1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday. The Women's March on Versailles took place on 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: October fifth, seventeen eighty nine, or two hundred and thirty 3 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: five years ago today, so that is today's Saturday classic. 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: This originally came out on February eighth, twenty seventeen. Enjoy 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Hey, Tracy, you know 8 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: it's all over the news at the moment protests, Yeah, 9 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: protest marches. So I thought maybe we would talk about 10 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: the women's march, but not the one you're thinking about, 11 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: the one that happened on Versailles in the seventeen hundreds, 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: the one that the moment I heard about it, I said, hey, Holly, 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: I think you might want to do this episode. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 14 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: And it's one of those things that I knew about 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: in sort of an abstract way, but I didn't realize 16 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: I was not really aware of all the details of it. 17 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: So this is an event that took place quite early 18 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: on in the French Revolution. As we mentioned before, anytime 19 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: we touch on the French Revolution is a long and 20 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: winding road, so this is at the very early start 21 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: of it, and it started with a bread shortage. This 22 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 1: is kind of one of the more famous aspects of 23 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: the French Revolution, and as with any historical event, there 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: are multiple causes that lead up to this thing happening. 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: So we're going to talk about each of them and 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: kind of put the pieces together before we get to 27 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: the actual march. And first in the setup, we're going 28 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: to talk about Versailles. Versailles is located twelve miles which 29 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: is a little more than nineteen kilometers from Paris to 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: the southwest of the city. The site originally featured Louis 31 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: the thirteenth. Chateau was a stonework hunting lodge designed to 32 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: be a getaway, but under the next king of France 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: it became something quite different. Eventually evolved into a very 34 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: opulent seat of the monarchy. The palace in a complex 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: of other buildings built during the seven decade reign of 36 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: Louis the fourteenth at the time just prior to the revolution, 37 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 1: included governmental office buildings, the royal gardens, the Grand Trional, 38 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: the Patitrional stables, hunting grounds, and multiple structures to house 39 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: all of the people who lived there, which included many 40 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: many servants. It's estimated that at the time of Louis 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: the sixteenth Rain, as many as sixty thousand people were 42 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: living on the grounds at Versailles. It was in effect 43 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: its own city, and it was a luxurious place. The palace, 44 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 1: of course, was the most lavish of all the buildings, 45 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: with more than two thousand rooms, more than seven hundred 46 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: and twenty thousand square feet which is about sixty seven 47 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: thousand square meters of the floor space, more than four 48 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: dozen staircases, and then all that space was decorated with 49 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: fine art and furniture. There were at least fifteen thousand 50 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: paintings in the palace, plus tap streets and glasswork and 51 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: lots of gold leaf. It took a staff of thousands 52 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: just to maintain the palace and the grounds. Yeah, so 53 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: if you've ever visited Versailles, you know it is massive. 54 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: But it's one of those things where you think about 55 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: like the house you live in and whatever the square 56 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: footage is, Like, you know, an average sort of apartment 57 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: eything in Atlanta is about twelve hundred square feet. So 58 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: then when you think about how massive, I mean, it's 59 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: a small town just in the palace. It was like 60 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: multiply that time, seven hundred and twenty. Yeah. And in 61 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: the views of the royals and the nobility who occupied Versailles, 62 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: it was a house of the people, or at least 63 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: that's what they told themselves. Anyone could visit and wander 64 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: around basically unimpeded. So but even though the lower classes 65 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: could visit, the really important thing about Versailles is that 66 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: it was where the king spent basically all his time, 67 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: and that meant that the seat of government was at 68 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: a remove from the city of Paris and the people. 69 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: By the time Louis the sixteenth was ruler in the 70 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: mid seventeen seventies, the grain market in France was deregulated. 71 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: This was part of a larger economic plan on the 72 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: part of an Robert Jacques Turgeaux, who was serving as 73 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: the Minister of Finance, Trade and Public Works under King 74 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: Louis the sixteenth, who had at this point become the 75 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: ruler of France, and Turjau's blanket philosophy was no bankruptcy, 76 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: no tax increases, no borrowing, and he did have a 77 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: positive impact on the French economy. His policies led to 78 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: a decrease in the deficit and an increase in credit 79 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: for a brief time. But while Trujeau did seem to 80 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: have some good ideas about handling France's money, he ran 81 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: into some pretty serious problems after a couple of years, 82 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: around seventeen seventy six. First, he established a freedom of 83 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: enterprise and competition policy, and this made France's craft guilds 84 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: really angry because they had previously controlled all that. And 85 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: then he shifted the taxes in kind, where a portion 86 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,239 Speaker 1: of agricultural production was used as a form of payment. 87 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: He changed that to a direct money tax. This was 88 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: intended to garner the government a more liquid income, but 89 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: it really made everyone angry. Yees, so to him, this 90 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: would have fallen under no tax increases because we're still 91 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: taxing the same, we just now want the cash instead 92 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: of the crops. But of course that's not really the 93 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: same when you're the person making the payment. So Turjau 94 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: resigned at this point. Louis the sixteenth was really frustrated. 95 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: Marie Antoinette and the Minister of State kind of urged 96 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: Turjau to step down, and he was eventually replaced by 97 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: Jacques Nickaire, but his legacy in the grain market would 98 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: continue after the grain market went free trade without any 99 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: price controls. There were a number of years where the 100 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: grain harvest was also poor, and the seventeen eighty eight 101 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: crop was especially bad. Then the following winter was a 102 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: lot colder than Once the temperature rose enough to melt 103 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: some of the freeze, there was flooding, which affected grainaries 104 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: and fields, making seventeen eighty nine an especially hard year 105 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: for farming before there was even a chance to plant anything. Yeah, 106 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: it was basically kind of doomed from the start at 107 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: this point. And this was in addition to the fact 108 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: that the population of France had grown by about eight 109 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: million people over the course of approximately eight decades, while 110 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: France's agriculture, which was its primary economic driver, had stayed 111 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: roughly the same in terms of size. The grain shortage 112 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: drove up prices, first making it difficult for the average 113 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: citizens to afford to buy grain, and then there was 114 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: so little of it that only the very rich could 115 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: actually purchase it. In seventeen eighty eight, the laborers of 116 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: Paris were spending about half of their wages just to 117 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: purchase bread, and by the following year, the shrinking supply 118 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: had pushed that percentage up to about eighty percent of 119 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: wages just going to bread. Yeah, and that's an approximation, 120 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: because you'll see figures cited that are anywhere from seventy 121 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: to ninety percent. So I just went right in the 122 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: middle at eighty. And for his part, Nikier had actually 123 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: retired from government finance, but he returned to the position 124 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: of Director General of Finance in seventeen eighty eight at 125 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: the request of Louis the sixteenth. He would also be 126 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: dismissed and recalled again. You know, the king and his 127 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: directors of finance had some problems in seventeen eighty nine, 128 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: and during his two times being recalled to office, he 129 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: did make efforts to assuage the suffering of France's hungry 130 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: people by banning the export of grain, regulating the grain 131 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: market again, and arranging to have additional grain imported, but 132 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: it was not enough to make up the huge gap 133 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: that had been created by all of these poor harvests. 134 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: Coming up, we'll get into an effort on Louis the 135 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: sixteenth part to try to address these problems. But first 136 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: we're going to take a break for a quick word 137 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: from a sponsor. King Louis the sixteenth had already inherited 138 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: an economic train wreck from his grandfather, and things had 139 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: only gotten worse while he had been on the throne. 140 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: So to try to find a way to solve the problem, 141 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: he assembled the Estates General. In this general Assembly, consisting 142 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: of representatives of the estates of the realm. That would 143 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: be the clergy, which was the first estate, the nobility, 144 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: which was the second estate, and the commoners, which were 145 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: the third estate. Had not been brought together since the 146 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: early sixteen hundreds, but this situation was dire. At this point, 147 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: France was spending almost fifty percent of its national income 148 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: to pay the debt accrued over a very long period 149 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: of poor fiscal management. Of the remaining fifty percent, six 150 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: percent was allocated to the maintenance of Versailles. The rest 151 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: of it went to the military in public works. In 152 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: this assembly, and what came out of it could easily 153 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: be its own episode. There was a lot that happened, 154 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: but for the purposes of discussing the women's mark on Versailles, 155 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: we're going to keep it fairly simple and do pretty 156 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: much the broad strokes. So after a long series of 157 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: squabbles and a seeming impass, the Third Estate broke away 158 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: and formed its own initiative under the name of the 159 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: National Assembly. You've probably heard of the tennis court oath, 160 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: but just in case you haven't or you're fuzzy about 161 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: the details, this was a vow made by the members 162 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: of the General Assembly on a tennis court after being 163 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: locked out of the hall where they had been meeting, quote, 164 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: not to separate and to reassemble wherever circumstances require until 165 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: the Constitution of the Kingdom is established and consolidated upon 166 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: solid foundations. Yeah. So they wanted to develop a constitutional 167 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: monarchy and they were going to write that constitution, and 168 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: they promised they were going to stick together and do 169 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: it and work together until it was done. And after 170 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: the King concluded the Estate's General Meeting, which had spawned 171 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: the General Assembly, and nothing had really been resolved by 172 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: that Estate's general gathering, the group known as a General 173 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: Assembly sort of disbanded. You'll also just see it said 174 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 1: written that they'd renamed, but they reformed as the National 175 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: Constituent Assembly. And at that point too, we should note 176 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: that there were even though it's often called the Gathering 177 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: of the Third estate. There were people from the clergy 178 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: and the nobility that were on board with this and 179 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: we're kind of joining in. And this group was meeting 180 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 1: at a hall in the Versailles complex when the women's 181 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 1: march took place. So on October first, seventeen eighty nine, 182 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: there was a raucous party at Presailles in the opera 183 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: house that got a lot of publicity, and at the 184 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: Royal Flanders Regiment was welcomed by the King's bodyguard at 185 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: the palace there was a banquet, lots and lots of wine, 186 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: and things quickly lost any sense of behavioral constraint. The 187 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: soldiers in particular got very drunk and allegedly started slurring 188 00:10:55,640 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: insults about the revolution. Stories appeared in the press that 189 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: some of the soldiers had even thrown the tricolor cacods 190 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: those are those pleated ribbon badges that had become emblems 191 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: of the revolution onto the floor and both urinated on 192 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: them and stomped on them. And then they allegedly put 193 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: on the white ribbons of the Bourbons or black ribbons, 194 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: which were associated with the aristocratic counter revolution, and swore 195 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: their loyalty to Louis the sixteenth and his Queen, and 196 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: while Louis the sixteenth had been at the party for 197 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: some period of time, it was fairly brief, but some 198 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: accounts claimed that he had been there for hours partying 199 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: with these soldiers. This event was commemorated by printmakers that 200 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: they were largely fabricated depictions of this event. As the 201 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: artists were working from descriptions from other people and maybe 202 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: even rumors, they were basically filling in the details. Both 203 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: the stories and the prints were not considered to be accurate, 204 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: but boy, they were really proliferating throughout France at the time. 205 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: Though they were overblown reports, they still garnered the ire 206 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: of the public. For one, guests in Versailles were bad 207 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: mouthing the revolution, which was just in its infancy, and 208 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: people were really angry to think that the king was 209 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: hosting people that were basically saying that that was stupid 210 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: and useless. For another, these men were being treated to 211 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: a massive feast when many of France's people were going hungry. 212 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: And because this October first party was just another and 213 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,319 Speaker 1: the long line of incidents of waste on the part 214 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: of the monarchy while the common people suffered, it sparked 215 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: lots of protest. Ye, yeah, certainly not the first protest, 216 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: but and we'll talk about that a little in a moment. 217 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: And additionally, there had been an expected bump in the 218 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: availability of bread, so the grain harvest had taken place 219 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: in September. There wasn't a lot, but there was some, 220 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: so it seemed like there should be some bread available, 221 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: and there had, as we said, benefforts on the part 222 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: of the French government, under the stewards of Director General 223 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: of Finance Jacques Nacaire, to import additional grain, so people 224 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: thought that there should be some food to eat, but 225 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 1: those supplies had not arrived yet. In early October, when 226 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: this was going on, the lack of grain, even though 227 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: there had been assurances that shipments had been arranged, caused 228 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: all kinds of rumors to circulate. As lines for even 229 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: meager portions of bread stretched for city blocks, people started 230 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: to gossip that the shortage was purposely being arranged by 231 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 1: the government to weaken the populace and make them more submissive. Yeah. 232 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: When you combine the fact that there is no food 233 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: with the fact that there are obviously these lavish parties 234 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: and a lot of spending going on at Versailles, you 235 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: know this ties in, of course to the whole let 236 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: the meat cake falsehood that is often reported that has 237 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: been talked about on the show before. I think my 238 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: previous hosts and we've certainly referenced it. Yeah, I think 239 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: that's like a really short episode in the Canvas and 240 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: maybe even Josh Days maybe yeah, Jane long time ago. Yeah. 241 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: But I mean basically everything that was being reported was 242 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: largely rumor, but people were so upset that conspiracy theories 243 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: were just sort of like the standard of the day, 244 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: and it was easy to believe that there must be 245 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: something the faery is going on if they were having 246 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: parties in the palace while no one else could even 247 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: get a loaf of bread. Uh, So that is why 248 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: rumors were so rampant at the time. There had been 249 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: multiple calls for organized protests in the days and weeks 250 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: leading up to October, but this grain issue, combined with 251 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: the bad press around the party at Versaill, served as 252 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: a catalyst. Protests started on October fourth, with people marching 253 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: in the streets to decry this rumored party at Versailles 254 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: as well as the food scarcity, but they didn't really 255 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: come together until the following day. On October fifth of 256 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty nine, a march started that would eventually cover 257 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: the twelve plus miles from Paris to Versailles, but it 258 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: didn't begin with that intent. So when the first part 259 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: of the crowd assembled in the morning, it was outside 260 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: the Hotel de Ville that was the seat of the 261 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: Parisian City Council, somewhere between five and ten thousand people. Again, 262 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: that's one of those things that the reporting is very, 263 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: very widely varied. It was mostly women. They stood outside 264 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: this administrative building demanding that all the remaining grain stores 265 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: be released to the people. There was no response from 266 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: the Hotel di Villa. So at that point the crowd 267 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: decided to march right to the monarchy with their protest, 268 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: and by noon the group had armed themselves with clubs, muskets, 269 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: pikes and the like and headed out of Paris to 270 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: walk to Versailles, basically the length of a half marathon. 271 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: I know. That's what I kept thinking, is that you know, 272 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: Tracy's done a half. I've done quite a number of 273 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: half marathons. This is not a small distance. It's one 274 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: of those things that if you've ever walked a mile 275 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: and been that person's been like I could do that 276 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: twelve more times. Yes, you probably could, but it's exhausting. 277 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: You might hurt yourself like I did. And now imagine 278 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: doing that when you haven't had enough to eat in months. Yeah, 279 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: it's no small undertaking, and it speaks to the level 280 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: of frustration that was prevalent at the time among the 281 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: people of Paris. The royal family had received word of 282 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: the protesters headed toward the palace, so they sought refuge 283 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: in their private apartments and the gates were locked. While 284 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: women made up the majority of the marchers, they were 285 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: accompanied by a National Guard officer named Stanislas Maillard. This 286 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: was not for many of the marchers their first protest. 287 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: A lot of the women, as well as Mayard, had 288 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: been part of the storming of the Bastilles several months 289 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: earlier on July fourteenth, and the group as it made 290 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: its way from Paris to Versailles grew. The exact numbers 291 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: of the protest are difficult to gauge because they're varying accounts, 292 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: and as we know for more recent history, it's kind 293 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: of tough to estimate crowd size. Sometimes, yes, numbers vary 294 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: anywhere from ten thousand to thirty thousand people, and the 295 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: crowd had more than one aim in this protest, and 296 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: that happened because it had become a combination of the 297 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: initial group of women who were marching largely over food shortages, 298 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: and other groups that had joined in with their own 299 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: agendas regarding the revolution. So by the time they reached Versailles, 300 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: there were several demands kind of being put forth by 301 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: different factions of the group. One was for the monarchy 302 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 1: to address the food shortage, which had really been the 303 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: initial driver for this whole march. Another was for the 304 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: king to relocate to Paris and reign from a position 305 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 1: where he was with his people and not solely influenced 306 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: by the aristocracy. And then there were people who just 307 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: wanted to harm the king or really, more specifically Marie Antoinette, 308 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 1: because she sort of became to many people of France 309 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: emblematic of the fiscal problems they were having, because she 310 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: was known for spending a lot of money when they 311 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: had nothing. We will talk about how things played out 312 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: once this protest actually got to Versailles, but first we 313 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: will have another quick word from one of our sponsors. 314 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: The protesters would end up spending about twenty four hours 315 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 1: at Versailles. The two days of the protest October fifth 316 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: and sixth, are sometimes referred to as the October Days 317 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: or the October Days March, in addition to being called 318 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 1: the Women's March on Versailles. To add tension to the situation, 319 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: it was raining when the march got to the Versailles complex, 320 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: so some of the women, about twenty, made their way 321 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: into the hall where the National Constituent Assembly was meeting, 322 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: along with Myard. While this took the Assembly by surprise, 323 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: the group spoke with the protesters and heard them out, 324 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,399 Speaker 1: and Maard did most of the talking on behalf of 325 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: the demonstrators. The women and Mayard explained that there was 326 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: no bread in Paris and that they needed the Assembly's help, 327 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: and so the men drafted a proposed decree requesting that 328 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: the king make every effort to get green circulating through 329 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: the population, and this proposal was read to the women 330 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: and Mayard for review. Jean Joseph Mugnier, who was President 331 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: of the National Constituent Assembly, deputized six of the women 332 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: present so they could enter the palace and make their 333 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 1: case directly to King Louis. The sixteenth and For his part, 334 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: the king seemed receptive. He heard what the women had 335 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 1: to say and assured them that he would take action 336 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 1: to address the foods shortage. The crowd, however, was not 337 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: placated by the words of the king. In an attempt 338 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: to mollify the situation, Louis the sixteenth declared that the 339 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: food stores of Versailles should be open and that the 340 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,919 Speaker 1: supplies within should be distributed among them. Still, the crowd 341 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 1: was not soothed. To add tension to the moment, a 342 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: National Guard regiment led by the Marquis de Lafayette had 343 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: arrived at Versailles, should military intervention be needed, but Louis 344 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: the sixteenth was against the idea of using force in 345 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,959 Speaker 1: the situation. Tensions waxed and waned throughout the night and all, 346 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: although there were occasionally stray shots fired, the situation did 347 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 1: not escalate into violence. Allegedly, there was even a fairly 348 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: friendly relationship between some of the guardsmen and the crowd. 349 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: Given the Marque to Lafayette's reputation in both the United 350 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: States and France, that does not completely surprise me. Yeah, 351 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: Apparently some of the guardsmen were just kind of mingling 352 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: with the people that were there hanging out. They were 353 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: trying to kind of make a go of it, like 354 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: we're all stuck here for the night, I guess. But 355 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: as the night stretched on and dawn of October sixth approached, 356 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: it became apparent that there were factions in the crowd 357 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: who had gotten really restless with the situation. They wanted 358 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: more action on the part of the monarch to come 359 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: to the aid of the people, and they had become 360 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: convinced that the Queen, Marie Antoinette would reverse the seemingly 361 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 1: magnanimous efforts of her husband. The section of the protesters 362 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: became more and more agitated, and eventually made their way 363 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: in to the palace in the early morning in search 364 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: of the queen. Their intent was to harm her and, 365 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: according to some accounts, to kill her. But as the 366 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: queen fled, the angry faction was unable to keep up 367 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: the pursuit. For the palace's complex floor pun and its 368 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: many many doors, yeah, all of those two thousand rooms 369 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: really paid off, because if you didn't know the entry 370 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: and exit points, it was hard to keep up with 371 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: someone that was running through them that knew them very well. 372 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: And in the midst of this pursuit. Those things turned 373 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: violent when a guard fired upon two of the women protesters. 374 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: One of them was killed, which fomented the rest of 375 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: the group into retaliatory violence. Two soldiers were killed and dismembered. 376 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: The Marquis de Ferrier, a nobleman who was adversis at 377 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,719 Speaker 1: the time, wrote of that morning, and here is what 378 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: he said. At six o'clock in the morning, a crowd 379 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: of women and armed men assembled in the square. Summoned 380 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: by the beating of drums, shouts of rage against the 381 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: royal bodyguards were heard. One of those columns marched up 382 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: to the royal gate but found it locked. Another got 383 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:07,919 Speaker 1: through by the gate of the chapel, which was open. 384 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: One of the national guards of the Versailles militia led 385 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: the way up to the king's staircase. Some of the 386 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: bodyguard ran up, quote, my friends, you love your king, 387 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: and yet you even come to his palace to disturb him. 388 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: No one answered. The column continued to advance. The bodyguard 389 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: mustered in their hall. The doors were soon broken down 390 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: and they were forced to evacuate it. The conspirators approached 391 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: the Queen's apartments, crying, quote, we are going to cut 392 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: off her head, tear out her heart, fright her liver, 393 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: and that won't be the end of it. Milmandra flew 394 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: to the door of the first ante room, opened it hurriedly, 395 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,479 Speaker 1: and called to the lady whom she saw, save the queen. 396 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: They mean to kill her. I am alone, facing two 397 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: thousand tigers. My comrades have been obliged to quit their haul. 398 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: After these few words, Maumandra shut the door and bravely 399 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 1: waited for the conspirators. One of them tried to stab 400 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: him with his pike. He carried the blow. Another, taking 401 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: the pike by the head, struck him a blow with 402 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: the butt, which felled him to the ground. Stand back, 403 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: said the National guardsman, who led the column. The crowd 404 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: made room for him. Then, measuring the butt of his 405 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: musket against mout Ander's head, he struck him with all 406 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: his force, so that the trigger penetrated his skull. Mailmandra, 407 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: streaming with blood, was left for dead, and eventually, with 408 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: more manpower summons, the military was able to get all 409 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: of the protesters out of the palace, though the now 410 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: angry mob remained outside. Lafayette suggested that Louis the Sixteenth 411 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: address the crowd and The king went along with this plan, 412 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: walking out to the balcony to tell the gathered people 413 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: that he and the rest of the immediate royal family 414 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: would travel to Paris, and he declared his love for 415 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: his people. He also put on a tricolor cocad and 416 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:06,360 Speaker 1: Louis's words sort of did the trick. His words were 417 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: well received by the crowd, and they did begin to 418 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: cheer for him, and he then left the balcony to 419 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: be replaced by his wife, And while she was not 420 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: met with the same cheers, it was not lost on 421 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: the crowd that she was showing an incredible level of 422 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: trust in making this appearance so immediately after this foiled 423 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: attempt on her life. The morning was spent preparing for travel, 424 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 1: and that very afternoon, Louis the sixteenth, Marie Antoinette, and 425 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: their children left Versi, accompanied by several members of the 426 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: National Constituent Assembly and the crowd that had been at 427 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: Persai throughout the protest. King Louis the sixteenth and the 428 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: National Constituent Assembly moved into the Palais de Tuilerie on 429 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: the right bank of the Sinne. And while the Tuleirie 430 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 1: was a palace originally built in the sixteenth century. It 431 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: had not been an active residence for decades, so there 432 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: was some effort required to make it liveable as a 433 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: home and serviceable as a governmental hub. It's one of 434 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: those things where people go, well, you've moved into another palace, 435 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: But it really was a significant shift in their lifestyle 436 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 1: from what they had been living in at Versailles. This 437 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: is the first time in one hundred years that France 438 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: was governed from Paris rather than from the Versailles complex, 439 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 1: and Louis the sixteenth and his family never saw Versailles again. Yeah, 440 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: so that was the women's march on Versailles. That seemed effective. 441 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: A little bit of bloodshed unfortunately, but yeah, I mean 442 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: you and I talked about it before we started that. 443 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: I have this whole thing where I when I read 444 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: about Marie Antoinette and Louis the sixteenth, and there have 445 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: been some writings in recent years that have fallen more 446 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: in this angle rather than the sort of more vilifying versions, 447 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: which is probably what I'm most influenced by. They made 448 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: so many stupid, stupid moves, but I really think they 449 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: just were not prepared for the roles that they've found 450 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: themselves in. Yeah, they sometimes are portrayed as like mustache 451 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: twirling villains, cackling over everybody else's misfortune. Yeah, are just 452 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: completely callous, and really I think they just didn't get it. 453 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: They had no grasp of the reality of France. I 454 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: think Louis the sixteenth wanted to do the right thing 455 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: but didn't know how. He didn't know who to trust, 456 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: He didn't he wasn't ever confident enough in any of 457 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: his advisors to really follow through on any plans that 458 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 1: may have helped in the long run. There are some 459 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: historians that theorized that if Turgieau had been allowed to 460 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: stay in his position running finances, that he actually could 461 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: have prevented the later events of the revolution. But we 462 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: don't know. But yeah, I I oh, they made so 463 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: many poor choices and just bad decisions. But I really 464 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: think above all else, they were just foolish and ill prepared. 465 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: And the whole situation was exacerbated so much by it 466 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: like huge feud shortages and this enormous disparity between the 467 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: like the world of Versailles and the world of everyone else. Yeah, yeah, 468 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: it's it's a thing like how can you govern people 469 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: you don't even know or understand uh, and it's it's 470 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: a fascinating I think that's why people are continue to 471 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 1: be fascinated by Louis the sixteenth and Marie Antoinette. It's 472 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: just it's such a bizarre concept. They're so completely divorced 473 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:31,360 Speaker 1: from the people that they are allegedly ruling. It's there's 474 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: a surreal level of out of touchness going on, which 475 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: is again, it's fascinating. Thanks so much for joining us 476 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: on this Saturday. If you'd like to send us a note, 477 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 1: our email addresses History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com, and 478 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: you can subscribe to the show on the iHeartRadio app, 479 00:27:53,720 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.