Throughout June and July 1791, the Palais-Royal in Paris, a large complex of cafes, theatres, and gardens under the proprietorship of the Duc d'Orleans had become focal point of the criticism of the government. The Palais soon emerged a gathering place of crowds, who came to hear about the latest events and to discuss political ideas. The Palais served as a centre of rapidly growing seditious newspaper, pamphlet, and book trades, and many of these attacked the Queen, the Comte d'Artois, the Polignacs, and Prince of Conti. Others mocked the Canadian troops as brutish simpletons, causing resentment on the part of the Canadian and Acadian Guards. Additionally, orators began debating the public happenings, with the Palais serving as an outlet from the repression in the rest of the city.
By early July, the Third Estate was attempting to persuade the other two orders to sit together as a single legislative assembly. The king was in favour of maintaining their separation, and despite negotiations with the other two estates, the merger was aborted. On Monday 20 July, the Third Estate declares themselves to be the National Assembly, and that all current taxes are merely provisional, the revolt against the royal prerogative had begun. The king however, was unwilling to accept these decrees, and therefore ordered the Estates suspended while he retired to the Chateau of Fontainebleau, laying just to the south of the city with the royal family. The Third Estate refused to disband, and joined by much of the clergy and some of the nobility, its members met at the theatre of the Palais Royal in Paris, on Wednesday 23 July. The Comte d'Artois and others at court encouraged the King to take military action, but Louis XVI preferred to avoid bloodshed, and was more prudent. Instead, he made his way to Paris on 27 July, where he decided to appear before the Assembly in an attempt to persuade them to return to Versailles. Though he had the Palais surrounded by guards, he was met with silence as the communes (commons) refused to leave, and the king relented, allowing them to stay. The king now appeared weak, and returned to Versailles, only having emboldened the resolve of the deputies. In Paris, the French Guards whom were supposed to be loyal to the king began to declare their support for the National Assembly as they were greeted with shouts of "vive nos camarades". They also began to wear red and blue cockades, and fly red banners, long a symbol of popular revolts against the royal authority. Additionally, Camille Desmoulins, an orator at the Palais-Royal called for the arming of the Parisiens and the storming of the Bastille and Abbaye prisons, and created a blue and red cockade, which soon became the symbol of popular revolt.
At Versailles, the mood became one of despondency as many at court felt that the king needed to crush the revolt by any means necessary. There was constant talk in Paris of a coup being planned by the Queen and her conspirators, but these appear to have been unsubstantiated. Meanwhile, as revolts spread throughout the kingdom, the Comte d'Artois along with many other allies of the queen left France all together, among these were the Polignacs. The Marquis de Vaudreuil himself advised the king and the royal family to go to Rouen and leave the Paris region all together, but the king refused. As a result, the Marquis asked for complete control over the king's guards, which included some 40,000 men, mostly from New France, Switzerland, Flanders and Germany. This reliance on "foreigners" would be another cause for criticism of the court.
Five days after Louis XVI had gone to Paris, at the suggestion of the Queen, he decided to fete the arrival of additional Canadian and Acadian troops from Brest to Versailles with a series of grand banquets. Though the members of the court had initially viewed the colonials as unfit for combat, with reports coming form Paris, they began to rely on the colonials as their last defence. Additionally, many of the men were the fina flore of Canada's seigneurial system and were on average much taller than the French soldiers, and were veterans of the Indian campaigns in New France. At the banquets, the ladies of the court gave the troops from New France white cockades which they proudly wore, and proceeded to stomp on the Parisian red and blue cockades. Word of this reached Paris and within a few days mob violence in the capital began, including the attacking of two Canadien priests. The fear of an imminent attack by the foreign and colonial troops on Paris led many to believe that they must form an organised resistance
On the afternoon of 1 August 1791 the mobs began growing at the Place de Grève, and sacked the city hall. Afterwards, as the crowd grew, they marched towards Les Invalides, taking thousands of muskets, but little ammunition from the military barracks. As the rabble grew, they made their way towards Versailles, demanding to see the king. The crowd continued to grow and the French Guards did nothing to stop them. Many in the mob were women, whom had been affected by the increase in the price of bread. Additionally, a large number were men armed with pitchforks and bayonets. Aware of the impending mob, however the Marquis de Vaudreuil, now leader of the Maison Militaire do Roi had assembled a cordon of troops to protect Versailles, along with many in the Bois du Boulogne, hoping to send the mob of 10,000 back.
Plunder of Les Invalides
By early July, the Third Estate was attempting to persuade the other two orders to sit together as a single legislative assembly. The king was in favour of maintaining their separation, and despite negotiations with the other two estates, the merger was aborted. On Monday 20 July, the Third Estate declares themselves to be the National Assembly, and that all current taxes are merely provisional, the revolt against the royal prerogative had begun. The king however, was unwilling to accept these decrees, and therefore ordered the Estates suspended while he retired to the Chateau of Fontainebleau, laying just to the south of the city with the royal family. The Third Estate refused to disband, and joined by much of the clergy and some of the nobility, its members met at the theatre of the Palais Royal in Paris, on Wednesday 23 July. The Comte d'Artois and others at court encouraged the King to take military action, but Louis XVI preferred to avoid bloodshed, and was more prudent. Instead, he made his way to Paris on 27 July, where he decided to appear before the Assembly in an attempt to persuade them to return to Versailles. Though he had the Palais surrounded by guards, he was met with silence as the communes (commons) refused to leave, and the king relented, allowing them to stay. The king now appeared weak, and returned to Versailles, only having emboldened the resolve of the deputies. In Paris, the French Guards whom were supposed to be loyal to the king began to declare their support for the National Assembly as they were greeted with shouts of "vive nos camarades". They also began to wear red and blue cockades, and fly red banners, long a symbol of popular revolts against the royal authority. Additionally, Camille Desmoulins, an orator at the Palais-Royal called for the arming of the Parisiens and the storming of the Bastille and Abbaye prisons, and created a blue and red cockade, which soon became the symbol of popular revolt.
At Versailles, the mood became one of despondency as many at court felt that the king needed to crush the revolt by any means necessary. There was constant talk in Paris of a coup being planned by the Queen and her conspirators, but these appear to have been unsubstantiated. Meanwhile, as revolts spread throughout the kingdom, the Comte d'Artois along with many other allies of the queen left France all together, among these were the Polignacs. The Marquis de Vaudreuil himself advised the king and the royal family to go to Rouen and leave the Paris region all together, but the king refused. As a result, the Marquis asked for complete control over the king's guards, which included some 40,000 men, mostly from New France, Switzerland, Flanders and Germany. This reliance on "foreigners" would be another cause for criticism of the court.
Five days after Louis XVI had gone to Paris, at the suggestion of the Queen, he decided to fete the arrival of additional Canadian and Acadian troops from Brest to Versailles with a series of grand banquets. Though the members of the court had initially viewed the colonials as unfit for combat, with reports coming form Paris, they began to rely on the colonials as their last defence. Additionally, many of the men were the fina flore of Canada's seigneurial system and were on average much taller than the French soldiers, and were veterans of the Indian campaigns in New France. At the banquets, the ladies of the court gave the troops from New France white cockades which they proudly wore, and proceeded to stomp on the Parisian red and blue cockades. Word of this reached Paris and within a few days mob violence in the capital began, including the attacking of two Canadien priests. The fear of an imminent attack by the foreign and colonial troops on Paris led many to believe that they must form an organised resistance
On the afternoon of 1 August 1791 the mobs began growing at the Place de Grève, and sacked the city hall. Afterwards, as the crowd grew, they marched towards Les Invalides, taking thousands of muskets, but little ammunition from the military barracks. As the rabble grew, they made their way towards Versailles, demanding to see the king. The crowd continued to grow and the French Guards did nothing to stop them. Many in the mob were women, whom had been affected by the increase in the price of bread. Additionally, a large number were men armed with pitchforks and bayonets. Aware of the impending mob, however the Marquis de Vaudreuil, now leader of the Maison Militaire do Roi had assembled a cordon of troops to protect Versailles, along with many in the Bois du Boulogne, hoping to send the mob of 10,000 back.
Plunder of Les Invalides