Which factor had the greater impact on the authority of the French monarchy: the storming of the Bastille; or the October Days?
by
kourosh117hotmailcouk (student)
24th November 2015
Which factor had the greater impact on the authority of the monarchy: the storming of the Bastille; or the October Days?
Both the storming of the Bastille and the October Days had impacts on the monarchy. However the results of both events differed in their impact on France, giving more power to different groups each time. Overall the October Days, which occurred later, had the greater impact on the monarchy's authority.
The falling of the Bastille forced Louis to hand over much of his executive power to the National Assembly. Since Necker's initial dismissal the then Estates-General assumed that they would be arrested. However after the storming of the Bastille, Louis was pressured by his loss of control, to accept the National Assembly's will. Louis XVI could not control either the Parisians nor the National Assembly, as the military was no longer at his command, and what was left of it was being preserved at the Champ de Mars. Louis had lost five of the six soldier companies which he had placed in Paris earlier in the month (July), to desertion, usually to join the sans-culottes in their demonstrations. The Paris Communes replaced any power Louis may have had over the rich and were essentially areas controlled by hired, armed men to protect the bourgeoisie. This made a huge de facto effect on Louis' authority, as he effectually had no power over the city and could not maintain what lawful power he had left.
