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Summary Why did the King try to flee to Varennes
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Notes on why did the King try to flee to Varennes during the French Revolution
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Why did the King try to flee to Varennes?What had happened to the king so far?
Turgot 1774-6 and Necker 1777-781 cut royal expenses
1777-78: Paris Parlement refuse to cooperate with him and challenge his power
May-Aug 1778: Revolt of the nobles- royal officials attacked
May 1789: Forced to call the Estates General
May; June 1789 Formation of National Assembly and then Tennis Court Oath- directly
challenging his position
14th July 1789: Storming of the Bastille, forced into accepting the NA + saying he supported
the revolution
October Days 1789: forced to accept the Declaration of Rights + agrees to move to Paris
where he was effectively kept prisoner in the Tuileries
December 1790: Forced to accept Civil Constitution of the Clergy even though went against
his religious beliefs
September 1789-1791: National Assembly curbed his power- September 1789 took away his
absolute veto (only suspensory); October 1789 called King of the French (taking away his
Divine Right); income reduced by 20 million livres; September 1791 forced to accept this
new constitution
Political clubs’ radical ideas scared him- some wanted his power to be curbed further + some
supported republicanism
What events triggered the flight?
2nd April 1791 Count Mirabeau dies- had been a courtier who acted as a go-between the NA
and King
18th April 1791 a mob helped by radical National Guardsmen had prevented the King and his
family from spending Easter at the Palace of Saint-Cloud and taking mass from a refractory
priest
The King’s wife and sister and émigré nobles urged him to resist the revolution. Holy Roman
Emperor (Marie Antoinette's brother) promised to help with Austrian troops if they could
get close enough to the border
Why does he decide to flee?
He could see it wasn’t going to end well for him- eventually would end up executed
Loss of his privileges meant lost respect and that of what made him King
Lot of enemies in France; could try to take back France from outside
Who influenced the King’s decision the most?
Probably émigrés and promise of Austrian troops to help him would’ve helped to persuade
him, promise of support outside of France
What happened?
1. Night of 20-21st June 1791 and his family wore disguises and travelled together in a large 6
horse ‘beeline’- against his advisors’ suggestion to travel separately
2. Louis rejected his advisors’ suggestion of route
3. They left 1.5 hours later than planned and travelled slowly due to amount of luggage; troops
waiting for Louis at Challons left before the family arrived, leaving them unprotected
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