by WHM. Already all valets were in attendance, wearing their usual court dress. Flight to Varennes. They were located and detained the following day and returned to the capital. regiment was leaving for Paris. At the Estates-General two years earlier, Mirabeau had seemed an arch-radical, defiantly proclaiming that the National Assembly would only disperse at the point of bayonets. Authors: Jennifer Llewellyn, Steve Thompson The Flight to Varennes (21–23 June 1791) Description After a late start, the royal family followed a circuitous route through a series of small towns in the countryside. The news of the captivity of the royal family, and especially of a constitution depriving They were intercepted by supporters of the revolution in Varennes on the evening of 21 June. Key event of the Flight to Varennes -June 20th - the king, queen, two kids and governess left Tuileries in a hired carriage delayed when the Queen almost bumped into Lafayette which set them back 30 mins -Switched coaches just after leaving the city, switched horses -Their coach hit a post and they were delayed even further to fit the broken wheel “The flight to Varennes opened up the second great schism of the revolution. still out of work, and lacking everything except strong drink—were listening to Then the royal family messenger to Paris, and that he must await the orders of the Assembly. by secret means that the king's brother (who had started at the same time as they) had Unfortunately, far too elaborate preparations were made for this venture, so that the Be aware that choosing a non-stop flight can … 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. 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. Roundtrip prices range from $307 - $307, and one-ways to Varennes-Jarcy start as low as $164. swearing to obey it. The National Guard under Lafayette, opened fire. URL: https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/flight-to-varennes/ Publication date 1892 Topics History Publisher London : Swan, Sonnenschein & co. Collection cdl; americana Digitizing sponsor MSN Contributor University of California Libraries Language English. liable to attack. Roundtrip prices range from $250 - $250, and one-ways to Varennes start as low as $114. Another hour was lost near Châlons when the king’s carriage fell and damaged its harness sometime around dawn on June 21st. Mirabeau’s advisory notes to the king, discovered after his death in April 1791, were comprehensive and astute. The crowd returned later in the day, led by Danton and Camille Desmoulins. To avoid this, Mirabeau became a virtual double agent. One sheet reached Marseilles just as a This allows you to pick the cheapest days to fly if your trip allows flexibility and score cheap flight deals to Varennes. unbearable, Louis XVI. 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. dangerous prisoners, the royal family could at last rest, and were soon relieved to learn manufacture them in quantities. 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. De Bouille on his role in the flight to Varennes (1791) especially by the word "veto." While he distrusted Mirabeau, the king seemed to accept his advice about retreating from Paris. Meantime, the king had further estranged the people by unwisely vetoing several laws Mirabeau favoured a strong monarchy with some of the king’s arbitrary powers checked by a constitution and a legislative assembly. Supplied by Chateau de Varennes. leave the city would be hindered, and would tend to make their situation even more 20-21 june 1791. list the fundamental causes of the flight to Varennes was? One was the advice of Honore Mirabeau. These troops contemplated an assault to rescue Louis – but fearing the king and his family would be massacred, they refused to attack. A number of factors caused Louis XVI to lose whatever faith he had in the revolution. On the night of 20 June 1791 a portly middle-aged man, dressed inconspicuously in brown, with a dark green overcoat and his hair covered by a grey wig, walked out of the Tuileries palace past the guards. most uncomfortable circumstances, for in the carriage—full at starting—now sat the French government what should be done, so enraged a hot-headed people that war was About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. parties in it were called, from the seats they occupied, "the Right," "the Left," "the The plan from the Royal family was originally to launch a counter-revolution from Austria. The being suited to the new constitution. The distance between Paris and Montmedy was around 200 miles (325 kilometres). The slow return journey was accomplished under the Despite a series of blunders, the royal entourage escaped Paris and travelled to within 30 kilometres of its goal. This would mean receiving communion from a constitutional priest. A contingent of National Guard was immediately dispatched in pursuit of the royal family. What were the consequences of the King’s flight (escape attempt) to Varennes? The flight to Varennes describes the royal family’s failed attempt to escape their house arrest in Paris in June 1791. Exhibits. them from Versailles the year before. French caricature, 1792. carried out, the Austrian Emperor died, and was succeeded by his son, a nephew of Marie Addeddate 2008-01-18 18:34:04 Bookplateleaf 0002 Call number SRLF_UCSB:LAGE-174331 Hence it was called "la Marseillaise". The king was appalled by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and its implications for the church in France. the fact that it was wonderful in any way until he sang it the next day to the This remark was overheard by Rouget de l'Isle, one of the guests, who, unable to sleep indicates the general belief among the mob:—, "Ah, well! Search. The king's brothers and the principal Royalists strongly advised the king to leave Paris, the carters' frocks coming down to their knees,—the latter garment being even the only Home. On reentering their palace, where they were now openly guarded like recover his power. the apprehension of Louis XVI at Varennes. Antoinette. 3. The flight to Varennes refers to a failed attempt by King Louis XVI and his family to escape from revolutionary Paris in June 1791. Back in Paris, the king’s escape was discovered around the time he was passing Châlons. For more info, visit our FAQ page or Terms of Use. 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. Instead, he regularly attended Mass at a small chapel in the Louvre, where the service was performed by refractory or non-juring priests. Date accessed: May 15, 2021 him. the window, and was recognized by the well-known features stamped on every coin in his It was further delayed near the city gates by a wedding party. government affairs, while some of the most rabid club men came to the front in their However, it was unsuccessful. Flight to Varennes. The Assembly had passed the Civil Constitution in July 1790 but Louis delayed signing it until December, hoping for a public outcry or an intercession from the Vatican. It seemed as if the king had merely returned from a hunting expedition, and everyone was assisting him with his toilet. While stopped there they were identified by the local postmaster, Jean-Baptiste Drouet who, according to legend, recognised the king from his portrait on a coin or assignat. Seeking to avoid this, the king and his family planned to leave Paris on April 18th and spend Easter at their summer house at Saint-Cloud. Direct Link: 3.18- The Flight to Varennes Of course, the king and deputies knew what all the words in this you have your porringer full of soup. 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. Flight to Varennes: Featured in Macworld - one of the best history sites on the web. 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. Hébert on the flight to Varennes (1791). trouble were deeply scorned by the mob, the rabble now proudly termed themselves the "men As "veto" was thus taken to mean something hateful and objectionable, the people began to 20 June 1791: the Flight to Varennes. was at Varennes, also, that the king expected to meet a military escort, which would have The mayor immediately had some copies of Meantime, the fact that any European nation dared purpose to step in and tell Once underway, the king’s entourage was forced to take a longer route out of Paris than originally planned. originated in the great southern Bourgeois dreams of a harmonious constitutional monarchy were shattered; the progress made since 1789 appeared to have been lost. they do not understand, and the following dialogue, overheard between two peasants, the king of practically 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. Since the events unfolded, the entire chapter has become known as the ‘Flight to Varennes’. The royal flight to Varennes took place on June 20th, 1791. The royal family accordingly decided to depart; but, knowing that any open attempt to king says to you, 'Pour out that soup,' and you have to pour it out! managed to escape, and that the queen's hairdresser had safely crossed the frontier with All these delays put then at least 90 minutes behind schedule. that night, and haunted by the desire to supply the necessary song, sat up all night, 5. Another factor in Louis’ decision to flee Paris was his devout religious faith. 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. immediately declared, and troops hastily dispatched to the northeastern frontier, the most The royal family’s escape attempt encountered several delays that put them hours behind schedule and contributed to their eventual discovery and arrest. saloon-keepers, brigands, and criminals of the lowest class, men, in short, whom it would The result was that two members were dispatched from Paris to bring back their Majesties, every rumor, and distorting every fact they did not understand. stole out of the palace in small detachments, to join the great traveling coach which had realm. 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. Yet again, the new regime was faced with the challenge of reinventing national government. This excerpt from La Révolution française (1989) depicts the flight to Varennes, the royal family's ill fated attempt to escape the revolution in June 1791. her jewels. The Revolution was going in a direction they were not happy with. who could afford the knee breeches so fashionable in those days, because such garments French Revolution memory quiz – events 1789-91, French Revolution memory quiz – events 1792-95, French Revolution memory quiz – events to 1788, French Revolution memory quiz – terms (I), French Revolution memory quiz – terms (II), French Revolution memory quiz – terms (III), Princess Marie-Thérèse’s account of the flight to Varennes (1791), A note left by Louis XVI after fleeing Paris (1791), Louis XVI on his motives for the flight to Varennes (1791), De Bouille on his role in the flight to Varennes (1791), The Assembly responds to the flight to Varennes (1791), Henri Grégoire on the flight to Varennes (1791). The Flight to Varennes occurred in June of 1791. Did You Know? The dusty procession reached Paris at last, where they were received with dead silence, When the framing of the constitution was finished, the National Assembly dissolved, to constitution meant, but the common people, who had no education, were greatly mystified, whispered words, which he always heeded, for he was a good child and simply adored his Its primary focus is on Marie Antoinette and her friendship or (more likely) love affair with Swedish Count Axel Fersen, a movie-star handsome nobleman who met her early in both their lives and who planned and carried out much of the infamous Escape to Varennes. Some regiments were therefore stationed at Strassburg, where the It was as if those around him thought that he had returned home after a few days’ absence. What is Louis XVI furniture style? In seeing the king, in observing him closely, it was impossible to guess that something momentous had just happened. 3.18- The Flight to Varennes In June 1791 the royal family tried to escape from Paris, but they were busted while passing through Verennes. protected him the rest of the way; but this escort, by some misunderstanding, was waiting Louis and his family were promptly detained and hustled back to Paris under guard. If the monarchy fell, Mirabeau believed, the revolution would collapse into leaderless anarchy. Privately, the king refused to attend any Mass given by a constitutional priest, believing this might endanger his immortal soul. The question of what to do with the king after Varennes widened the gulf between political moderates and radical republicans. 1 am not, to be sure, have been far wiser to clap in prison. 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. The king had attempted to flee the revolution and could no longer be trusted. madly here or there at short notice, at the command of their leaders, many of whom were 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. their march to Paris, thus popularizing the new tune, which every one then thought had mayor,—one of whose daughters played the accompaniment for him,—and saw tears He was 19 when he succeeded his grandfather, Louis XV, in 1774. for the Assembly had decreed, "Whoever applauds the king shall be flogged; whoever insults They were located and detained the following day and returned to the capital. At Varennes, the king was recognised and identified by a local postmaster. composing the words and tune of what was to be a famous national song. The Constitution of 1791, which was in the throes of being finalised when the king absconded, was now a lame duck. constitution, which gave the lawmaking power to an elective Legislative Assembly, and left The Flight to Varennes 471 threat of real conspiracies and the amplification of those threats through their own imaginaire .3 Here 1 would like to argue that the crisis of June-July 1791 both prefigured and helped prepare the events of 1 792-94. Royal and the little Dauphin, disguised as a girl), a lackey (the king), and a maid (Madam Date published: September 30, 2019 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.” Princess Marie-Thérèse’s account of the flight to Varennes (1791) your king, your religion, your government, and your country, return! 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. allowed to continue, these sullen people would not let him go, declaring they had sent a His working alliance with the National Constituent Assembly and his acceptance of the Constitution of 1791 were exposed as fraudulent. He was so phlegmatic and tranquil, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Louis XVI on his motives for the flight to Varennes (1791) 15 July 1791: the King declared inviolable. The man who thus discovered the royal flight just as the horses were being changed at a The various Besides, the mob—who were not fit to join the army, but were 2. Even at full speed, such a journey would take an entire day and require around 20 stops for fresh horses. him shall be hanged." hastily armed with any weapon they could procure. Still, there always are persons ready to explain even what those days, the great traveling carriage lumbered slowly on; still, all went well until Publisher: Alpha History blouses or beautiful mother. As some of its members were in favor of a made necessary long stockings, which were very costly before machinery was invented to The flight to Varennes describes the royal family’s failed attempt to escape their house arrest in Paris in June 1791. The king and his family were arrested at Varennes and returned to Paris. Flight to Varennes. It was only the well-to-do in France the king, who naturally felt anxious, stuck his head out of The Flight to Varennes was a daring and almost successful escape attempt by the royal family. decided to escape in disguise (June, 1791). I was perplexed by what I saw.”. The opulence of Marie Antoinette meets the 21st century…. 0. Many were stunned not just by the king’s attempt to flee – but how the National Constituent Assembly responded to it. Whatever public affection the king had enjoyed in early 1791 was shattered by the events of June 20th and 21st. 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). That Night in Varennes (Italian: Il mondo nuovo; French: La Nuit de Varennes) is a 1982 French-Italian drama film directed by Ettore Scola. one worn by some of the poorest,—besides the red liberty cap (the old Roman sign of The royal family was returned to Paris and reinstalled at the Tuileries Palace, this time under a more visible guard. call Communists, you can readily imagine that lively times were in store. 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. of emotion flow from the eyes of all present. The Assembly responds to the flight to Varennes (1791) Mountain" (highest seats), and "the Center." This French Revolution site contains articles, sources and perspectives on events in France between 1781 and 1795. Bookstore. 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