear-cut programme of reform; nor did they wuestion the institution of the monarchy
43
# Pressure for change; Social
How did population growth increase the pressure for change?
- about 700,000 in 1700 to 2.3 million by 1780
- meant that this class was more likely to resent the privileges of the first two estates
- greater literacy and a growth in demand for books and journals, many of which were critical of the Ancien Regime
- Paris = 620,000 people by 1789, the next largest city was Lyon = only 145,000
44
# Pressure for change; Social
How did overpopulation increase the pressure for change?
- Paris had a large population of servants, casual laborourers, pedlars, itinerant craftsmen and 25,000 prostitutes.
- overcrowded and often unhealthy living conditions
- resented restrictions imposed by employers and city authorities
- when bread prices rose they often resorted to mob action
- like the middle-classes, they were reading more annd had a greater awareness of new ideas about the people having rights
45
# Pressure for change; Social
How did resentment contribute to the revolution?
- businessmen and merchants resent trade restrictions e.g internal customs and lack of uniform weights and measures
- middle-ranking priests resent the domination of the Church by aristocratic bishiops and abbots.
46
# Pressure for change; Economic
Who does King Louis want revenge against?
| Documentary Q1
He wants revenge for his grandfather's defeat during the War of the Spanish Succession. Against the British, Dutch, and Austrian forces, led by the Duke of Marlborough.
47
# Pressure for change; Economic
How much money did King Louis commit to the American War of Independance
| Documentary Q2
1.3 billion livres
48
# Pressure for change; Economic
How does France's involvement in the American War of Independance impact their financial situation?
| Documentary Q3
They are now in debt
49
# Pressure for change; Economic
What were some of Marie Antoinette's extravagant habits and interests?
| Documentary Q4
- Ceremonies for waking, dressing, dining, retiring to bed
- Enjoyed fashion
- Entertains herself with play and gossip
50
# Pressure for change; Economic
How does the royal court's extravagant lifestyle contrast with the struggles of the common people?
| Documentary Q5
Conditions worse in the countryside =
- Bad harvests
- Shortage in wheat, and therefore bread - price increase - riots
51
# Pressure for change; Economic
What are the calls for revolution in France, and what are the ideals being demanded?
| Documentary Q6
Liberty, revolution
52
# Pressure for change; Political
What did A-R-J Turgot do? Why was he dismissed by Louis XVI?
| Finance Minister
- finance minister when Louis became king in 1775
- warned against wars as they would lead to bankruptcy
- he was ignored and therefore dismissed in 1776
- he predicted correctly and the war did little harm to Britain, and prevented the vital financial reforms that the country needed
- there was a risk of national bankruptcy
53
# Jacques Necker; 1777-1781
Why did many people at Louis' court dislike Jacques Necker?
| Became finance minister in 1777
He was a middle-class banker of Swiss origin, he was also a Protestant
- the appointement of an outsider to the role meant that there was an awareness that French state finances were in a dreadful state
54
# Jacques Necker; 1777-1781
Why were people wrong to trust Jacques Necker?
- He investigated and analysed France's finances but did not deliver reform.
- He funded the war with Britain through borrowing at increasingly high interest rates - he also hid this cost.
- He published a public account of royal finances, however he claimed that the finances were in good condition when they were not
- He was dismissed four months later
55
# The aftermath of the war with Britain
What did France gain from the independance of the United States?
| The war with Britain ended in 1783
Nothing, except deeper national debt
56
# The aftermath of the war with Britain
Who was appointed the new finance minister in 1783?
| The end of the war gave the opportunity for reform and stability
Charles de Calonne
- declined to cut royal spending
- borrowed more money to keep the government running
- however he did start to plan important changes
He was aware that without change, France would go bankrupt
57
# Charles de Calonne
What reforms did Calonne submit to the king?
| 1786
The cost of servicing the state's debts became too high
- reform the system of taxation by increasing taxes for the wealthy
- stimulate the economy and encourage commerce and industry
- create confidence in France so it could borrow money at lower rates of interest
58
# Charles de Calonne
How did the king respond to these reforms?
He approved the plan and the decision was taken, in light of growing public concern and interest in the economy, to submit these proposals to the Assembly of Notables
59
# Charles de Calonne
Who was the Assembly of Notables made up of and what did they do?
- Made up of nobles and clergy (only 10 of 144 members were not nobles).
- They met for the first time since 1626
- They met to deal with emergencies and had no authority
- They could only consult but not actually do anything
60
# Charles de Calonne
What did Calonne hope that the Assembly would do?
Hoped that it would help him to gain some support for much needed financial reform.
61
# The Assembly of Notables
Why was Calonne in an impossible position?
- He was disliked by the vast majority of the Notables and had little support from the king and the rest of the government.
- Many chose to believe Necker's earlier statement that France's finances were stable.
- The expensive war was over so many believed that the crisis was also over
62
# The Assembly of Notables
How did Calonne respond to the Notables dislike of him?
He sought public support by publishing information about the financial crisis and his attempts to resolve it.
This exposed the urgent need for debt relief and tax reform
This however, infuriated both the Notables and the king, who dismissed Calonne on April 7th
63
# The Assembly of Notables
What was the impact of the meeting and dismissal of the Assembly of Notables?
The meeting and dismissal showed:
- How deep the financial crisis was
- The many failings of the king and his court and government
- The public was not given a true picture of the state of royal finances
- That there was real opposition in the country towards the king and his government
- That the public demanded change and greater involvement in government
64
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
Who was Calonne replaced by and how did he fail?
Replaced by Etienne Brienne, a president of the Assembly of Notables
- the king disliked and distrusted him = limited royal support
- the Notables demanded an accurate of the royal finances, the king refused and dismissed the assembly
- this caused great anxiety and protest among the educated public
- marked the start of the financial and political crisis which led to the revolution itself
65
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
How did Brienne contribute to the beginnings of revolt?
Breinne had to raise money, so he increased taxes and borrowed more. But he found it difficult to convince bankers to lend money as many felt the state was near breakdown.
66
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
How did the Parlement fail to increase taxes?
The Parlement refused to increase taxes until they got an accurate picture of the royal accounts.
The king refused again, seeing the demands as an attack on his royal powers.
Members of the Parlement were banished to the provinces
The people of Paris were were angry at this and the middle and lower classes took to the streets in huge crowds in protest.
This was the first sign of a potential alliance between the classes agsinst the king and the aristocracy.
67
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
How did the crisis continue?
| Throughout 1787 and 1788
The king recalled the Paris parlement and met with it in November 1787. He mismanaged this and could not understand why there was so much concern over finances.
He undermined the ministers who were attempting to negotiate and manage the parlement.
When the parlement refused to support the new taxes the leaders of the 'opposition' were arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille, a royal fortress in Paris.
This caused countrywide protests, demonstrating the high levels of public interest and support for reform.
68
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
How did the divisions amongst the nobility and clergy affect the spread of revolt?
- They were unsure whether to support any change to their privileged, untaxed status.
- It was clear that thte growing middle-class was becoming alienated from the classes above.
- 1788, pamphlets were published demanding social, economic and political change
- August 1788, it was clear that the state was virtually bankrupt. Brienne offered some solutions, but was sacked by the king, further reducing any confidence in the king and his court.
69
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
How was tension and unrest made worse ?
A series of hailstorms that summer which destroyed much of the harvest.
This would lead to a shortage of bread and higher prices.
70
# The Beginnings of Widespread Revolt
What was the king's response to this?
To recall Necker as finance minister. At his instigation, the decision was taken to summon the Estates General, which had not met since 1614, to solve France's problems. (In August 1788)
The Estates General represented the three social classes (Estates) of France under the Ancien Regime; the nobility, the clergy and the Third Estate (majority of the French)
71
# Cahiers de Doleances
What are The Cahiers?
January 1789, ordered the electors in each district to compile a cahier de doléance.
Cahiers = The lists of grievances drawn up by each of the three Estates in France, between March and April in 1789
72
# Cahiers de Doleances
What grievences were listed by members of the Third Estate?
- the expenses of the royalty and nobility
- American revolution
- useless chores
- salt tax
- taxation shared unequally
- only nobility could be officers
- no more privileges, no more humility
- equality and liberty wanted
(REASONABLE DEMAND)
73
# Cahiers de Doleances
How were these grievences given?
-they did not propose or demand radical political change
- grievances framed politely and respectfully, expressing their loyalty, devotion and supplication to Louis.
- they thanked the king for the opportunity to have their say and expressed trust that he could reform and improve the situation
74
# Cahiers de Doleances
How supportive of the cahiers were the Three Estates?
- surprising level of agreement, particularly social and political issues = accepted the principle of constitutional reform and welcomed a more representative government, in the guise of the Estates General
- the cahiers were more divided about the composition of the Estates General and voting procedures =
- the clergy and nobility wanted 'voting by order'
- the third estate wanted 'voting by head'
- taxation reform = divisive, peasantry and urban workers were most concerned about unequal and rising levels of taxation, particularly the tax on salt (gabelle).
75
# The Meeting of the Estates General
What did the convening of the Estate General trigger?
A national discussion about how the formation, opertation and powers of the Estates General.
The Estates General (not met since 1614), never followed consistent structures or procedures.
No consistent requirement for it to take any specific form.
December 1788, Necker (reappointed in August after Brienne was dismissed) persuaded Louis to double the number of Third Estate deputies.
76
# The Meeting of the Estates General
However, nothing was said about voting by head. What problems would this cause when the Estates General eventually met?
The combined votes of the clergy and nobility would outweigh the single vote of the Third Estate
77
# The Meeting of the Estates General
Who arrived at Versailles on May 4th 1789, to represent the Third Estate?
Maximillian Robespierre
78
# The Meeting of the Estates General
What was the fear among. the deputies as they approached mid-July?
That the king is gathering forces to overthrow them
79
# The Meeting of the Estates General
What was the king's main reason for calling the Estates General?
To find a solution to his financial problems
80
# The Meeting of the Estates General
What did the Estates want to gain from the Estates General?
Educated middle-class = more extensive overhaul of government, politics and society and the economy.
Some clergy and noblemen = prepared to accept a few of these major changes
Many unrepresented people = basic improvements, such as lower taxes, rents and bread prices
81
# The Meeting of the Estates General
Why did the first two estates refuse to support any of these demands for reform?
More concerned with protecting their privileges than in dealing with the real problems the country was facing.
The First and Second Estates were divided among themselves over whether or not to cooperate with the Third Estate.
There was no clear leadership from the court and king on any issue.
82
# The Tennis Court Oath
What decisive move did the Third Estate make on the 17th June 1789?
They were tired of royal indecision and the selfish attitude of the other two Estates.
- changed their name to the 'National Assembly'
- by this they were saying that sovereignty, the supreme or final power within France, now lay with the people of France, represented by this Assembly.
- the assembly was now in charge of France
The king attempted to stop the Assembly by closing its meeting room, its members gathered in a nearby building, a covered tennis court.
83
# The Tennis Court Oath
Why was the Tennis Court Oath significant?
It was the first critical step on the road to the revolution.
Showed revolutionary ideas and changes in power.
Big catalyst revolution for revolution
A painter was commisioned to mark the moment in time.
84
# The Tennis Court Oath
What happened on June 23 1789?
Louis XVI relented. He ordered the three estates to meet together as the National Assembly and vote, by population, on a constitution.
85
# The Storming of the Bastille
Causes of The Storming of the Bastille
1789
- poor harvests
The king
-refused to give power to the National Assembly
- moved troops into Paris and Versailles
- Dissmissed Necker
Unemployement
Rising food and wine prices
Growing social unrest, public crashing with troops
86
# The Storming of the Bastille
Events of The Storming of the Bastille
A crowd gathered outside, calling for the surrender of the prison, the removal of the cannon, and the release of the arms and gunpowder.
01:30 - surge the outer courtyard and face troops.
05:00 - the fortress' governor ordered a ceasefire and gave a list offering his terms. He refused.
05:30 - The governor surrendered and the fortress was taken.
The governer was later murdered.
87
# The Storming of the Bastille
Results of The Storming of the Bastille
15th July - the Paris Commune
16th July - Necker recalled and troops were moved back to the countryside
17th July - Marquis de la Fayette is made commander of the National Guard
Inspired / kick started the French revolution.
Inspired more riots.
88
# August Decrees
What feudal duties were abolished?
| 4 August 1789
- all privileges of the nobles e.g. exemption from taxes
- duties of peasants from their noble landlords e.g paying taxes to nobles, working for free
- parlements and the old legal process
- provincial estates that had fallen into disuse
- radically reduced the status of the Catholic Church
89
# Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
What were the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?
| 26 August 1789
A key statement of the revolutionary period
- Frenchmen were now citizens not subjects, with rights not merely the duty to obey the monarch
- the influence of several enlightenment thinkers can be clearly seen in the document
- established the principles on which the new system of government would be based
90
# Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
What were the most important principles introduced?
1. 'born and remain free' 'equal in rights'
2. 'preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man' These rights = liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression
3. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.
4. Liberty = freedom to do everything which injures no one else; exercise of natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. Limits can only be determined by war.
5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. No one may be forced to do anythingnot provided for by law.
6. Law = the expression of the general will'. 'must be the same for all', 'equal in the eyes of the law'.
7. 'No person shall be accused, arrested or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by the law'
8. 'The law shall provide for punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary'
| All principles stem from the first principle
91
# Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
What was the response to these declarations?
King and Courtiers - did not act or implement reforms, so the assembly acted.
October 1789 - Assembly decided on the principles
Decree of the Fundamental Principles of Government - Assembly setting out their wish for a new institution
Louis XVI - unwilling to accept such radical change, would place limitations on his powers as king, however he would be forced to change his mind
October 1789 - food prices rose, serious breas shortage in Paris
Rumours - troops known for their loyalty to the king had arrived at Versailles and were having lavish feasts
People began to fear these troops would be used to restore Royal power and close the National Assembly
Radical Newspapers - demanded this shouldn't happen and the king should make changes to the way in which France was governed.
92
# The Women's March on Versailles
What caused The Women's March on Versailles?
| 5 October 1789
- most marchers were desperately hungry and hoped to petition the king to alleviate bread shortages
- some had more violent intentions, seeking retribution against the king's soldiers or his wife, the much-despised Marie Antoinette
- Others would plead with the king to leave Versailles and return to Paris, where he would be away from what they perceived as the corrupting influences of the aristocracy
93
# The Women's March on Versailles
What were the events of The Women's March on Versailles?
- Initially 7000 women, some armed made their way to the National Assembly who sent some deputies and a number of women nominated by the marchers to the king.
- They persuaded him to accepy the August Decrees.
- This decision didn't satisfy the protestors who demanded that the king and the royal family returned with them to Paris.
- The king did not reply immediately so the crowd, now numbering on 60,000 broke into the palace and insisted on it.
- The king and his family were escorted by the crowd to Paris where they remained 'more like prisoners than princes'.
94
# The Women's March on Versailles
What were the result of The Women's March on Versailles?
- Louis was forced to return to Paris, to ratify the August derees and swear loyalty to the Revolution
- Louis' title was changed
- Showed that power lay with mob violence
- The decision-maker in France, the National Assembly, met in Paris from then on was profoundly significant and had a mojor influence on events.
