The September Massacres were a string of mob violence which occurred in Paris in 1792. They happened during late summer of the year during the French Revolution. It is one of the greatest violent acts happened in France and they will be remembered in French history forever.
By the time the massacres stopped, half of the prison population in Paris were executed. They include 1200 people including men, women, and children. It followed many violence in the next 10 years against the Roman Catholic Church.
Reason for the Massacres
In the month of September, 1792, the news that the Duke of Brunswick's Prussian army had invaded France reached the people of Paris. They also heard that the fort of Verdun had fallen and that the Prussians were reaching the capital quickly. In the month of July Brunswick sent a circulation which threatened the people of France with immediate punishment actions if they try to resist Imperial army and Prussian army. This provoked a mob hysteria among people. By the end of August, rumors started about the priests that they are against the revolution.
The political system too was not perfect and there was no organized body who could support peace and sovereignty. The monarchy and the constitution were abandoned with the act happened on 10th August, 1792. At that time Tuileries was attacked by the mob and the royal family ran for their lives.
The Legislative Assembly was left useless for sometime to come after many deputies fled away. Added to these incidents, the insurrectionary Paris community which was established on the 9th of August, 1792 encouraged some of the very radical revolutionary elements. Because of the lack of perfect sovereign power, the fear, hatred and objections among the people of Paris increased and this is the main reason which led to the September Massacres.
The first of the attacks occurred when a group of priests were being transported to the prison f the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The priests were attacked and were killed as they were trying to escape. Of 285 prisoners, 135 were killed and many others were injured. On the 3rd and 4th of September crowds broke into other major Paris prisons and killed the prisoners as they feared that some of the prisoners were counter-revolutionaries who would help the invading Prussians.
The most barbaric act among these is the crowds have raped, killed and cruelly mutilated the Princesse de Lamballe, a friend of Marie Antoinette. It was said that her head was cut and was hanged to the window at a temple. Beginning on the 2nd September, 1792, throughout a period of over 48 hours angry mobs attacked and killed three bishops and more than two hundred priests.
