Database: 10 August

On August 6, 1792, a crowd gathered on the Champ-de-Mars once more to petition the king's deposition. An atmosphere of besiegement reigned in Paris, but it was not against foreign enemies that the insurgents sought to defend themselves, but those from within; those who were in a position to derail the Revolution. Jacobins and took refuge in the Paris City Hall along with 7,000 soldiers. The King strengthened his positions at the Tuileries Palace from 2,000 to 3,000 men, mainly Swiss Guards. On the night of August 10, with the monarchy just hours from its impending doom, the tocsin sounded to mark the beginning of the revolt. The insurgents wanted to ensure that the King would be unable to regain his rights. The fighting was swift and brutal: the Swiss Guard were massacred almost to a man. The King, meanwhile, took advantage of the confusion to slip away from the palace and place himself in the hands of the National Convention.*
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* Funny how the noble are so rarely the first to act nobly.
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Ultimately, the assault led to the demise of the Legislative Assembly, the formal abolition of the monarchy, and the creation of the National Convention. It would also lead, less directly, to the September Massacres a month later.
Category:Database: Events
Category:Helix database entries