Characters of the French Revolution
King Louis XVI-
Louis XVI was King of France from 1774 until his deposition in 1792, although his formal title after 1791 was King of the French. He was executed during the French Revolution. Born August 23 1754 , Versailles. Died January 21 1793, Place de la Concorde. Marie Antoinette- Marie Antoinette, born an Archduchess of Austria, was Dauphine of France from 1770 to 1774 and Queen of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1792. Born November 2 1755, Hofburg Palace. Died October 16 1793, Place de la Concorde. Mirabeau- Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau was a leader of the early stages of the French revolution. A noble, before 1789 he was involved in numerous scandals that left his reputation in ruins. Born March 9 1749, Le Bignon-Mirabeau. Died April 2 1791, Paris. |
Interview with Mirabeau.
On tonight’s show, we have a special guest from the French Revolution. Mirabeau, born Gabriel Riqueti, has been entitled the “chief turncoat Noble” as he was a Third Estate sympathiser. In 1789, Mirabeau (along with the Abbe Sieyes) led a move where the Third Estate delegates to the Estates General withdrew and made themselves the National Assembly of France. In the early days of the National Assembly of France’s attempts to convene, they were locked out of their meeting place on the Kings order, so Mirabeau lead the delegates to a nearby tennis court where he helped form the Tennis Court Oath.
Mirabeau was one of the driving forces that lead to the Tennis Court Oath, the National Assembly of France and a Constitutional Monarchy (The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen).
Probably one of his most famous quotes was his response to King Louis XVI demanding them to get out of the hall where they were meeting.
Famous Quote- “If you have orders to remove us from this hall, you must also get authority to use force, for we shall yield to nothing but to bayonets”.
Today, we will be asking Mirabeau several questions about his life and the French Revolution.
1. So Mirabeau, you were born on the 9th of March, 1749 as a Noble. How is it that you became a huge part of the Third Estate and a Revolutionist?
Well, you see, I was a heavy gambler, I had an affair. I even wrote a book called the “Erotic Bible”. My family didn’t really want anything more to do with me. Even though I was still a Noble, I was outcast by the higher estates and had a taste of what life was like for the Third Estate. This was why I joined the Revolutionists. They were also the only people who wanted me to represent them at the Estates General.
2. Mirabeau, what exactly is the “Tennis Court Oath”?
When the three estates came together for the Estates General, things were said that the King did not like. When we took a break, the King ordered the doors to be locked, not allowing us back in. We were very angry, as you could imagine, so I lead everyone to a nearby tennis court, where we made an oath to never disband until the Framing of the Constitution of France.
3. Interesting. Now tell me, how long did you spend in prison? It seems that you were in and out a lot.
I was imprisoned for a total of 5 years, from 1777 to 1782, and then I was on prohibition until 1789, when the Estates General was summoned.
4. Sounds like a lot of fun. So, Mr. Riqueti, you died in 1791, 2 years before the execution of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. How did that make feel? Also, how did you die?
Well, it was quite annoying missing that show, however I am quite pleased with the impact I made on the French people. They were cherishing me as one of the “fathers of the revolution”. I died on the 2nd of April, 1791, as a result of pericarditis, which is the inflammation of a fibrous sac surrounding the heart.
5. Why did the Revolution actually happen? What prompted the people to overthrow the Clergy?
Well, there was a huge famine in France, with people starving and dying. To add to that, France was in crippling debt. And this was all because the Royals were hoarding grain and using the money made through taxes to maintain their lifestyles. They only taxed the poor and starving, too! The other rich people didn’t have to pay anything. People decided that enough was enough and thus, the beginning.
6. Your father seemed to keep on putting you in jail. However, you did resist and flee a lot. Sometimes you would even flee to another county, like Sweden and England. How did you fund all of these travels?
Well you see, I wrote. A lot. I spent a lot of time writing books, from the for mentioned Erotic Bible to the publication of scandals in the Prussian Court. Writing is also how I had my affair. It was after the publication of my Essay on Despotism, which won the heart of Sophie de Ruffey. So you could say that writing did wonders for me, although it did cause a lot of problems as well.
7. Interesting. Now, it says here that you were a part of the Jacobins Club, what is that?
The Jacobin Club was a political faction founded in 1789, which led the Revolutionary Government from mid-1793 to mid-1794. Although they did start out with a pretty good reputation, they were later driven to extremism, resulting in 16,000 people being executed in just 9 months. And yes, it is true, I was a part of the Jacobins Club. I was also the leader of the club from December 1790 until my death in April, 1791.
8. What was something that happened in your life that changed you forever?
When I was a young boy, only 3, I had a severe case of smallpox, scaring my face forever. My father didn’t like me, mostly because of my scarred face as well as other things. This toughened me up and made me the persistent writer and Revolutionist that I was to my deathbed.
9. Sounds tough. Why did you agree with the Revolution, why did you sympathise with the Third Estate?
Well, I appealed to be a representative for the nobility, but I was rejected. Then I asked the Third Estate and I was elected as representative for Aix. I found great comfort with these people because not only did they respect me, they also feared me because of my knowledge and influence. I understood that a government needed to be strong, however also be in harmony with the people. I played an important role in the creation of the National Assembly and drafting The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
10. Great. Now as a final question, I have to ask. Why should people remember you?
I was a great man, despite my gambling, debt and other scandals. I was responsible for the Tennis Court Oath and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I made a huge difference in the Revolution, I was a big influence. That is why people should remember me.
Mirabeau was one of the driving forces that lead to the Tennis Court Oath, the National Assembly of France and a Constitutional Monarchy (The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen).
Probably one of his most famous quotes was his response to King Louis XVI demanding them to get out of the hall where they were meeting.
Famous Quote- “If you have orders to remove us from this hall, you must also get authority to use force, for we shall yield to nothing but to bayonets”.
Today, we will be asking Mirabeau several questions about his life and the French Revolution.
1. So Mirabeau, you were born on the 9th of March, 1749 as a Noble. How is it that you became a huge part of the Third Estate and a Revolutionist?
Well, you see, I was a heavy gambler, I had an affair. I even wrote a book called the “Erotic Bible”. My family didn’t really want anything more to do with me. Even though I was still a Noble, I was outcast by the higher estates and had a taste of what life was like for the Third Estate. This was why I joined the Revolutionists. They were also the only people who wanted me to represent them at the Estates General.
2. Mirabeau, what exactly is the “Tennis Court Oath”?
When the three estates came together for the Estates General, things were said that the King did not like. When we took a break, the King ordered the doors to be locked, not allowing us back in. We were very angry, as you could imagine, so I lead everyone to a nearby tennis court, where we made an oath to never disband until the Framing of the Constitution of France.
3. Interesting. Now tell me, how long did you spend in prison? It seems that you were in and out a lot.
I was imprisoned for a total of 5 years, from 1777 to 1782, and then I was on prohibition until 1789, when the Estates General was summoned.
4. Sounds like a lot of fun. So, Mr. Riqueti, you died in 1791, 2 years before the execution of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. How did that make feel? Also, how did you die?
Well, it was quite annoying missing that show, however I am quite pleased with the impact I made on the French people. They were cherishing me as one of the “fathers of the revolution”. I died on the 2nd of April, 1791, as a result of pericarditis, which is the inflammation of a fibrous sac surrounding the heart.
5. Why did the Revolution actually happen? What prompted the people to overthrow the Clergy?
Well, there was a huge famine in France, with people starving and dying. To add to that, France was in crippling debt. And this was all because the Royals were hoarding grain and using the money made through taxes to maintain their lifestyles. They only taxed the poor and starving, too! The other rich people didn’t have to pay anything. People decided that enough was enough and thus, the beginning.
6. Your father seemed to keep on putting you in jail. However, you did resist and flee a lot. Sometimes you would even flee to another county, like Sweden and England. How did you fund all of these travels?
Well you see, I wrote. A lot. I spent a lot of time writing books, from the for mentioned Erotic Bible to the publication of scandals in the Prussian Court. Writing is also how I had my affair. It was after the publication of my Essay on Despotism, which won the heart of Sophie de Ruffey. So you could say that writing did wonders for me, although it did cause a lot of problems as well.
7. Interesting. Now, it says here that you were a part of the Jacobins Club, what is that?
The Jacobin Club was a political faction founded in 1789, which led the Revolutionary Government from mid-1793 to mid-1794. Although they did start out with a pretty good reputation, they were later driven to extremism, resulting in 16,000 people being executed in just 9 months. And yes, it is true, I was a part of the Jacobins Club. I was also the leader of the club from December 1790 until my death in April, 1791.
8. What was something that happened in your life that changed you forever?
When I was a young boy, only 3, I had a severe case of smallpox, scaring my face forever. My father didn’t like me, mostly because of my scarred face as well as other things. This toughened me up and made me the persistent writer and Revolutionist that I was to my deathbed.
9. Sounds tough. Why did you agree with the Revolution, why did you sympathise with the Third Estate?
Well, I appealed to be a representative for the nobility, but I was rejected. Then I asked the Third Estate and I was elected as representative for Aix. I found great comfort with these people because not only did they respect me, they also feared me because of my knowledge and influence. I understood that a government needed to be strong, however also be in harmony with the people. I played an important role in the creation of the National Assembly and drafting The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
10. Great. Now as a final question, I have to ask. Why should people remember you?
I was a great man, despite my gambling, debt and other scandals. I was responsible for the Tennis Court Oath and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I made a huge difference in the Revolution, I was a big influence. That is why people should remember me.
Bibliography
Age-Of-The-Sage 2000, Mirabeau biography, N/A, N/A, accessed 2 March 2015, http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/historical/biography/mirabeau.html
‘Comte de Mirabeau Facts’ 2010, in Encyclopaedia of World Biography, accessed 2 March 2015, http://biography.yourdictionary.com/comte-de-mirabeau
Honore Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau’ 2015, in Encyclopaedia Britannica, accessed 2 March 2015, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/384793/Honore-Gabriel-Riqueti-comte-de-Mirabeau
Honore Mirabeau 2012, Alpha History, accessed 2 March 2015, http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/honore-mirabeau/
Infoplease 2012, Honore Gabriel Riqueti Mirabeau, Comte de, N/A, N/A, accessed 2 March 2015, http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/mirabeau-honore-gabriel-riquetti-comte-de.html
‘Comte de Mirabeau Facts’ 2010, in Encyclopaedia of World Biography, accessed 2 March 2015, http://biography.yourdictionary.com/comte-de-mirabeau
Honore Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau’ 2015, in Encyclopaedia Britannica, accessed 2 March 2015, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/384793/Honore-Gabriel-Riqueti-comte-de-Mirabeau
Honore Mirabeau 2012, Alpha History, accessed 2 March 2015, http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/honore-mirabeau/
Infoplease 2012, Honore Gabriel Riqueti Mirabeau, Comte de, N/A, N/A, accessed 2 March 2015, http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/mirabeau-honore-gabriel-riquetti-comte-de.html