The last days of the French monarchy

Description

How to speak with the dead by Sciens is a historical account written in the early 20th century. It presents a dramatic, scene-by-scene narrative of the French Revolution’s decisive turning points, charting the collapse of Bourbon rule through council-room debates, street uprisings, and battlefield pivots. The focus is on how royal miscalculation, public mobilization, and war pressures converged to end the monarchy. The opening of this work stages the confrontation between crown and nation in 1789: Louis XVI’s council at Marly wavers, the Commons are locked out and swear the Tennis Court Oath, the king’s “Royal Session” seeks to undo their acts, and the deputies—spurred by Mirabeau—refuse to disperse and declare their own inviolability. It then turns to the failed Flight to Varennes (June 1791), following Fersen’s meticulous plans, the family’s disguises and initial progress, the fatal delays and recognitions on the road, the missed cavalry escort at Somme-Vesle, and Drouet’s daring shortcut through the Argonne to stop the coach at Varennes. Next, an introduction sets the European war threat and the court’s secret dealings, before describing the summer of 1792: the Marseillais march into Paris, the Tuileries stands as a fortified royal stronghold, and on the night of August 9–10 the alarm bells peal as the city braces for the assault. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
• DC