Causes of the French Revolution
The boulevards were like all the other streets, brilliantly illuminated, with immense numbers of people walking up and down on this late February evening. Men, women, and children were rejoicing, as the terrible struggles of the day had ceased. Near the Hotel des Capucines there was a heavy force of military troops, who’s main purpose seemed to be directing traffic. All was tranquil for some time; presently a column of unarmed students and artisans marched down the boulevard singing. Suddenly a shot echoed throughout the city, an entire squadron of troops charged the crowd with muskets blazing and swords drawn. Percy B. St John was an eyewitness to the events herein described; the following was taken from his notes compiled at the time. “The sight was awful. Husbands were seen dragging their fainting wives from the massacre; fathers snatching up their children, with pale faces and clenched teeth, hurried away to put their young ones in safety, and then to come out in arms against the monarchy. Women clung to railings, trees, or to a wall, or fell fainting on the stones… Afterwards Utter strangers would be seen shaking hands and congratulating one another on their escape.”1
When the nobility decided to reject the king’s vote at the Estates General, Louis decided to close down their assembly hall. This was aided by large costs brought on from previous spending by Lois XV and Louis XIV. Each one contains particular information and/or theories pertaining to this unfortunate and highly disputable period of our modern history. As a result, the budget of the French government was thrown out of balance. 3 The National Convention, which reigned from September 1791, to October 1795, was the government that executed the king in 1793. Instead this provided a stronger force against absolutism in France. However since the courts consisted mainly of the privileged class, who were always ready to oppose the king, Louis XVI had to find another way to legalize his edicts. Bibliography BibliographyBraudel, Fernand. David Dowd, a New Yorker and author of The French Revolution offers a slightly different perspective to this much debated event.
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