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Part 4: La Révolution Française
The news of the revolution reached Terre Australe in 1790, but not much detail came. The opinion of the colonies on the revolution leaned toward the royalist side, since these settlers had strong loyalties to the crown and were by and large devout Catholics. After the news of the execution of the king came in, the colonies remained loyal to the deposed and decapitated king and viewed the government in Paris as illegitimate. This antirevolutionary sentiment was also felt in much of northwestern France, which resulted in several uprisings, such as in the Vendée (check out the timeline Vol de la Vendée as well) and in Brittany and Maine. These uprisings were brutally crushed, with hundreds of thousands being killed and tens of thousands fleeing. Between 1793 and 1800, over 16,000 royalists fled to the French Terre Australe colonies, largely taken on British ships, as Britain supported the revolt (OTL British convicts went to South Africa, not a Draka reference). While some settled in the existing colonies, most settled on Île Dufresne, founding the colonies of Cathelineau, named for the Vendée rebellion leader and Nantes, named for the city of that name in Western France, as well as settling in smaller towns and villages on the island. I'll get to Napoleon in Part 5, as well as touching on what the British are up to and more exploring and colonization.
Part 4: La Révolution Française
In 1789, ten years after the founding of the first French colonies in Terre Australe, France erupted into revolution. France had been in dire straights money-wise for years by this point, and years of bad harvests had put the pissed-off peasants on the brink. In addition, new anti-establishment philosophies had been spreading throughout the cities of France. The Estates General were convened for the first time in 175 years, but the third estate walked out in anger and protest and started their own National Assembly. Finally, on July 14th, 1789, the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed, mainly to collect weapons and supplies but also to free prisoners as a symbolic "f you" to the elite. Louis XVI attempted to flee, but was caught at the town of Varennes and returned to Paris as a prisoner. The Monarchy grew increasingly unpopular in and around Paris, until He was executed January 21st, 1793 (Antoinette was executed on October 16th, 1793). After that, France was caught in both wars with much of the rest of Europe and having a civil war, plus mass executions under Maximilien Robespierre.The news of the revolution reached Terre Australe in 1790, but not much detail came. The opinion of the colonies on the revolution leaned toward the royalist side, since these settlers had strong loyalties to the crown and were by and large devout Catholics. After the news of the execution of the king came in, the colonies remained loyal to the deposed and decapitated king and viewed the government in Paris as illegitimate. This antirevolutionary sentiment was also felt in much of northwestern France, which resulted in several uprisings, such as in the Vendée (check out the timeline Vol de la Vendée as well) and in Brittany and Maine. These uprisings were brutally crushed, with hundreds of thousands being killed and tens of thousands fleeing. Between 1793 and 1800, over 16,000 royalists fled to the French Terre Australe colonies, largely taken on British ships, as Britain supported the revolt (OTL British convicts went to South Africa, not a Draka reference). While some settled in the existing colonies, most settled on Île Dufresne, founding the colonies of Cathelineau, named for the Vendée rebellion leader and Nantes, named for the city of that name in Western France, as well as settling in smaller towns and villages on the island. I'll get to Napoleon in Part 5, as well as touching on what the British are up to and more exploring and colonization.
- Gabingston
- Word Count: 430