In spring and summer of 1792, the French government found
itself in a very difficult situation. The Austrian army and its Prussian allies
started advancing into the French territory. Economic stagnation continued
throughout the country. The King was widely viewed as a traitor for trying to
flee the country. The Legislative Assembly was divided and Paris was getting
increasingly radicalized. On August 10, a crowd of about 20,000 people attacked
the Tuileries Palace. The King and Queen had escaped the Palace and placed
themselves under the protection of the Legislative Assembly. Fearing further
violence, the Assembly placed them under arrest. The Revolution was moving into
a more radical phase. Over the next month, hundreds of suspected royalists were
executed in what became known as the “September Massacre”. Many French men and
women fled for their lives.
The war declared on 20 April 1792 against the King of
Bohemia and Hungary (Austria) started badly. The initial battles were a
disaster for the French, and Prussia joined Austria in active alliance against
France. The blame for the disaster was thrown first upon the king and his
ministers (Austrian Committee), and secondly upon the Girondins party.
The Legislative Assembly passed decrees, sentencing any priest
denounced by 20 citizens to immediate deportation (17 May), dissolving the
King's guard on the grounds that it was manned by aristocrats (29 May), and
establishing in the vicinity of Paris a camp of 20,000 national guardsmen
(Fédérés) (8 June). The King vetoed the decrees and dismissed Girondins from
the Ministry.When the king formed a new cabinet mostly of constitutional
monarchists (Feuillants), this widened the breach between the king on the one
hand and the Assembly and the majority of the common people of Paris on the
other. Events came to a head on 16 June when Lafayette sent a letter to the
Assembly, recommending the suppression of the "anarchists" and political
clubs in the capital.
Compiled by Albain
Compiled by Albain
No comments:
Post a Comment