To Versailles: The Women’s March of October 5, 1789 – The Incident that Changed the French Revolution

To Versailles: The Women’s March of October 5, 1789 – The Incident that Changed the French Revolution

The sun was just beginning to rise on October 5, 1789, and in Paris, tension was thick in the air. The city was alive with unrest. But on this particular day, the streets would be filled with an unanticipated force: a mass of women, fueled by anger, desperation, and a burning desire for justice, preparing for a march that would forever change the course of the French Revolution. This was not a march for mere political gain—it was an act of defiance, born of frustration with famine, poverty, and the royalty’s indifference to their suffering. The women, many of them working-class market sellers, were tired of watching their children go hungry and seeing the aristocracy live in excess while the common people starved.

The march would eventually lead them from Paris to Versailles, the opulent royal residence of King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette—a palace that had come to symbolize the growing gulf between the French monarchy and its people. These women, wielding scythes and drums, would confront the monarchy directly, and in doing so, they would alter the political landscape of France forever. This extraordinary moment, now known as the March on Versailles, would reveal the raw power of the common people and their determination to force change—no matter the cost.

The Context: A Nation on the Brink

To understand the full significance of the March on Versailles, one must first look at the deep and pervasive crisis that gripped France in the late 18th century. France, under King Louis XVI, was on the brink of collapse. The country’s financial system was in tatters, largely due to the extravagant spending of the monarchy, the costs of involvement in the American Revolutionary War, and a failure to reform the country’s antiquated taxation system.

But it wasn’t just the financial crisis that led to this boiling point—it was the misery endured by the common people. Famine and poverty were rampant across the country, particularly in Paris and the rural regions. The harvests of the previous years had been poor, and bread, the staple food for the majority of the population, had become scarce. The price of bread skyrocketed, and many ordinary French citizens were unable to afford even basic sustenance. In the face of starvation, resentment toward the monarchy, seen as out of touch with the struggles of its people, grew exponentially.

The French populace had already been stirred by months of revolutionary sentiment. The Estates-General had been convened in May 1789, leading to the formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath—a pledge to create a new constitution for France. As the Revolution gathered momentum, the French people demanded an end to the old feudal system and a more equitable society.

Yet, despite the swelling revolutionary spirit in the capital, the royal court continued to reside in the splendor of Versailles, almost 20 miles away from Paris. This was not simply a geographical distance; it was symbolic of the growing divide between the monarchy and the people. The French court, with its extravagant spending, lavish banquets, and perceived disregard for the suffering of the populace, had become the focal point of revolutionary ire.

In this environment of fear, anger, and frustration, the women of Paris—those who had the most to lose—became the agents of the Revolution. They had no political power, no social status, but they had the power of numbers and sheer determination.

The Spark: Hunger, Rage, and the Beginning of the March

The march was not an organized, pre-planned revolt, but rather an eruption of frustration that had been building for months. The immediate spark came from a bread riot that broke out in Paris in the early hours of October 5. At the markets in Les Halles, the central food market of Paris, women gathered, angry at the high prices of bread and the shortages in supply. News of the bread prices and shortages had already spread like wildfire, and in the poor neighborhoods, word quickly reached the market that they were being cheated by speculators who were hoarding bread.

The women, desperate to feed their families, began to take to the streets, shouting demands for bread and justice. They were joined by workers and laborers, and soon their collective frustration was channeled into something more radical. As the crowd swelled, many of the women began to feel that a peaceful protest would not suffice—that to change their reality, they needed to confront the king himself.

Soon the march grew in size and intensity. They did not march with the intent of simply getting bread—they marched to confront the monarchy, to demand that the King and Queen see the suffering their subjects endured, to drag the monarchy back to Paris where they could be held accountable for the lives they had ruined. This was no longer just about bread; this was about justice, equality, and revolution.

The March: From Paris to Versailles

The march began in earnest in the early morning hours of October 5, when the women—soon joined by men and other revolutionaries—began their journey from Paris to Versailles. Armed with scythes, pitchforks, and drums, they marched through the streets of Paris in a mixture of desperation and excitement. The drumming was a constant, signaling their unity and determination, while their weapons signified the potential violence that was on the horizon.

As the march moved forward, the crowds grew larger. It is estimated that anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 women—many of them working-class market women known as poissardes—took part in the march. It was a physically grueling journey, covering roughly 20 miles on foot. Along the way, the group encountered obstacles—soldiers loyal to the king were sent to block the road, but the revolutionary fervor and determination of the women was impossible to quell.

The sound of drums grew louder as they approached Versailles, and the intensity of their march increased. The royal palace at Versailles was an imposing structure, a symbol of the monarchy's absolute power. But in the face of thousands of angry, determined women, the palace seemed less an immovable bastion of power and more a vulnerable stronghold. The march was no longer just a call for bread—it had become a demonstration of the people’s power, an assertion that the monarchy would no longer be allowed to live in comfort while the nation starved.

As the crowd reached the palace gates, the mood turned from determination to aggression. The royal guards, initially unprepared for such an assault, were quickly overrun by the sheer weight of the crowd. The Queen, Marie Antoinette, and the King, Louis XVI, were caught in the crossfire of their own people’s wrath.

The Confrontation: At Versailles

Once at the palace, the women, now armed and angrier than ever, began banging on the gates and calling for the King and Queen to come out and face them. The demands were simple but profound: Bread for the people, Justice for the starving, and the return of the royal family to Paris.

As tensions mounted, the King, recognizing the gravity of the situation, agreed to meet with the women. King Louis XVI, overwhelmed by the massive crowd, was forced to concede to their demands. He agreed to bring the royal family back to Paris, where they would be held under the watchful eyes of the people.

At dawn on October 6, King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, and their children, along with their entourage, left Versailles under guard. They would never return to the palace. The royal family was brought back to Paris and placed under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace, where they would be monitored by the newly emboldened National Assembly.

The Aftermath: A Turning Point in the Revolution

The March on Versailles was a defining moment in the early days of the French Revolution. It demonstrated the power of the people, the capacity of the working class to effect change, and the growing divide between the monarchy and its subjects. It also signified the rise of women as active participants in the revolutionary struggle—a force that had previously been excluded from the political sphere but now became central to the revolution’s momentum.

The march was not just about bread. It was about agency, about taking power into one’s own hands. The women of Paris showed that the Revolution would not be determined by the ideals of the elites, but by the will of the people—ordinary men and women who had nothing left to lose but their chains.

Though the march was a victory, it was a mere prelude to the greater upheavals that would come. As the Revolution spiraled out of control, it would lead to the Reign of Terror, the execution of the King and Queen, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. But the Women’s March on Versailles, the clanging of scythes, and the beat of the drums, would remain a haunting reminder of the power of the people, of the ability to change history through sheer force of will.