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Louis XVIFrench king
Country:
 France |
Content:
Biography of Louis XVI
Louis XVI was the French king from 1774 to 1792. He belonged to the Bourbon dynasty and inherited the throne from his grandfather, Louis XV, in 1774. During this time, France was experiencing increasing unrest. The dominance of the nobility and clergy, the two highest estates, caused great dissatisfaction among the growing bourgeoisie, also known as the Third Estate.
Attempts at Reform
Opposition to the monarchy grew stronger and more dangerous each year. In an attempt to address the growing opposition, Louis XVI called for the Estates-General, which had not been convened for 175 years. The right to vote was granted to all French citizens over the age of 25 who paid a certain amount of tax. The Estates-General opened on May 5, 1789, in Versailles. The first weeks were marked by intense debates over voting procedures. The Third Estate proposed joint sessions and voting, but the privileged estates refused to agree. The disputes led to no resolution.
The National Assembly
On June 17, the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly, representing 96% of the French population. On June 23, Louis XVI ordered the restoration of the old order and voting according to estates. The National Assembly refused to comply. After the uprising on July 14, which ended with the storming of the Bastille, Louis XVI approved the National Assembly's decree to abolish feudal privileges. From this point on, he no longer effectively ruled. Troubled by the rapid changes, he sometimes adapted to the new order and other times fought against it by secretly appealing to foreign powers.
Downfall and Execution
In June 1791, Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee to Lorraine, but they were apprehended and returned. On September 14, 1791, Louis XVI swore an oath to the new constitution drafted by the National Assembly, but he continued to secretly negotiate with foreign states and French emigrants. His refusal to sanction the National Assembly's decree against emigrants and rebellious priests, as well as the revelation of his connections with foreigners, led to the uprising on August 10, 1792. The National Convention opened on September 21 in Paris and declared France a republic. Soon after, the Girondins raised the question of the king's fate.
On January 16, 1793, Louis XVI was found guilty by a vast majority of votes (715 out of 748) of conspiring against the freedom of the nation and public safety. The question of his punishment divided the votes. 387 deputies voted for the death penalty, while 334 voted for imprisonment, exile, or conditional death. By a majority of 380 votes against 310, the postponement of the death penalty was rejected. On January 21, at eleven o'clock in the morning, Louis XVI was beheaded by guillotine on the Place de la Revolution. The decapitated head of the king was shown to the crowd that surrounded the execution site.
