Shooting of Field-of-March

The shooting of Field-of-March is an event of the French revolution which has occurred the July 17th 1791.

First steps

After the escape of the king of the 20 and June 21st 1791, Louis XVI lost the confidence of the people. Although the Constituante tries to save appearances by maintaining the fiction of a “removal” and not of a “escape”, monarchy is discredited with the eyes of the people which suspect the king of collusion with the foreigner, even of treason. The idea of the abolition of the monarchy and the introduction of the republic makes its way. The July 15th 1791, Choderlos de Laclos writes for the Cordeliers a petition against the decrees of the 15 and July 16th giving again with the king all his rights without formally requiring the end of monarchy.

Unfolding

The July 16th, of the agents of Cordeliers push an assembly with the Field-of-March to sign this petition which swears not to recognize Louis XVI for king more. All the authorities having received Constituent order to make respect the laws and public peace, the July 17th, a multitude goes at Field-of-March. Around one hour, the petition still not having arrived, crowd decides to write one of them at once. During this time, the tumult becomes alarming. Fayette, which went to the front of the signatories, with the head of the National guard of which he is the commander, was badly accommodated. Crowd throws stones with the national guard. A man draws on Fayette without reaching it. Bailly, mayor of Paris, tries to repress the disorder by issuing the martial law which allows the forces about making use of their weapons. Fayette orders with its soldiers to draw with white but, crowd being seen subterfuge, starts again with caillasser the soldiers. Bailly gives the order then to shoot at the people, making around fifty of died and hundreds of casualties. A load of cavalry completes to disperse crowd.

Consequences

The popularity of Lafayette suffered enormously from this event. The October 8th 1791, it resigns of its command before being withdrawn in its grounds. It preserves at least the life while Bailly with which them Parisian sans-culottes never forgave this shooting, considered as a crime against the people, it will pay its life, assembling to the scaffold the November 12th 1793. In the beginning, this one was to be guillotine in the center of the esplanade of Field-of-March before the crowned character of the place is not called upon to prohibit the course of the execution there.

Reference

Albert Mathiez, the Club of Cordeliers during the crisis of Varennes, and massacres it Champ de Mars , Paris, Champion, 1910

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