http://glasses-justice.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
glasses-justice.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2010-08-12 03:10 pm
glasses-justice.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2010-08-12 03:10 pm
Entry tags:
Great Trials in History, Class #6, Period 5 (8-12)
Alex was staying in the cabins. Because of bugs. Worse ones than the cockroaches in NYC. Alex did not want to talk about it.
"Anyone from this world," she began -- and it still unnerved her that that had to be a clause, in statements to class -- "is probably familiar with the French Revolution. The citizens had had enough of the excesses of the monarchy, and France had just assisted another country in its war for independence and democracy, so it was a natural progression in that sense. Unfortunately, what the French Revolution is mostly known for would be the Reign of Terror, which is where the revolution began to cannibalize itself and blood ran in the streets. And at the heart of all of this, there was, naturally, a trial."
Which should explain why she was covering it in class, for those who might have been wondering.
"Louis XVI was, as his name suggests, the sixteenth King Louis of France. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was regarded as a frivolous, vain woman; a famous quote attributed to her states that when she learned the peasants had no bread, she suggested instead that they eat cake. Reports vary on how accurate these interpretations of her are, but that's largely beside the point. France was undergoing a revolution, and shifting the power base to the people. Those same people viewed the king and his queen as symptomatic of the larger problems with the aristocracy. Attempts to have a joint rule -- constitutional monarchy -- were short-lived. Louis XVI was arrested and charged with treason.
"At this point, the Convention fractured over what to do with the king. Some felt it best to imprison him and let him live, in case they should need him to serve as a bargaining chip. Some also felt it was best to show mercy, so that the Convention would be known for its generosity. Others felt the king deserved death, and it would be showing weakness to allow him to live. They thought it would embolden the royalists to have the king alive but powerless. Better to execute him and have done with it. Eventually, it was decided to place him on trial.
"The current French constitution said that the king was inviolable -- not subject to the laws of average citizens, and could not be placed on trial for any reason. Some expected Louis XVI to refuse to recognize the Convention's authority. Instead, he agreed to submit to the Convention's rule, and participated vigorously in his own defense. He believed -- correctly -- that the trial was largely a formality, and he would be sentenced to death regardless, but he hoped to sway some loyalists. A defiant king is far easier to send to the guillotine than a humble one. Barring that, he felt that history would vindicate him.
"Louis XVI was found guilty, unanimously, by all 693 deputies, but the vote on his ultimate fate was far closer -- 387 to 334. Perhaps the populace was reluctant to behead their monarch, or perhaps his words had their intended effect.
"His execution was one of the turning points of the Revolution. It's ridiculous to say that that one decision lead to the massacres which would terrorize France in a few short years, but it's certainly one small step in that direction. It gave more power to the radical elements of the cause, which is generally a recipe for chaos.
"So. The French Revolution." She nodded at her students. "What lessons can we learn?"
"Anyone from this world," she began -- and it still unnerved her that that had to be a clause, in statements to class -- "is probably familiar with the French Revolution. The citizens had had enough of the excesses of the monarchy, and France had just assisted another country in its war for independence and democracy, so it was a natural progression in that sense. Unfortunately, what the French Revolution is mostly known for would be the Reign of Terror, which is where the revolution began to cannibalize itself and blood ran in the streets. And at the heart of all of this, there was, naturally, a trial."
Which should explain why she was covering it in class, for those who might have been wondering.
"Louis XVI was, as his name suggests, the sixteenth King Louis of France. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was regarded as a frivolous, vain woman; a famous quote attributed to her states that when she learned the peasants had no bread, she suggested instead that they eat cake. Reports vary on how accurate these interpretations of her are, but that's largely beside the point. France was undergoing a revolution, and shifting the power base to the people. Those same people viewed the king and his queen as symptomatic of the larger problems with the aristocracy. Attempts to have a joint rule -- constitutional monarchy -- were short-lived. Louis XVI was arrested and charged with treason.
"At this point, the Convention fractured over what to do with the king. Some felt it best to imprison him and let him live, in case they should need him to serve as a bargaining chip. Some also felt it was best to show mercy, so that the Convention would be known for its generosity. Others felt the king deserved death, and it would be showing weakness to allow him to live. They thought it would embolden the royalists to have the king alive but powerless. Better to execute him and have done with it. Eventually, it was decided to place him on trial.
"The current French constitution said that the king was inviolable -- not subject to the laws of average citizens, and could not be placed on trial for any reason. Some expected Louis XVI to refuse to recognize the Convention's authority. Instead, he agreed to submit to the Convention's rule, and participated vigorously in his own defense. He believed -- correctly -- that the trial was largely a formality, and he would be sentenced to death regardless, but he hoped to sway some loyalists. A defiant king is far easier to send to the guillotine than a humble one. Barring that, he felt that history would vindicate him.
"Louis XVI was found guilty, unanimously, by all 693 deputies, but the vote on his ultimate fate was far closer -- 387 to 334. Perhaps the populace was reluctant to behead their monarch, or perhaps his words had their intended effect.
"His execution was one of the turning points of the Revolution. It's ridiculous to say that that one decision lead to the massacres which would terrorize France in a few short years, but it's certainly one small step in that direction. It gave more power to the radical elements of the cause, which is generally a recipe for chaos.
"So. The French Revolution." She nodded at her students. "What lessons can we learn?"
Sign In - TRI06
Re: Sign In - TRI06
Re: Sign In - TRI06
Re: Sign In - TRI06
Re: Sign In - TRI06
During the Lecture - TRI06
Discussion #1 - Regicide and Governmental Coups - TRI06
Re: Discussion #1 - Regicide and Governmental Coups - TRI06
Discussion #2 - Practical Applications - TRI06
Re: Discussion #2 - Practical Applications - TRI06
Talk to Alex - TRI06
OOC - TRI06