Final answer:
The march to Versailles in 1789 was primarily triggered by a food shortage in Paris and exacerbated by the general disapproval of the monarchy and the queen's extravagance. Parisian women played a central role in demanding the royal family relocate to Paris, marking a pivotal moment in the French Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The march to Versailles in October of 1789 was significant in French revolutionary history. The march was triggered by a food shortage in Paris, known specifically for the scarcity of bread which was the staple food for most Parisians. The women of Paris, already suffering from economic hardships and influenced by the growing unrest and revolutionary ideas, led the march. They were also motivated by their dislike of the monarchy, especially Queen Marie-Antoinette, who was infamous for her perceived extravagance. This mass of women, joined by revolutionaries, demanded that the royal family move back to Paris, both to show solidarity with the suffering population and also to decrease the influence of the aristocracy over the king. After the confrontation, King Louis XVI and his family were forced to leave Versailles and reside in Paris. This event marked a shift in power from the monarchy to the revolutionary forces and was an inception point of more radical changes to come. While the sans-culottes and other radical groups played an influential role in revolutionary events, it was the immediate crisis of food shortage combined with the overarching resentment towards the monarchy and the queen's perceived opulence that led to the historic march to Versailles.