list the fundamental causes of the flight to Varennes was? Jerome Pétion, the Republican politician who later became mayor of Paris, was amazed at the reception afforded the king on his return to the city. The royal flight to Varennes took place on June 20th, 1791. It is often said that Fersen and the queen were lovers, however, evidence for this is circumstantial. By Marisa Linton, published 9th February 2017. Exhibits. Add to My HA. The flight to Varennes refers to the royal family's failed attempt to escape Paris in June 1791. The king had spent two years mouthing support for the constitution but his actions in June 1791 showed only contempt for it. The flight to Varennes was a turning point in the French Revolution because it exposed the untrustworthiness of the king and the unworkability of the newly implemented constitution. Private correspondence from Marie Antoinette takes a more reactionary line looking to a restoration of the old monarchy without concessions; though referring to pardons for all but the revolutionary leadership and the city of Paris "if it does not return to its old order". His working alliance with the National Constituent Assembly and his acceptance of the Constitution of 1791 were exposed as fraudulent. If the monarchy fell, Mirabeau believed, the revolution would collapse into leaderless anarchy. The Flight to Varennes and its Consequences. The king and his family were eventually arrested in the town of Varennes, 50 km (31 miles) from their ultimate destination, the heavily fortified royalist citadel of Montmédy. 5. The flight to Varennes proved to monarchical Europe that, despite protestations to the contrary, the French king did not approve the course of the revolution and in fact had become a prisoner of it. The flight to Varennes refers to the royal family's failed attempt to escape Paris in June 1791. Why did the flight to Varennes provoke such a strong reaction? Although the King reluctantly accepted the new constitution (1791), he could not accept all the reforms, particularly those which hurt the Church. Stripping the king of his powers would alienate him from the revolution and lead it to failure. On the night of the 20 th to the 21 st of June 1791 Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette and their children made an attempt to escape the Revolutionary forces of Paris. The royal family then made plans to escape. The king and his family were arrested at Varennes and returned to Paris. The royal family were arrested at Varennes and returned to Paris. Fersen, a regular visitor to France from the late 1770s, had become a favourite of Marie Antoinette. 4. Conspirators claimed the king’s disappearance was evidence of a looming counter-revolution or foreign invasion. The credibility of the king as a constitutional monarch had been seriously undermined by the escape attempt. Louis himself chatted with peasants while horses were being changed at Fromentieres and Marie Antoinette gave silver dishes to a helpful local official at Chaintrix. The plan, hatched by Count Axel von Fersen and supported by Marie Antoinette, was to travel by coach to Montmedy, a fortress near the German border garrisoned by royalist troops. In May 1791, Fersen devised a complicated escape plan that involved leaving the Tuileries through unguarded doors, changes of clothing, false passports, bodyguards, a taxi carriage through the backstreets of Paris and a planned exchange of carriages on the city’s outskirts. Everyone was aware that foreign intervention was imminent. Upon hearing this, Parisian radicals stormed the Tuileries Palace on 10 August 1792. Discuss how different interest groups in France would respond on his return – what options were open to the Assembly? Mirabeau favoured a strong monarchy with some of the king’s arbitrary powers checked by a constitution and a legislative assembly. On the night of 20th June 1791, the royal family fled the Tuileries Palace dressed as servants with their servants dressed as nobles. (Louis XVI) * shows Louis had failed to understand the popularity of the changes which had taken 2. The escape was planned over the preceding month by Count Axel von Fersen, a Swedish general and favourite of Marie Antoinette, who planned to sneak the royal family out of Paris to the loyalist stronghold at Montmedy, in north-eastern France. It also forms one of the best known and most admired portions of Carlyle's history of the Revolution. A note left by Louis XVI after fleeing Paris (1791) Mirabeau’s political vision for France, however, was fundamentally conservative. He was 19 when he succeeded his grandfather, Louis XV, in 1774. Flight to Varennes: Fuite à Varennes. He decided to leave the country. By early 1791, Mirabeau was advising Louis to relocate to Rouen or some other provincial capital; once there he could rally support, appeal to the people and lead a national revolution, free of the dark influences in Paris. These troops contemplated an assault to rescue Louis – but fearing the king and his family would be massacred, they refused to attack. Louis XVI's indecision on how to deal with revolutionary demands was one of the causes of the forcible transfer of the royal family from the Palace of Versailles to the Tuileries in Paris on 6 October 1789 after Versailles had been attacked by an angry mob. The king was arrested at 11pm on June 21st and dispatched back to Paris at 7am the following morning. What was the significance of the flight to Varennes? The Flight to Varennes, or the royal family’s unsuccessful escape from Paris during the night of June 20-21, 1791, undermined the credibility of the king as a constitutional monarch and eventually led to the escalation of the crisis and the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The royal Flight to Varennes (French: Fuite à Varennes) during the night of 20–21 June 1791 was a significant episode in the French Revolution in which King Louis XVI of France, his queen Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family unsuccessfully attempted to escape from Paris in order to initiate a counter-revolution at the head of loyal troops under royalist officers concentrated at Montmédy near the frontier. It was further delayed near the city gates by a wedding party. during his flight from Paris to Montmédy was one of the most important events in the history of the French Revolution, and probably one of the most important in the history of France. According to the author, Timothy Tackett, “The King’s Flight to Varennes” - has marked a major turning point of the French Revolution. The plan to flee Paris in June 1791 was largely concocted by Alex von Fersen, a Swedish aristocrat, military leader and diplomat. "France: History". “The flight to Varennes opened up the second great schism of the revolution. Flight to Varennes: Fuite à Varennes The King gradually lost more and more power over the two following years. Date accessed: January 14, 2021 The royal family’s escape attempt encountered several delays that put them hours behind schedule and contributed to their eventual discovery and arrest. Home. The Paris sections and radical journalists demanded the immediate abolition of the monarchy and the creation of a republic. For more info, visit our FAQ page or Terms of Use. Despite a series of blunders, the royal entourage escaped Paris and travelled to within 30 kilometres of its goal. The midnight escape of the disguised royal family out a forgotten back door of There had been hardly any republicanism in 1789, and what there was had abated once the king was back in Paris and accepting all the Assembly sent to him. Citation information Richard Cavendish | Published in History Today Volume 66 Issue 6 June 2016. In November, proof of Louis XVI's secret dealings with the deceased revolutionary politician, Mirabeau, and of his counterrevolutionary intrigues with foreigners was found in a secret iron chest, the armoire de fer, in the Tuileries. The king was appalled by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and its implications for the church in France. The king's attempted flight provoked charges of treason that ultimately led to his execution in 1793. Appalled by the growing radicalism of the revolution, particularly its attempts to regulate and control the church, Louis XVI agreed to abscond from the city. The outbreak of the war with Austria in April 1792 and the publication of a manifesto by the Prussian commander, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, threatened the destruction of Paris if the safety of the royal family was again endangered. More Information . What is more certain is that Fersen was operating with the financial backing of Sweden’s Gustav III, who wanted the French royal family to escape the dangers of Paris. Prodded by the queen, Louis committed himself and his family to a disastrous attempt of escape from the capital to the easter… The Flight to Varennes and the Coming of the Terror Timothy Tackett The story of Louis XVI's attempted evasion from Paris on June 21 , 1 791 is surely one of the most dramatic events of the French Revolution. Outside Paris, the king and his family would meet a platoon of Hussars and make their way to Montmedy, a fortress in north-eastern France manned by loyal soldiers. [8], The long-term political objectives of the royal couple and their closest advisors remain unclear. [7] On the night of the 20/21st June 1791, King Louis XVI attempted to flee in an event that was later named the flight to Varennes. Marie Antoinette’s close friend Fersen borrowed large sums of money to aid their escape. Add. But after Varennes, the mistrust built up by his long record of apparent ambivalence burst out into widespread demands from the populace of the capital and a number of radical publicists for the king to be dethroned.” The Flight to Varennes. Republicanism quickly evolved from being merely a subject of coffeehouse debate to the dominant ideal of revolutionary leaders.[3]. Flight to Varennes. Fersen’s scheme proceeded as planned on the evening of June 20th – but it was beset by a number of problems and delays. Fersen had urged the use of two light carriages that could have made the 200-mile journey to Montmédy relatively quickly. As the French citizens were in the midst of terror and destruction of the Revolution, King Louis XVI attempted to flee Paris to Belgian frontiers almost succeed, but fortunately he was stopped just miles away from the frontier. It also forms one of the best known and most admired … William Doyle. For this religious man, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was the last straw. Satirical print reading “ King Janus, or the man with two faces,” illustrating the shift in public opinion of Louis XVI after his flight to Varennes, 1791-1792 (Stanford University Libraries) (), and a cartoon of the king wearing a revolutionary Phrygian cap and pretending to support the revolution, while secretly planning to launch a resistance against it, 1792 (). during his flight from Paris to Montmédy was one of the most important events in the history of the French Revolution, and probably one of the most important in the history of France. Extract The arrest of Louis XVI. The king’s failed attempt to escape Paris was dubbed the flight to Varennes (something of a misnomer given the real objective of his flight was Montmedy). Flight to Varennes: Featured in Macworld - one of the best history sites on the web. This event was a turning point in the revolution because it exposed the untrustworthiness of the king and the unworkability of the newly devised constitution. In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). HistoryMaker. The Flight To Varennes: A... has been added to your Cart Add gift options. Many were stunned not just by the king’s attempt to flee – but how the National Constituent Assembly responded to it. Significant civil and political events by year, Richard Cavendish, page 8, "History Today", June 2016, Richard Cavendish, p. 8, "History Today", June 2016, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, History of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1814, Déclaration de Louis XVI à tous les Français, à sa sortie de Paris, The Flight to Varennes • Memoir by the Duchesse d'Angoulême, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, Alexandre-Théodore-Victor, comte de Lameth, Louis Michel le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, List of people associated with the French Revolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flight_to_Varennes&oldid=998701359, Articles needing additional references from May 2019, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 16:58. Article. Discuss how different interest groups in France would respond on his return – what options were open to the Assembly? [9], Prodded by the queen, Louis committed himself and his family to a disastrous attempt of escape from the capital to the eastern frontier on 21 June 1791. A detailed document entitled Declaration to the French People prepared by Louis for presentation to the National Assembly and left behind in the Tuileries indicates that his personal goal was a return to the concessions and compromises contained in the declaration of the Third Estate on 23 June 1789, immediately prior to the outbreak of violence in Paris and the storming of the Bastille. A contingent of National Guard was immediately dispatched in pursuit of the royal family. At Châlons townspeople reportedly greeted and applauded the royal party. By the summer of 1791 the royal family had been living in the Tuileries in the heart of Paris for almost two years. The question of what to do with the king after Varennes widened the gulf between political moderates and radical republicans. Furthermore, he overestimated popular support for the traditional monarchy, mistakenly believing only Parisian radicals supported the revolution and that the populace as a whole opposed it. The Assembly responds to the flight to Varennes (1791) In seeing the king, in observing him closely, it was impossible to guess that something momentous had just happened. They escaped only as far as the small town of Varennes-en-Argonne, where they were arrested after havi… [2], The king's flight was traumatic for France, inciting reactions ranging from anxiety to violence and panic. A historian’s view: Encyclopædia Britannica. Add to Cart. He immediately resumed his state of representation. Drouet allowed the royal party to proceed but raised the alarm, leading to the royal family being stopped at Varennes, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Sainte-Menehould and 31 miles (50 kilometres) short of their destination. [10] The escape was largely planned by the queen's favourite, the Swedish Count Axel von Fersen and the Baron de Breteuil, who had garnered support from Swedish King Gustavus III. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Esmein, Jean Paul Hippolyte Emmanuel Adhémar (1911). Whatever public affection the king had enjoyed in early 1791 was shattered by the events of June 20th and 21st. One day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. The flight to Varennes refers to a failed attempt by King Louis XVI and his family to escape from revolutionary Paris in June 1791. Factors behind the king’s decision to flee included his lack of faith in the revolution and the Constitution of 1791, his personal religious beliefs, advice from Mirabeau and urging from his wife. With the dauphin's governess, the Marquise de Tourzel, taking on the role of a Russian baroness, the queen and the king's sister Madame Élisabeth playing the roles of governess and nurse respectively, the king a valet, and the royal children her daughters, the royal family made their escape leaving the Tuileries Palace at about midnight. 801–929. This French Revolution site contains articles, sources and perspectives on events in France between 1781 and 1795. 1. During the night of 20–21 June 1791, French King Louis XVI (1754 – 1793), his wife, Marie-Antoinette (1755 – 1793), their children, Louis-Charles (1785 – 1795), the dauphin, or heir apparent, and his sister Marie-Thérèse (1778 – 1851), the king’s sister Élisabeth of France (1764 – 1794) attempted to escape France. 10 (11th ed.). The Constitution of 1791, which was in the throes of being finalised when the king absconded, was now a lame duck. His Majesty was treated, as Pétion noted, like nothing had happened: “After a few minutes, we moved [to] the king’s apartments. The king's brothers and the principal Royalists strongly advised the king to leave Paris, the center of the storm, and join the émigrés and the armies they were raising, so as to return to his capital with their aid and dictate terms instead of having them forced upon him. One was the advice of Honore Mirabeau. Email; Share; Tweet; Marisa Linton takes us on a coach journey across France. Once underway, the king’s entourage was forced to take a longer route out of Paris than originally planned. The royal family was confined to the Tuileries Palace. To avoid this, Mirabeau became a virtual double agent. He successfully escaped, and spent the French revolution in exile, later returning to be crowned King Louis XVIII. 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