Insurrection of 10 August 1792

• 1. Escalating Political Tensions

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  On the 20th of April 1792, France declared war against Austria. The initial battles were a disaster for a French army partially disorganized by mutinies and the emigration of officers. Prussia joined Austria in active alliance on the 13th of June. Blame for these opening setbacks fell upon King Louis XVI and his ministers known as the Austrian Committee. The Legislative Assembly passed decrees sentencing any priest denounced by twenty citizens to immediate deportation on the 27th of May. They also dissolved the King's Constitutional Guard on the 29th of May, alleging it was manned by aristocrats. A camp of 20,000 fédérés was established near Paris on the 8th of June. The King vetoed these decrees and dismissed Girondists from the Ministry. When Louis formed a new cabinet mostly of constitutional monarchists called Feuillants, this widened the breach between him and the Assembly. These events happened on the 16th of June when Lafayette sent a letter recommending suppression of anarchists and political clubs in the capital.

• 2. The Brunswick Manifesto Impact

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  Tensions accelerated dramatically on the 1st of August when news reached Paris that the commander of allied Prussian and Austrian armies had issued the Brunswick Manifesto. This document threatened unforgettable vengeance on Paris should harm be done to the French royal family. Six days later the Assembly declared la patrie est en danger meaning the homeland is in danger. Banners were placed in public squares with those words displayed prominently. The ruling spirit of this new revolution was Georges Jacques Danton, a barrister only thirty-two years old who had not sat in either Assembly. He led the republican Cordeliers Society which was popular in Paris. Danton and his friends including Maximilien Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins worked under the shadow of invasion fear. Volunteers and fédérés constantly arrived in Paris though most joined the army while Jacobin clubs enlisted suitable men for their purpose.

• 3. Organizing The Insurrectionary Force

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  Some 500 volunteers from Marseille summoned by Charles Jean Marie Barbaroux arrived in Paris to join the cause. Their enterprise had been projected and suspended several times before finally succeeding. On the 26th of July an insurrection was planned but badly contrived and prevented by Pétion. When federates from Marseille arrived on their way to Soissons camp, faubourgs were to meet them unexpectedly at the château. That attempt also failed until resolution struck the decisive blow on the 10th of August. Political clubs openly discussed dethroning the king and Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve spoke to the Assembly on the 3rd of August soliciting monarchy's end. Of forty-eight sections of Paris all but one dissented when Quinze-vingts declared midnight attack plans. On night of the 9th of August a new revolutionary Paris Commune took possession of Hôtel de Ville seat of city government. Plan involved dissolving département of Paris dismissing Pétion instituting insurrectionary commune then assaulting Tuileries Palace.

• 4. Storming The Tuileries Palace

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  Louis XVI heard firing sounds from manége and wrote order on scrap paper commanding Swiss guards lay down arms immediately. To obey this order meant almost certain death so Swiss officers did not act upon it quickly. Position became untenable as ammunition ran low and casualties mounted during heavy fighting. Main body of Swiss Guards fell back through palace retreating under fire through Tuileries Garden rear building. They halted near central Round Pond broken into smaller groups and slaughtered by revolutionaries. Some sought sanctuary in Parliament House where about sixty surrounded prisoners taken to Hôtel de Ville put to death beneath statue of Louis XIV. Total losses on King side reached perhaps eight hundred out of nine hundred Swiss on duty at palace. Only about three hundred survived fighting while estimated two hundred died of wounds later or during September Massacres following event.

• 5. Massacre And Royal Capture

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  Victims included male courtiers and palace staff though less conspicuous than red-coated Swiss Guards others escaped safely. No female members of court seem killed during massacre according to Jeanne-Louise-Henriette Campan memoirs. After royal family left palace only with Princess de Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel remaining ladies-in-waiting gathered in queen apartment. A man prevented attack upon them exclaiming name of Pétion saying spare women don't disgrace nation. Princesse de Tarente approached rebel asking protection for colleagues who replied we do not fight with women go all if choose. Ladies-in-waiting departed palace safely passing out same way as rest. Commander Louis-Auguste-Augustin d'Affry absent due illness reported the 12th of November that about 300 Swiss guardsmen killed at Tuileries. Up to 350 survivors later enlisted Revolutionary Army First French Republic while others joined counter-revolutionaries War Vendée.

• 6. Abolition Of The Monarchy

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  Louis and royal family took shelter with Legislative Assembly after storming ended battle on the 10th of August. Formal end monarchy occurred six weeks later on the 21st of September as first act new National Convention established republic next day. Among Swiss Guards surviving insurrection up to 350 enlisted Revolutionary Army First French Republic. In 1817 Swiss Federal Diet awarded 389 survivors commemorative medal Treue und Ehre meaning Loyalty and Honor. Document by which National Assembly formally deposed Louis XVI called for Convention translated into English exists today. Insurrection outcomes commonly referred simply as the 10th of August or Second Revolution by historians studying period.