Alana Ballagh
Period 3
How to Endure the Revolution—As a Monarch
Feature Article
The recent death of Napoleon Bonaparte has been described as the end of the last ruler of France. In truth, these statements are incorrect. The last reigning monarchs of France were King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, though the public abandoned the two approximately 28 years ago following the height of the French Revolution. A recent uncovering of an article published in the 1789 issue of La Cuvette illustrates the forgotten world of the grandiose rulers of France.
There is no better way to experience a royal day than to spend the day with the royals. As a distinguished journalist of the upper tier of the third estate, it was not challenging to pay the twelve
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“It is unprecedented for the peasants to hold power. For good reason. They cannot be trusted to rule the country. And to storm Versailles, the jewel of France! This revolution is an outrage,” he remarked about the recent Tennis Court Oath.
Bidding a farewell to the impassioned noble, I headed out of the palace to investigate the handball court where the oath was constructed. On the way there, I was able to admire the grand halls of the palace, where ornate details cover every inch of wallspace. Tapestries sewn with the typical French flower pattern flanked the gold plated windows.
Once outside, a commotion interrupted the serenity of the sunlight reflecting upon the main fountain, where majestic statues were placed in various places surrounding the water. A swarm of nobles were scurrying behind a regal woman strolling through the grounds, whom I realized was Marie Antoinette.
Following the crowd, I managed to inquire about the recent storming of the Bastille: on July 14th, rumors of Austrian attacks based off the queen’s Austrian descent ricocheted through Paris, prompting the storming of the
Everything had began magnificently the day I attended the renaissance fair. It was the first time I’d ever been to any festival of the sort, and the air was full of magic. At exactly 10:30 in the morning, the ceremony began. The King and Queen presented themselves atop the castle’s balcony to address their people. As the beautiful royals welcomed us into their kingdom, my heart beat erratically, and I crossed the threshold with my breath held. There were so many events that I wanted to see, and activities I wanted to try; I couldn’t wait to get inside. I wasn’t just an ordinary guest, however, I had a job to do. Carrying my instrument lightly with one hand, dressed as a princess and feeling important, I walked proudly through the bustling
In this letter, he disapproved of the reduction of his royal powers and personal wealth, which affected his lifestyle and authority. He denounced the Revolution, National Assembly, and its constitution. Copies of the letter circulated in public and revealed to people that “Louis had lied to the French” when he swore an oath “before God and the nation to uphold the constitution” (102). Not only did he leave behind his people but his flight would have led to a civil war between revolutionaries and loyalists aided by foreigners. On top of that, deputies of the National Assembly dealt with the aftermath of a missing king: paranoid Parisians suspecting a conspiracy, people storming the palace, and palace servants being accused of treason. This added to the “profound sense of desertion and betrayal” by a king that people saw as a “good father” (222). Out of disgust, they denounced Louis: calling him all sorts of names, took down portraits of him, and covered “in black the word royal” on signs, buildings, and other public places (110). The “myth of the kingship had been shattered” because nobody knew what to do with Louis at this time (104, 108). Some wanted exile or imprisonment whereas others suggested reinstating him as only a figurehead, and some thought about a “republic without a king” (108). Either way, they no longer
“ Every bit of terrace, lawn, and railing in the Court of Honor was occupied, the men in black and gray, many of the women in gowns of extravagant hues-violet, scarlet, emerald-and wearing hat with ribbons, springs and feathers” (Larson 238).
Lands held by commoners are taxed heavily”. This indicates and proves that it isn’t just the Third Estates point of view; it also is seen from an outside perspective on how they are being treated unfairly. Poor Leadership was a major cause of the French Revolution as well. Through the reign of Louis XVl’s he was a horrible king.
We at length reached the king, who was under a canopy of cloth of gold, embroidered at Florence, the most costly thing I ever witnessed…Very close around his neck he had a gold collar, from which there hung a round cut diamond, the size of the biggest walnut I ever saw, and to this was suspended a most beautiful and very large round pearl…
During The French Revolution, many citizens (mostly the 3rd estate) were not treated the way they should have been. The French Revolution was the cause of the rebellions and difficult economic situations that many citizens had to endure. During the reign of King Louis XIV and Queen Marie Antoinette, many citizens (especially the 3rd estate) were livid about how poor they were being treated.
Citation- Price, Munro. The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy. New York: St. Martin 's Press, 2003.
Timothy Tackett’s book When the King Took Flight focuses on arguably the most consequential event in the French Revolution. King Louis XVI and his family’s attempt to escape France would influence an atmosphere of violence that would only continue to worsen. King Louis XVI regretted signing and accepting the Civil Constitution of the Clergy earlier in July 1790. Deciding to flee the country he assumed that through foreign intervention or negotiating he could change parts of the constitution he disagreed with. However he would be recognized and captured in Varennes. The king underestimated the true meaning and appeal of the revolution (87). His misunderstanding of the revolution led the way for the destruction of kingship and the monarchy itself. This decision had given power to the sans-culottes and the idea of a republic. While the kings flight to Varennes had many unintended consequences it serves as a crucial turning point for the revolution.
Louis XIV 's France was an absolute monarchy, meaning the king had the power, control, finances and the nation in his hands more then ever before. In the 17th century, France was the strongest and wealthiest nation in Europe, and the head of the state, the king, was the most influential person of the time. In the ideas of the scientific revolution and the soon-coming changes of the enlightenment the country was developing. For a few decades France was not involved in any major wars or battles and the peace helped the population grow fast.
to get all the power of France. It should also be said that not all the nobles
“Consisting of or resembling fur (wikifur.org, “Furry”).” These objects are the well-known focus of a caste of the geek sub-culture known as the furry fandom. The furry fandom’s members will typically call themselves “furries”. There are variations on this idea; the two primary variations are “scalies” and “avians” interested in scaled and feathered creatures respectively. “[The] furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics (Wikipedia.org, “Furry Fandom”).”“Someone who says they are furry is generally expressing an interest in [anthros] and/or creatures. They may express that interest in a variety of ways… How deep or meaningful [their interest] is varies greatly from
The French Revolution began as an expression of rebellion against centuries of absolute rule in France. After an interim of experimental liberalism under the rule of Jacobins and Girondins and then the infamous reign of terror, the people of French were drawn to a man who promised them a return to stability, and honor through the expansion of empire. France and it’s people had long yearned for this sens eof honour, it had seemed, and could finally sens eit in a lasting rpesence under the rule of their prodigious, unbeatable general, Napoleon Bonaparte. He would soon take the reigns of civil government as well and become yet another Absolutist ruler, yet this
The French Revolution was a time of great social, political and economic tumult in the closing years of the Eighteenth Century. The motivators pushing French citizenry toward revolution are varied in scope and origin. They range from immediate economic woes to an antiquarian class structure. Modern historians still debate the value of the changes that the revolution brought to modern society. The middle class made gains that would never be rescinded, but do revolutions always end in tyranny? In the years before the revolution citizens were rigidly constrained by the estates of the realm. These social strata had been in place since the medieval ages. The people were divided into three groups; clergy, nobility and everyone else. The clergy
The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.
Stanley was not particularly interested in architecture or medieval arts, so it was with a passing glance that he absorbed the palace. He loved the finery and his eye immediately caught on anything that glinted; silvery decorations casually placed like a treasure hoard, glazed ceramic engaged in the soothingly geometric eddies of mosaics, and of course, the sparkle of fountains in the garden. Even with the interest that he took in the compliments of wealth that he observed, he still felt slightly at ease. It was when he glanced out of the colonnade towards the edge of the estate that he realized how confined he was. The Chateau his family called home was set on the edge of a vast wilderness and his school, like all the great academies, was positioned reclusively to prevent distraction from the manifold education of Gearan elites.