Adonis Diaries

The Mastermind behind the French Revolution: Chaderlos de Laclos

Pierre-Ambroise Chaderlos de Laclos (1741-1803) is famous for his “The Dangerous Liaisons“and many considered him a scandalous writer at par with the marquis de Sade or Restif de la Bretonne.

Very few knows that he was the mischievous brain behind the French Revolution that managed to clench victory and ripen its fruits.

Chaderlos de Laclos was the mastermind behind the massive women march from Paris to Versailles. He figured out that unless the center of power (King and Constituent Assembly) transfer from Versailles to Paris then the revolution might falter.

Chaderlos de Laclos incorporated famous women who used to organize orgies such as Theroigne de Mericourt, and most importantly, transvestite men carrying weapons for the next phase of the march purpose.

As the women marched, the initial slogan was “We want bread“. Actually, Chaderlos convinced his patron Duke Phillip of Orleans to refrain from distributing wheat in Paris for a couple of days to give the impression that the King is failing in his duties. Duke Phillip of Orleans hated the King and the Queen and believed he was better for that position. He is better known in French history as “Equality Phillip”

The King received a delegation of women and promised them to distribute wheat and bread immediately.

The women stayed overnight outside Versailles and the next day the slogan changed to “We want the King in Paris”

The transvestite men with weapons managed to infiltrate inside the Versailles walls and committed a slaughter hood of the surprised guards and almost broke inside the King and Queen quarters.

The King had a wake up call and decided to pleasure the masses and return with all his family to Paris.

La Fayette was chief of the National Guards and secured the safe passage of the King to Paris.

From then on, the king and his family were practically prisoners to the revolutionaries and unable to leave Paris.

Born in Amiens, the second son was destined to the sacerdotal. Luckily for him, the first son died and Chaderlos could join the military career. He opted for the artillery since he was excellent in math.

He slowly climbed the ranks due to lack of real battle engagements and was promoted Captain in 1771

For the next 17 years, he was still captain, but he took several sabbaticals in order to finish his book.

He married Marie-Soulange Dupre in 1786. She was 24 and he was 42. This was a love marriage that endured and they got 2 kids.

In 1788, after quitting the army, he sided and joined the party of the Duke of Orleans in Paris.

When La Fayette summoned the Duke to go to exile in London on temporary basis due to his involvement in the women’s march,  Chaderlos joined him in exile.

Chaderlos would be promoted General by Napoleon in 1800 and he died of dysentery at Tarente. He was quickly buried in a common grave .

A few maxims of Chaderlos:

1. Hate is more clairvoyant and more ingenious than love

2. I was taken by surprise to notice that we can feel pleasure by doing good deeds

3. Our ridicule increases proportionally the harder we defend it

4. For him, pleasing is a means. For her it is success itself

5. For man, infidelity is Not inconsistency

6. In love, we can permit excesses only with persons we plan to leave very soon

7. Nature extended constancy to man. And obstinate tendency to women

8. I love her too much to feel jealousy. I have taken the option to be proud of

9. A missed occasion can be recaptured. We never return after a precipitated demand (of marriage?)

10. It is good to accustom someone destined for great adventures by getting the habit for great events.

Read: Gonzague Saint Bris “La Fayette”