Timothy Tackett's When The King Took

When it comes to revolutions the government plays an important role. A revolution can be explained as a rebellion against the government and injustices found in society. At a certain people will get tired of being oppressed. Oppression is one of the reasons that the French revolution took place. Society at that time viewed the king as father who was supposed to take care of them. In reality the king was only looking out for himself and not the best of his people. In his book When the King Took Flight Timothy Tackett focuses on the night the royal family tried to flee to Austria. When the king tried to left society felt that he was abandoning them and going against the revolution. Looking at this event it clearly shows how the king directly

The great escape was short lived due to the ignorance of the royal family. “The yellow cabriolet, the large black berline with its yellow frame, and the three bodyguards in bright yellow coats” (Tackett Pg.63). If the royal family was going to escaped successfully they should of choose a better color. By choosing a color that was so bright they were bringing unwanted attention to themselves. When driving through the different towns the people became curious about the people in the bright yellow carriage (Tackett Pg.62). This carriage was not their only problem when it came to escaping, another problem was the royal family revealing their true identities to everyone. “The king began stepping out at the relay stops, relieving himself at the “necessary shed” (Tackett Pg.66). By being too confident in his power he exposes himself to everyone around him. Not a good thing when his supporters see him as their father. He was not only turning his back on his supports, but also the revolution. By turning his back on the revolution he was putting himself before his country. As the King of France it was Louis’s responsibility was to take care of his people, by not doing so he was setting in motion the revolution. When society feels oppressed by the government they will lash out to get the treatment they deserve. The king leaving just added

With this approach he is able to show the importance that the individual plays in the revolution. “The very act of transforming society has aroused opposition among those whose vested interest and social positions had come under attack” (Tackett Pg.220). In this moment Tackett is showing how the individualis now being threatened. The way of life they once knew was no longer going to be the same. Even though the revolution is a group effort at the end of the day individual is directly affected. This also relates to Lefebvre; he applies the theory of Marxism to why he believes the French revolution happened. Lefebvre unlike Tackett does not focus on the individual rather on the social classes (Schue Lecture 10/10/16). Lefebvre says that “it showed traces of having originated at a time when land was the only form of wealth, and when the possessors of those who needed it to work and live” (Pg.1). This is clear example of a Marxist point of view he immediately starts talking about wealth. From Lefebvre point of view, the aristocrats revolting is what lead the other social classes to want to revolt (Pg. 3). How Lefebrve would approach Tackett’s point is that he would separate the social classes and explain their role in the