The Champ de Mars Massacre was an incident that took place on 17 July 1791, when soldiers of the National Guard under the Marquis de Lafayette opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators, who were calling for a referendum on the king's abdication and the establishment of a republic. It was a major turning point in the French Revolution (1789-99).
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Definition
Timeline
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17 Jul 1791A pro-republican demonstration organized by the Cordeliers Club is fired on by the Paris National Guard, in the Champ de Mars Massacre.
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17 Jul 1791The Parisian National Guard opens fire on a crowd of demonstrators on the Champ de Mars, who had been advocating for the king's abdication; between 13 and 50 people are killed.
