The Revolution

The Peasants' Revolt (1768-1771) was an armed revolt formed by the people of Dijon and it's provinces, against the ruling monarch Louis XII.
== Prologue (1695 to 1767) ==
In 1695, Louis X died and 'thus Louis XI was proclaimed Emperor of Grandelumiere (though a regent, Anastasie Genevieve, was endured from 1695 to 1704 due to Louis XI's minority). Louis XI's reign would go down in history as one of the most glorious reigns that the Empire of Grandelumiere had or will ever see. But with all the glory, prestige, pomp and ceremony came a cost. Louis XI drew his bookkeepers mad with the amount of dept he drew up. "2,000,000,000" livres would be the total sum. This would prove a major problem of unthinkable proportions in later years. The outstanding sum was partly due to raging wars, personal pleasures and the small vain indulgences that Louis XI enjoyed. But one must be reminded that money had to be spent in times of great hardship, such as of the fire in the 1740's which devastated Dijon and 'thus issued major reconstruction. Towards the end of his long reign, Louis XI definitely showed repentance and sorrow for his vast expenses. He died on the 30th December, 1767.
What was the people's view? On the entirety the people believed the Emperor, their le Empereur-Soleil, as a true God in his early years. Towards the end of his reign the novelty of his rule was clearly wearing off. You'd have to be over eighty to vividly remember the birth of the young Louis XI ("Monsieur de Grasse" was but sixteen in 1691, son of a dame d'honneur of Empress Anastasie, upon the young Louis XI's birth. He'd die in 1770 at the outstanding age of ninety-five) and you'd have to be over seventy to have lived for the entirety of his reign. So it was quite understandable that the prospects and ideas of a "new emperor" for a "new century" was no longer relevant to the masses. It wasn't only the image of the emperor that waned but the physical lives of the nation. This over indulgence had caused a bread crisis. The costs of the bread rose dramatically in Dijon from 1730 to 1741 and then steadily from 1760 to 1767. Since the provinces had their own farms to benefit themselves and a preoccupation with manual labour, the inner cities such as Dijon had only concern for the purchase of produce. When the bread prices peaked in Dijon it caused a domino effect that would begin to sliver across the nation. One must also note that the smallpox outbreaks, which occurred across the decades, did no good to the country farms. So on either side of the spectrum there was a desperate situation caused by it's government and to add salt to the wound, by deadly disease.
It would be up to the nearing forty-old Louis XII and his ministers to sort this issue. Unfortunately Louis XII's lazy and dull personality drew a veil upon the matter and 'thus was blissfully unaware of the larger issue at hand. To a modern audience one could see this as arrogance or a lack of education.
When the people's hopes were dashed of a saviour in Louis XII, the people took their anguish into their own hands. He'd soon face the wrath of his own people.
== Peasants' Revolt (1767-1768) ==
In the early months of Louis XII's reign, the people of Dijon were agitated. They'd had enough of hunger and of disease. The people, lead by anonymous antagonists, took up arms and protested outside the Palais des ducs de Bourgogne. Many written accounts well document the scenes that followed. Marie de La Bosse-de-Bretagne well documented the sight as she watched from her apartment above Rue de Charles VI:
"The bloody massacre goes on and yet 'alas I see no sign of end. I watch, reviled by the sights, and contemplate if His Majesty is aware of what is going on. I've seen them, those dastardly men, rouse the masses in fury until the curious bewitching blood-lust grasped all. 'Tis hopeless accounting one's observations, one must start at the very beginning. At 9 o'clock it seemed a most agreeable day. I conducted my toilette as one does and Madame de Beaunotte called upon me. Sometime after 10 o'clock some crowd bother-er was preaching his malicious verse to the masses. I've payed my court to their august majesties and have seen them to be a somewhat respectable couple. God has wanted to make them our rulers as much as he has wanted to make those preachers poor simpletons. It became obvious that, with the addition of intoxication, the crowd enjoyed what they heard. Of course the more gentile sex watched in silent admiration. What they admired, I don't know. It wasn't until after my luncheon that the Imperial Guard size increased at all the palace entrances. I'm most lucky to be able to spy into the window's of the palace. I saw many personages busying themselves about, a seemingly important task at hand. 8 o'clock soon dawned and the situation upon which I find myself in began. The people, so enraged and so infuriated, began to taunt and abuse their intimate and blessed position of being close beside the palace by lashing our their languish upon the gates. They threw their bodies against the bars and wielded their weapons frantically at the Imperial Guards. 'Alas, they were unable to keep back the mob which has now gathered to an uncountable proportion. My housekeeper made sure to secure apartment entrance while the people continued their bloody work. It's now 9 o'clock and they are dispersing with the horrific image of the Imperial Guards massacred heads upon pikes. To where? Mon Dieu one believes they shall want a royal edition to their pikes."
- Taken from the "Correspondence of Marie de La Bosse-de-Bretagne 1768-71"
The mob made it's way towards Le Chateau de Saint-Etienne. No official representative of Dijon delivered the word of the oncoming rioters to Louis XII, but only the word of mouth which carried it's way. Whispers of the troubles in Dijon indeed circulated towards the late evening. The Chevalier de Toulouse certainly remembered how word of the "some story of the commoners anguish spread from card table to gossipers ear as if it were a spark to kindling". Since public ceremony were mainly concluded for the day (apart from the "Couche" of the emperor and empress) it was expected that both monarchs heard little to nothing of it since it's recorded that neither received or visited any person who knew of it. Among the more open circles and salons being held by the court it began to evolve into a persisting worry. Sometime after 9 o'clock it was confirmed that a mob was indeed approaching Saint-Etienne. The Cardinal Forez was informed by a manservant of the situation. In turn he informed his brother, Louis XII of the news. After a discussion of what to do the court gathered in the chapel where they prayed fervently on the situation, pleading for guidance and courage. Even the Duchesse de Nassau jangled a rosary in her hand "Life provides us with the most funniest ironies" sneered the Duchesse de Normandie. Meanwhile the mob carried on it's march, still in that blood-lust that had so in-captivated them. Around half past ten the mob arrived, taking no time in disposing those who guarded the entrance to the Chateau's estate. The court had to disperse from the chapel as the mob made themselves viable at the windows "and the howl of the banshee couldn't have made a most horrific noise which the crowd projected" noted the Duchesse de Nassau. With haste and with guards by their sides, Louis XII taking the hand of his wife (of whom was in a delicate condition), proceeded to take the court to his bedchamber. The atmosphere in the bedchamber was depressing and nerve provoking. Cardinal Forez lead a group in prayer while some gallant nobles, the Duc de Montpensier at their head, directed their swords towards the entrance of the chamber. A scurrying wet-nurse delivered the young Imperial children, Monseigneur and the Duc de Paris. Madame la Duchesse took the children in her arms "Don't be frightened" she whispered to them both while all looked onward at the flaming torches and cries of anguish.
It all came to a peak when they saw the gates toppled by climbing women, it fell with a clash and crushed some unfortunate guards. They made their way into the building and then into the bedchamber of Louis XI. The noblemen stood down and tucked away their swords. With a calm air, as if they'd simply stumble in for a casual conversation, Louis XII addressed them "And what is it that I can do? What enrages you?". The masses promptly told that they wanted the seat of power in Dijon, clever tactic which would mean that they could ever so slowly bend the emperor to his will. With a crowd of 1,000 strong, the Imperial family and the court could do nothing but submit. Oddly enough Louis XII kept up the vital court etiquette by having the noblemen dress him and the noblewomen dress Marie Josephe. The citizens looked on, at awe at this unusual spectacle dedicated to the simple dressing of one's person. They saw first hand and up close the gold trimmings and the sumptuous clothing of both their emperor and empress. After seeing this glittering and somewhat mystical sight of devotion, they did not dare touch their sovereigns afterwards. The emperor, empress and their court were taken to Dijon. Ahead of the procession of carriages were the mutilated limbs of their victim, thrust upon pikes.
But what of the other nobility left behind? And those well known aristocrats which lived close-by. The only legitimised son of Louis XI, Fontaine Honore de Grandelumiere, was forcibly removed from Le Chateau de la Muyre. Louis de La Valliere arrived at Saint-Etienne the following morning, only to find stray nobles and servants going about their business. One must understand that these people had no other way of life so naturally they carried on. The young Mademoiselle de Vendôme accounted this:
"Utter indifference. Not completely indifferent, for an air of sorrow and stillness lingered. I walked first into the chambers of Her Majesty. The large shutters of her windows were wide open, as was the window itself. I took it upon myself to lock up the window and neatly fold the shutters. One of the most oddly touching sights was that of her morning slippers which sat ready for her to wear. I met the eye of Louis XI's portrait as it gazed majestic upon me, unaware of the troubles now facing his beloved Empire. I was most shocked to see, seized into the coverings of the bed itself, machetes and other markings of similar instruments."
To attack and violet the holy sanctity of the empress's bed is in a sense a rape. Absolutely like being raped. The mere idea that such an act of rebellion could take place was unbelievably rare. Nothing prepared both emperor and empress for the physical invasion of their privacy.
One most memorable account which summed the daunting foreboding of the tribulations to come was made by Louis XII himself:
"We are lost, dragged away, perhaps to death: when monarchs becomes a prisoners, they have not long to live."
== Revolution (1768) ==
When the emperor and his court arrived in Dijon there were cries of "Long live the Emperor" contrasting with cries of hate and violence. Madame la Duchesse, holding tight of the young Monseigneur proclaimed "Good God. That is their Emperor they are shouting at". All became more quieter in the enclosure of the courtyard. They were instructed by some spokesperson for the citizens to go about their normal business inside. So they did. They found the palace in a inconvenient state. The rioting from early that morning did not take pity upon the most valuable of furnishings. Nether the less Louis XII proclaimed that "Louis XI lodged here most perfectly, so should we." Once everyone were installed in their own apartments the court began to find a normality in the face of its abnormality. The court, due to its close confines, became more intimate and 'thus giving way to little in-formalities which would not have been looked upon well by Saint-Etienne's standards. It is surprising to hear that Louis XII allowed safe passage of those nobles who were left behind or elsewhere. Monsieur de La Vallière arrived, a boyhood friend of Louis and mistress of Le Cardinal Forez, as well as the morbidly sensitive Duchesse d'Anjou. With these persons he was also allowed furniture from Saint-Etienne, to make his stay more comfortable and agreeable. It's touching that Louis XII ordered much of his wife's furniture. The white maple desk which resided in her library was brought, as was her embroidery table and the small bed for her dear dogs. To the Duchesse d'Anjou's pleasure and surprise her pet Nightingale would hatch during her stay: "I'm afraid it's picked a most awkward moment at which to hatch". Louis himself had Louis XI's prayer table delivered, a vanity table with three chairs, a vast array of portraits and other comfortable furnishings. Le Cardinal Forez found the "incarceration" in the palace depressing. Nothing here was as lavish as his own residence, Saint-Francois. The usual government meeting was held as usual. This time in the spectacular throne room. A myriad of candles upon vast chandeliers illuminated the rose quart marble. "Such grandure. Who'd have thought there had been an open revolt!" remarked Le Duc de Montpensier. As time past the novelty of being cooped up like birds lost it's non existent novelty. Louis XII began to organised the departure of some favoured nobles. He ordered La Duchesse de Nassau to make a swift departure, along with her she took important documents and items of value.
Louis XII had had enough of their situation. His brother, Le Cardinal Forez, planed a method of attack which would hit hard. The battle, which took place at the same time as a wonderful celebration for Empress Marie Victoria's birthday, was a success. Le Cardinal Forez and Monsieur le Prince were most brave and fearless in their acts and were highly praised afterward by Louis XII and also by Marie Josephe who commented: "It's a fine thing to risk your life for one's monarch". This battle wouldn't keep back the masses for long. Afterward their was a breif period of rest, Empress Marie Josephe successfully gave birth to a young girl, Madame Imperial. Things were calm in the weeks to follow, to calm almost. Le Duc de Montpensier noted how "nothing happened but all expected something to happen", La Duchesse d'Anjou would describe in a letter to a friend (Mademoiselle d'Amblimont, later Comtesse de Lâge de Volude) "Silence, silence écho's these corridors now. Upon one time there was an air of ease and tranquility which was most marvellous. Now the ease and tranquility means weary foreboding". She could not have been more right. The people once again took up arms and rebelled against their monarch.
Louis XII and Marie Josephe had gone to bed as they always did. After the nessiasry ceremony was conducted the court withdrew to their own chambers. Around 2 o'clock in the morning, Le Cardinal Forez rushed in to the chamber and awoke the couple. He informed the couple that the gates were no longer holding and the guards couldn't feel them back for much longer. In some haste they were both dressed. Madame la Duchesse rushed in with both Dauphin and Duc de Forez where a wet nurse carried the small Madame Imperial. All watched with horror at the horrific sights. Marie Josephe was seen, in a touching scene, bouncing the young Dauphin upon her knees and singing some traditonal tune to soothe him. A plan was conducted, most likely an invention of the clever brains of Le Cardinal Forez and Madame Françoise, which would entail a hurried esscape to the Bastille. In another guise, Louis XII in a simple cotton shirt and breeches and Marie Josephe in a muslin dress, made their escape with other disguised nobles to the Bastille.
The Bastille wasn't the damp prison they expected, the lodgings were more castle like then a place where criminals were confined. Louis XII found his chambers most comfortable and cosy. Madame la Duchesse was at ease in her quarters. She took pleasure upon sitting in quiet contemplation before her fire, ever the tranquil and peaceful soul. The usual Couché was conducted with some rules broken due to the indisposition of various nobles. This was remnants of an etiquette so ridged that it had been ingrained into all nobles minds and so vital as food and drink.
The Emperor would gather the necessary forces needed to combat the power of the peasants who were beginning to storm the palace back at the city centre. The Emperor would lead these forces back to the Palace in due course, and allow the Emperor and his family entry into the building. The court would continue as normal, despite the growing unrest outside the palace walls and gates. Eventually, as the nobility were sleeping and after the couche the gates would be stormed and the palace mobbed by the peasantry. They would storm the bedroom where the nobility had gathered, and were forcibly removed to the Tour du Temple, which had historically housed criminals of noble status. 
== Constitutional Monarchy (1769-1771) ==
Benedict Lefeuvre, who had taken control of the revolution by this time as the Prime Minister of the new movement, would order the Emperor to sign the papers ordering him to legitimise the newly founded Tribunal and Parliament as the legitimate government, with a constitutional monarch. Following this, the Emperor was duly announced for trial. Before the Emperor himself was to be trialled, many other nobles were. Prior to the Emperor, 42 nobles had been tried and condemned to death or life imprisonment. Over 300 commoners, as servants and other varying staff to the nobility, were condemned, mostly to execution. The Emperor would be taken to trial by November 1768. His trial was noted as being a mere show trial, however, his fate had yet to be determined. There was no prior plan to oversee his execution. Charged with several charges, he was found guilty of all and sentenced to death by beheading. Members of the Petit Conseil were all ordered to be executed on largely fake charges, and his family would soon follow. 
During this period many hundreds were trialled, over 470 nobles were charged between the time of the condemnation of the Emperor and the founding of the Consulate. On the afternoon of February 18, 1769, the Emperor was forced to the Place de la Revolution (which was previously known as Place des Empereurs) and brought upon a scaffold. Thousands of citizens surrounded with nobility forced to watch under guard. The Emperor would pardon his enemies and those who condemned him to death. He was then forced to kneel, and the Prime Minister had him executed personally, beheading him in one stroke. The head was then moved to the Tour du Temple and mounted on a pike. Following this, the Prime Minister made himself First Consul of three, and the now Louis XIII was announced, with the Regent being the Empress Dowager. 
This marked the period known as The Bloodshed in which thousands were executed en masse. Nobles were arrested and executed with show trials, or without a trial at all, and thousands of citizens were rounded up and murdered in many regions by newly appointed revolutionary officials. Overall, around 78,000 citizens were executed in Dijon and Paris, with a further 100,000 at a conservative estimate in the provinces. The revolutionary army did have many successes, taking over much of the western Holy Roman Empire and territories from Austria and the Italian states. These areas provided much extra taxation revenue for the state and had progressed from the defeat of the Austrians at the Battle of Augsburg. 
Louis XIII would die in prison due to malnutrition. He would only rule for 14 months, dying on the 20th of April 1770. This would lead to his younger brother, Charles, taking the throne as Charles VIII. Charles would later die of a suspected poisoning, along with many of Louis XII's children. Thus, Louis Joseph, brother of Louis XII, became Louis XIV as Emperor-Cardinal.
Eventually, due to continued arrogance from the Pope against the Consul, he was summarily executed in his chamber via beheading on the 4th of January 1771. Just before the execution,l the revolutionaries had been excommunicated, which caused a backlash against the church by the revolution. Until now, the revolution had professed Catholicism and supported priests and cardinals, sparing the Pope from execution. But, at exommunication, the Pope was executed and the Churches forced from Catholic Cathedrals to Temples of Liberty and Freedom. The major Temple was the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint-Benignus. The remaining nobility were ordered to be executed here in order to prevent them taking the throne.
When they were all moved, they were forced to give last words together before being executed in succession. When Monsieur le Comte was to be executed, Madame, the eldest sister of the dead Emperor Louis XII, managed to enter, shooting the First Consul in the knee, shattering his cap, while the British stormed the Temple. The revolutionaries were executed and massacred on sight. The family of the Emperor were released shortly thereafter.
Category:Conflicts involving Grandelumiere