ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to disprove the myth of a court conspiracy to end the crisis of 1789 by force more decisively than Caron was prepared to do. The court never possessed the political will to engineer a confrontation with either the Assembly or the people of Paris. In fact, the truth is rather the reverse: the 'ministry of the hundred hours' attempted to negotiate with the Assembly until the last moment, and it was the consequent delay in using force that gave the Parisians the chance to rise. This view of political developments at Versailles also has implications for the much better documented military situation during July 1789. Clearly, any conclusion on the 'ministry of the hundred hours' must remain speculative given the lack of firm evidence. New sources, however, as well as a re-reading of old ones, do suggest that the court's position during the crisis of July 1789 needs reappraisal.
