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French Revolution # 03 | Bread March in Paris | Usama Ghazi – Transcript
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- As the year 1788 began, a severe drought followed by hail and rigid winter destroyed crops and caused bread prices in France to double.
- Widespread hunger and scarcity drove desperate crowds to loot bakeries, houses of the rich, and official stocks across France.
- A false rumor accusing wallpaper factory owner Jean-Baptiste Réveillon of speaking against workers sparked a violent mob attack on his house.
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A bread named baguette is baked in France. In pre-revolutionary France, the bread is the same way was made in France. But it was larger in size It is the same kind of bread that brought about the revolution in France. I am Usama Ghazi and for Dekho Sano Jano I will show you the French Revolution that was caused by the hunger in France,
It was like doomsday in France as the year 1788 began. During that time, the price of bread doubled. The bread, which was available in 200, was not being sold for 400 or 500. The situation was such that a French family earning 1200 or 1500 a day could afford only two pounds of bread.
The double the price of the bread meant that the poor would not have money for other needs except for twice as much bread. This doomsday befell due to a natural calamity Along with the empty treasury of France, the decade-long drought had already considerably deprived the French of food.
The crisis worsened enormously in 1788. It was drought in the first instance, and when it ended, it began hailing. This destroyed the crops in 350 kilometres around Paris. The winter also became so rigid that the important river of France, the Seine, was completely frozen.
The winter also dried up millions of olive and fruit trees. Bread disappeared in the market and was not available despite the money. Miles-long queues appeared outside bakers' shops.
People would queue throughout the day for one loaf of bread, leaving their jobs. They would buy an expensive loaf, and the quality of that loaf, you know, how it was? It was highly unhygienic to be prepared with wheat infected by worms and earth. It would create cramps in the stomach.
But people would fight like animals even for this dirty, smelly, and unhygienic loaf. The loaf would soon run out of stock at the bakeries. Therefore, the people would push each other to get that loaf.
The matter reached physical fighting and even up to murder. Eventually, the people pressed by hunger attacked the bakeries. Thousands of bakeries were looted across France. People were mad in search of a loaf. The people were forced to bring about a revolution in search of a loaf.
People were furious that they were starving to death while the rich had stocked wheat in their homes. Many rich people were fleecing people by selling them wheat at higher rates. The people, hard-pressed by hunger and oppression, ultimately stood up against the rulers.
Announcements were made everywhere to loot the houses of the rich as the poor were dying of hunger. And the godowns of the rich are filled with flour. So, the big groups of people began to attack and loot the houses of the rich people. People only needed food, but a crowd cannot distinguish between good and bad people,
People could not know that a large number of thieves had joined their ranks and were committing looting and killing. A terrible game began in every nook and corner of France. In every village and city, drums were beaten in the morning, and thousands of people gathered who roamed about the whole area.
They would reach the door of every rich person and beg for food and money and when nothing was given they would begin to vandalize. Some people were also killed in these attacks, but the majority would volunteer to give food to the crowd out of fear.
Obviously, there was a shortage of food and whatever the remaining stock of wheat was available was also looted, which drove the price of a loaf up more than double. This situation also rose fury of the people. People attack markets. People would force their way into shops and compel the shopkeepers to sell a loaf for 200.
Then they would take away a loaf or wheat even without paying for it. The shopkeepers got so panicked by this loot that they locked the wheat market. Army was deployed in some markets. The ordinary shopkeepers escaped public sight anyway, but the people were to fill their stomachs by any means.
They began attacks on the flour suppliers. Men, women, and children would wield swords, daggers and clubs and hide in the jungle. They would attack the caravans on the way. The caravan people would beg for money for the wheat, but they were given nothing.
The situation reached a point where the groups of goons and scoundrels would loot the wheat stock at a house, and they would tell the household to pay them on the next harvest. But who saw tomorrow? The owner would understand that he would get nothing for this looted wheat. In many places, the crowd set fire to the recorded documents of shopkeepers and traders.
So that they are not able to keep a record of them. The entire France was in the grip of a terrible loot and plunder. Interestingly, the looters were not looting gold and jewellery but loaves. Business across France had come to a standstill.
The workers gave up their jobs and loitered around in search of food in the company of the mob. Consequently, life in France had come to an absolute standstill. Only a fight for life was going on. It was not the case that the government was doing just nothing.
Or that it was doing nothing to control these riots. The government had directed the wheat dealers and farmers not to let the shortage of wheat happen. The wheat importers were also given additional subsidies and concessions. Many rich and priests were also giving charity.
The government took loans of 400,000 francs to import wheat, but the loaf crisis continued. The hunger had created so many beggars that the area of St. Antonio had 30,000 beggars.
The hungry people were now bent upon snatching the flesh of the rulers. A turn in the process that turned the battle for load into a political struggle. Rumors were spread among the people that the actual reason for the high price of the loaf was multiple taxes on imported wheat.
The price of laof would come down if these taxes were abolished. People were already impressed by Rousseau's ideas. They believe that man is born free and no tax can be imposed against his will. So the public anger was directed towards the government departments.
People began to discuss that the emperor is noble, but his officials and courtiers are oppressing the masses, That is, they were deliberately charging extra taxes. So, in order to teach a lesson to customs authorities and the other officials, the customs offices, magistrates, clerks, and the other officials were attacked by the people.
People also looted the official stocks of wheat. The official paraphernalia was carried on the carts and dumped in the sea. The valuable articles, including jewellery, were looted from the official residences and thrown in the wells. Do you know what happened after that?
People warned the tax-collecting municipal committees of serious consequences if they asked for taxes. So, in no time, people across France gave up paying taxes. Some tax officials took advantage of the situation and began to practice corruption.
The government controlled the trade of salt, and no one other than the government could sell salt. But the officials took advantage of the situation and hoarded salt and tobacco at their homes. So, the revolution and the corruption were advancing side by side.
The government tried to collect taxes from the masses by force, but it cost the government dearly. People were ready to kill the excise officers. A six-year-old son of an excise officer was held at dagger point and threatened.
Another area, people gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the tax staff, to leave the area of they would be killed. Previously the government would seize the land of non-taxpayers, but now the farmers took out their swords and openly threatened to show courage to attach their land.
In this situation, the government's last hope was for the army to control the situation. But there were signs of mutiny in the army as well. Soldiers and junior officers also joined the people in looting, wearing plain clothes. The army officers also realised the break in discipline, unlike in the past.
The army officers made a scheme to restore discipline among their soldiers. They organised a party of paramilitary forces, meaning the National Guard, and the regular soldiers. They thought it would be a means for mixing up both, thus a unity would develop between them.