Question

Explain the importance of the March on the Versailles by the women of Paris on the course of the French Revolution

Answer 1

The Women's March on Versailles, which took place on October 5, 1789, was one of the most significant events of the early part of the French Revolution. Women from Paris, protesting against the high prices of bread, marched from Paris to Versailles. They were joined by various other groups who were seeking to establish a constitutional monarchy in France. In Versailles, they besieged the palace and forced the King to meet them and listen to their demands. Next day, the marchers forced the King and the French Assembly to return with them to Paris.

This march signified the end of the King's independence and was a sign of the new balance of power in which the common people of France had the upperhand. It displaced the ancient privileges of the aristocracy and symbolized the dawn of a new age in France.