The French Revolution--Part One

Ah. the French Revolution. Filled with violence, liberty, and something about cake. Oh, sorry that's Portal. My bad.

I Can Haz Cake?

Seriously though, The French Revolution. A time in which a monarchy of many centuries dissolved in  just three years, lots of beheading with the infamous guillotine occurred (I'll get to a few of them here) , and a change in the countries ideals of equality and liberty.

So, to start off, the French Revolution began in 1789, with many different events occurring.

 One of the first major events was the storming of the Bastille, which occurred on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a fortress and prison held by the French Monarchy and was a sign of the regimes strength. The attack was formed after a large mob of demonstrators, who had already gathered muskets in a prior raid elsewhere, were now headed towards the Bastille in search for musket  powder and shot.

   The Bastille had about 114 soldiers and near 30 artillery pieces protecting it, while the mob
of demonstrators was almost about one thousand people strong. In essence, one security guard trying to keep a horde of angry customers out of a restricted area of the mall, but with guns. Oh fun!

Still Better Then This Guy

At first, it was peaceful negotiations between the mob and those stationed at the Bastille, but soon gunfire erupted, which in turn  killed several women and children. This caused the mob to storm into the Bastille and the fighting began.

For Rohan----Oh--wait--oops, my bad...

The leader in control of the Bastille, Governor de Launay, quickly realized they're would be a massacre unless he acted. He attempted to offer his terms of surrender to the mob, which denied him quickly. Nevertheless, Launay capitulated and opened the inner doors of the Bastille. One defender and under one hundred attackers died, but the mob of demonstrators still captured Launay, took him out and executed him, cutting off his head and putting it on a pike to carry around.

They Did WHAT?!

After succeeding in taking the Bastille and making one of the worst trophies of victory imagineable, the mob gathered and took to the streets, preparing for a counter-attack. The Royals decided not to counter, however, which would in turn be a terrible mistake for them. At the same time, there is little chance the Royals could have mounted much of an attack, as most of the French military refused to listen to the Royals, and usually sided with the French mob.

Another major step towards Revolution was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which was passed in August of 1789. This, basically, was the declaration that everyone had fair and equal rights, and should be treated as such. It went against the idea of a monarchy and stated that the government should support the people, not the other way around. It was, in essence, a French take on the Declaration of Independence.

If Only A Bit More Artsy

A third major event that took place, in October of 1789, was the Women's March on Versailles. This march took place due to the anger French citizens had at the very high cost and scarcity of bread. At the same time, the royal family was having a banquet with many soldiers in attendance. In comparison to the low amounts of available food the average citizen had, the banquet was a luxury that only the very highest in power could attend. This upset many people, who, with help from those wishing for revolution, began to gather weapons from local armories and march on Versailles.

Oh, Its ON!

After a six hour march which involved over ten thousand marchers, bearing arms, as well as dragging along cannons, the marchers reached Versailles, where they met with different members of the House and the Assemble. (Yes, I have reached the boring part, but bear with me). After discussing options, a few women went and met with the King to discuss what they wanted.  They had a successful meeting with the King, who promised immediate disbursal of food from royal stores, with more to come. This satisfied some of the marchers, who left. Many more remained, however, believing that the food would not be distributed, and believing the Queen would make the King go back on his promise (yes, these women HATED Marie Antoinette).


The next morning, a small, unguarded entrance into Versailles was found, and many of the mob began to stream in, looking for the queens bedchamber. Guards began locking down the building, barricading entrances and blocking the marchers. Eventually, the marchers began to overpower the guards, and the guards opened fire, killing some marchers, including a young child. This enraged the marchers, who began to invade the chateau. Guardsmen attempted to turn back the crowd, only to be brutally killed, one having his head torn off and stuck on a pike. (The French LOVE putting head's on pikes). The queen fled through the halls, attempting to reach the kings bedchamber. She was let in, narrowly avoiding the attacking mob.

Eventually, the mob was calmed down enough, and the mob exited the chateau, and waited in the courtyard. The king, and then queen each came out, both stating their willingness to return to Paris, which was something the marchers had wanted. The return to Paris soon took place, involving over sixty thousand marchers (many of whom were still armed), and many armed National Guardsmen leading the group. The marchers seemed happy, but it was obvious that the King was still at their mercy.

WHOPPERS FOR ALL! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

As the group reached Paris, it became obvious that the rigid monarchy that had run France for so long was coming to an end. The King was forced to accept legislation that severely weakened his role politically, and gave more power to other parts of the government. He and the royal family were forced to stay at the Tuileries Palace, a dilapidated structure that hadn't been used for many years. Eventually, they would be moved to Temple Prison, where their fates awaited.

If You Try To Escape, I Shall Taunt You A Second Time!

First, King Louis XVI, was sent to the guillotine. His precarious position with the French people had all but imploded after a failed escape attempt and after his subsequent recapture, it was obvious people were angry. After a large vote on his fate, it was decided he would be executed by guillotine. On January 21, 1793, the blade fell, killing him instantly. Many in the crowd ran up to dip their handkerchiefs in his blood. Whether to have a piece of history, or sell it for money, who knows.

E-bay, Here I Come! Ha Haa!

Marie Antoinette would be executed nine months later, on October 16, 1793. Many charges came against her, but the one that did her in was the charge of treason. She was found guilty and quickly executed.

This ended the monarchy, but did not end the revolution. Mass hysteria, killings and other things are just around the bend!

Thus ends my first note on the French Revolution. Don't worry, there will be a part two....eventually.

Will You Get On With It?!

Hey, I'm doing what I can I--

GET ON WITH IT!

OK! Jeez! Chill out! Well, I guess it will be sooner then I thought....

Until Next Time!