When The King Takes Flight Analysis

The French Revolution changed the country of France permanently when the people overthrew the monarchy and established republic. Although the Revolution had many causes and long-lasting effects, in his book When the King Takes Flight, author Timothy Tackett argues that Louis XVI’s decision to flee France with his family, and its ultimate failure, was a major event that altered the course of the Revolution. The townspeople who had discovered the King were faced with the difficult decision as to which side of the Revolution they were going to take. Ultimately stopping the King by choosing to side with the National Assembly, the towns prior beliefs created a pivotal moment in the Revolution and produced a new long-term way of thinking amongst …show more content…
Louis’ well-known trait of indecisiveness caused the flight to be delayed and the passenger list to be changed several times, increasing the chances that their plan would be discovered. This, along with the newfound sense of nationalism amongst the French population contributed to the outcome of events in Varennes. But although there were many long-term effects following the return of the King to Paris, there was also an influential moment during the escape itself. Upon the National Assembly learning the whereabouts of the King, the Assembly quickly sent out to bring Louis back to Paris. The moment that the National Assembly’s decree was read to the King “[became] another extraordinary moment in the Revolution, clearly marking the transfer of sovereignty from the king to the nation.” (Tackett 82) Unfortunately for the royal family, the closer Louis got to Paris, the more aggressive the common people became with tens of thousands of people lining the streets to watch the King pass. The crowds began to blatantly disrespect the King by refusing to remove their hats, and withholding the traditional salute of “Long live the