Michael Jank

Professor Steinberg
HST 335
30 September 2014
When The King Took Flight by Timothy Tackett
Chapter one of When The King Took Flight is titled Sire, You May Not Pass. The book
sets off in the evening in the city of Varennes, France. A man walks into the local tavern saying
that King Louis himself was camped nearby. The town elders alert the rest of the town and go to
investigate. Lone behold the royal family including the king, queen, and their two children. The
king pleaded with the elders saying he was being persecuted and must escape and that he needed
the help of the town. The townspeoples were in awe. Most have them had never seen the king
and never expected to see the king. Now the king was pleading for their help. The elders told
King Louis that they would assist him allowing the royal caravan to rest. But as the caravan
rested the townspeople were debating what to do with situation at hand. The town decides to not
let the king leave in fear of the act being seen by the National Assembly as counterrevolutionary.
Word was spreading that the king was in Varennes causing thousands of people and solders to
march and protect the king! At this point everyone thought the king was being kidnapped or
coerced into leaving. A small regiment of german mercenary calvary came and try to free the
king. This led to a standoff between the calvary and the militia resulting in the calvary men
abandoning their orders. This german speaking calvary troop started a huge suspicion of many
frenchman that an Austrian army was on the way to attack.
Chapter two of the book is called The King of The French. The King wasnt hated until
the very end of his life. Growing up his constituents were dissatisfied for his interest in unkindly

things such as locksmithing and masonry. As he grew older his desire to be a great ruler was seen
as he studied foreign affairs and public policies. He was eventually married to Marie Antoinette
who was his opposite. She was lively and extroverted and most importantly she was related to
the Austrian royal family. King Louis suffered from a genital malformation that cause him not to
have kids for several years which caused some public distress. When the king finally did have
kids the people rejoiced. During the revolution, the thought not having a king wasnt relevant. It
wasnt till after the October days of 1789 that the king felt the life of him and his family to be
threatened. The king had been denying escape attempts since the storming of the Bastille but
now he agreed one was necessary. Planning the flight took many months. Troop movements were
made most importantly was a dispatch of german mercenary calvary that was to directly follow
the traveling party from afar. A special carriage was built with custom suspension and leather
interior for the family to travel in. Three guars were carefully chosen and two of the childrens
maids. The king understood the immense consequences that his actions would have. To succeed
in the flight would mean a civil war against the revolution. To fail means he and family could be
killed and the monarchy destroyed.
Chapter three of the book is titled The King Takes Flight. The king and his family
escaped the palace in costume. They had prepared documentation to go with their disguises if
they were stopped. They had horse stops planned all the way to Austria as to assure the quickest
possible travel time. It is amazing that they escaped the palace unnoticed when you think that
the couple thousand people working there were there only to serve him and his family. With the
terrain and horse changes it is thought that the traveling partys average speed was 7mph. At
several places along the way the king was recognized. In one of these instances the townspeople
sent a dispatch to warn the city of Varennes. The traveling party was awoken in their camp

outside of this town by screams Fire, Fire. The travelers feared the worst and tried to continue
their journey just to have their fears realized. The king and his family are escorted back to Paris
by a crowd that at times was estimated to be anywhere between 15,000 and 30,000 people. The
National Assembly sent delegates to meet the crowd as it was traveling. The delegates read the
Assemblies decree. This shows a great deal of change in that the National Assembly is
essentially the functioning government and the monarchy has no power. The chapter discusses
the major faults of the flight being the kings indecision to leave. Everyday the king denied a
escape plan or delayed the plan he agreed upon decreased his chances of success. The other
major reason was the changes in the mindset and attitude of the French people. After the
enlightenment and the revolution the people of France made decisions for themselves and
thought of the national consequences not just the local ones.
Chapter four of this book is titled Our Good City of Paris. One of the greatest influence
in Paris during these controversial periods were the newspapers. Newspapers of all political
ideologies were printed all over Paris and were distributed on every street corner. Paris had a
higher literacy rate than most cities in Europe at this time. The people that couldnt read could go
to cafes to hear the news being read and discussed. Cafes allowed for men and women from
different professions to come together and discuss, or formulate, their political opinions. News of
the kings flight traveled quickly throughout the streets of Paris. The initial reaction by parisians,
and the rest of France, was that the king had either been kidnapped or misled by advisors. The
thought was King Louis was a good king but had bad advising. The discovery of the kings
smoking gun aka his letter completely refuting the revolution greatly changed the mood in
paris. This letter left the king with virtually no supporters. The king had broken his vow to
protect his people and the constitution. The religious holiday that took place on the days after the

arrest of the king turned into a revolutionary celebration. A large mob formed at one point and it
was seemed to be the formation of Sans-Collottes. The word revolution had been thrown around
by this time but never very seriously. Fraternal groups all over Paris were pushing for a republic
and a complete dissolution of the monarchy and to form a republic. The first celebration of
Bastille day was celebrated in Paris. All over the city anti-monarchial chants were sung.
Chapter five of the book is titled The Fathers of The Nation. The National Assemblies
first year was full of productivity and enthusiastic idealism. By year two the delegates were
mentally and physically exhausted. Democracy was a lot of work. When word of the kings flight
was traveling throughout the streets of Paris the National assembly called an emergency session.
The Assembly sent out delegates to search for the king. The kings note was discovered. The note
was read in front of the entire assembly. Nothing in the constitution taught them how to deal with
this. There had been no precedent into how or if you can investigate a king. Can a king commit a
crime? How do you punish a king? These were the questions spreading through the Assembly.
Debates over what to do with the king and the monarchy took several months but finally finished
with the announcement of changes to the constitution to give precedent in case this ever
happened again. As for King Louis he was to still be king in name but be stripped of all
privileges. He was to be a prisoner in his own palace. There was large resistance against the
assemblies decision. A large petition signing was to take place. At the signing two men were
discovered and believed to be plotting to blow up the petition signing. These men were taken
outside, lynched, and decapitated. This was the last straw for the Mayor of Paris who already
thought the mob was being manipulated by foreign influences. Martial Law was implemented in
Paris and solders were sent to the sight of the petition signing. These solders were attacked and
opened fire into a crowd. The kings attempt to flee and the Assemblies reaction to keep the king

led to the petition which led to the bloodshed. The monarch had already lost credibility but this
was a big hit against the National Assembly.
Chapter six was titled Fear and Repression in the Provinces. During this time all news,
decrees, and mail traveled by horseback so when word was spreading from Paris that the king
had fled or been kidnapped it took several days to reach many towns. By June 21st news had
spread roughly 100 miles around from Paris. At this time there were many level of local
government that responded to regional sectors that respond to national sectors. These
communities developed a feeling of fraternity and unity because they were all working for the
Nation. These communities had a common purpose. These groups all over France were swearing
impromptu oaths not to the king but too the nation and to the National Assembly. As word of the
kings departure spread mass rumors of foreign invasion ripped through the country. The German
Dragoons that were sent to escort the king out of France just encouraged these rumors. Cities in
the East expected an Austrian army to emerge at any moment and even spread rumors that one
had burned the cities on the border. The kings march back to Paris could have been seen as an
army. Kicking up massive amounts of dust and the footsteps of tens of thousands of people. The
fear was so immense that there were even rumors that a Spanish army was invading from south
west.
Chapter seven is titled To Judge a King. Even when the king was returned after his
attempted flight, the monarchical system was still evident. The king was sick for a while and
when he recovered people rejoiced and special masses were held to praise Him for the kings
recovery. These feelings were combated by the feeling of abandonment that the French people
felt. They had been orphaned by their father. The king was on trial. First judgement was to strip
him of title and all privilege. He was no longer sire or your majesty but Louis or Louis de

Bourbon. He was no longer the king. He was now a citizen. The debate then broke out if the
nation shall be a monarchy or a republic. The disillusion of the monarchy had not even been
considered up until this point. There would always be a king because what else could there be.
Louiss family line had been royalty for nine hundred years that could not just stop. But Louiss
actions to flea caused him the monarchy. He knew the risks he was taking when he attempted this
flea and he would live and die wondering what would had happened if he had escaped.