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Did The Response To The Flight To Varennes Make The Reign Of Terror Of The Inevitable?

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Did The Response To The Flight To Varennes Make The Reign Of Terror Of The Inevitable?
To What Extent Did the Response to the Flight to Varennes Make the Reign of Terror of the Inevitable?

Introduction:

The French Revolution has been one of the most studied historical events since the time of the revolution itself. One event that has perhaps not received the attention it deserves is the Flight to Varennes, in which two years after the start of the revolution, Louis XVI and the royal family attempted the flee France. As Timothy Tackett argues, this event “prefigured and helped prepare,” for the Reign of Terror, and put the France on a “new and perilous trajectory.” In addition, it also led to the outbreak of the revolutionary wars, which would continue until Napoleon’s time.

The Flight to Varennes took place on June 20th
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This source is extremely valuable in its origin, as it comes from a celebrated historian, Timothy Tackett, who is one of the few historians who specializes on the flight to Varennes. Another value is that , it is published in Historical Reflections, a peer reviewed academic journal, which implies that it was deemed a strong enough article by other historians to be published. In addition, it is clear from the references that thorough research has been done, and that there has been much focus on the archives of the time, as evidenced in the many references, which is certainly a …show more content…
The questioning of his loyalties on the other hand, did undermine his authority, but if he had supported the assembly’s laws against emigrés and the clergy, it is possible that he could form an image of himself as a supporter of the revolution. This image could have been maintained during the war period, and if Louis XVI had expressed more support for the war, he could have come out of it an even stronger leader, one that would be able to quell the radicalism that spread in reaction to his

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