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When was King Louis XVI sentenced to death?
21 January 1793After voting unanimously to find the King guilty, the deputies held a separate vote on his punishment. By a single vote, Louis was sentenced to death, "within twenty–four hours." Thus, on 21 January 1793, Louis Capet, formerly King of France was beheaded by the guillotine.
When was Louis XVI convicted of treason?
At a trial on 17 January 1793, the National Convention had convicted the king of high treason in a near-unanimous vote; while no one voted "not guilty", several deputies abstained. Ultimately, they condemned him to death by a simple majority.
What crimes did Louis the 16th commit?
The trial of Louis XVI—officially called "Citizen Louis Capet" since being dethroned—before the National Convention in December 1792 was a key event of the French Revolution. He was convicted of high treason and other crimes, resulting in his execution.
Why was king XVI tried for treason?
Why was King Louis XVI tried for treason? He wanted France to lose its war against Austria and have his power restored. deciding to form the Committee of Public Safety. You just studied 50 terms!
What is treason in French Revolution?
Answer: Treason refers to the act of betrayal towards the nation or offence of attempting to overthrow the government. One who carries outtreason is known as a traitor.
Who was the first person executed in the French Revolution?
Nicolas Jacques PelletierNicolas Jacques PelletierDied25 April 1792 (aged 35–36) Hôtel de Ville, Paris, FranceNationalityFrenchOccupationHighwaymanKnown forFirst person to be executed by guillotine1 more row
What happened to king Louis the 14th?
Louis XIV died in 1715, four days shy of his 77th birthday, from gangrene associated with an infection in his leg.
Who were Louis XVI’s parents?
Louis XVI’s father was the dauphin (heir apparent) Louis, and his mother was Maria Josepha of Saxony. Although Louis was his father’s third son, he...
What were Louis XVI’s siblings’ names?
All of Louis’s elder siblings died when they were children. His younger brothers would succeed him as Louis XVIII and Charles X. His sister Elizabe...
How did Louis XVI change the world?
Louis XVI approved French military support for the American colonies in their successful struggle against the British, but the expense nearly bankr...
How did Louis XVI die?
Ultimately unwilling to cede his royal power to the Revolutionary government, Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. He was...
Where was Louis XVI executed?
The execution of Louis XVI by guillotine, a major event of the French Revolution, took place publicly on 21 January 1793 at the Place de la Révolution ("Revolution Square", formerly Place Louis XV, and renamed Place de la Concorde in 1795) in Paris. At a trial on 17 January 1793, the National Convention had convicted the king ...
Who was the executioner of Louis XVI?
Henri Sanson. "Execution of Louis XVI" – German copperplate engraving, 1793, by Georg Heinrich Sieveking. In his Causeries, Alexandre Dumas refers to a meeting circa 1830 with Henri Sanson, eldest son of Charles-Henri Sanson, who had also been present at the execution.
What did Louis XVI do to Sanson?
After initially refusing to permit Sanson and his assistants to bind his hands together, Louis XVI relented when Sanson proposed to use his handkerchief instead of rope. The executioner's men cut the king's hair, removed his shirt's collar, and followed him up the scaffold.
How many executioners were there in the King's execution?
Here are some unknown details. The executioners numbered four; two only performed the execution; the third stayed at the foot of the ladder, and the fourth was on the wagon which was to convey the King's body to the Madeleine Cemetery and which was waiting a few feet from the scaffold.
What happened on 21 January 1793?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. "Day of 21 January 1793 the death of Louis Capet on the Place de la Révolution " – French engraving. The execution of Louis XVI by guillotine, a major event of the French Revolution, took place publicly on 21 January 1793 at the Place de la Révolution ("Revolution Square", formerly Place Louis XV, ...
Where was Louis to be hidden?
Louis was to be hidden in a house in the rue de Cléry belonging to the Count of Marsan . The Baron leaped forward calling "Follow me, my friends, let us save the King!", but his associates had been denounced and only a few had been able to turn up. Three of them were killed, but de Batz managed to escape.
What was Louis' last wish?
On Edgeworth's advice, Louis avoided a last farewell scene with his family. At 7 o'clock he confided his last wishes to the priest. His royal seal was to go to the Dauphin and his wedding ring to the Queen. After receiving the priest's blessing, he went to meet Antoine Joseph Santerre, Commander of the Guard.
When did Louis XVI get executed?
The execution of Louis XVI in 1793.
When did Louis XV become a king?
On the death of his grandfather Louis XV, Louis succeeded to the French throne on May 10 , 1774. At that time he was still immature, lacking in self-confidence, austere in manner, and, because of a physical defect (later remedied by an operation), unable to consummate his marriage.
What were Louis XV and Louis XVI convinced of?
…subjects of Louis XV and Louis XVI were increasingly convinced that French institutions of government and justice could be radically improved. Tradition seemed to them an increasingly inadequate principle to follow in such matters. Meliorism, gauged especially by the progress of the sciences, was one of the cardinal beliefs of…
Why did Louis XVI approve French military support for the American colonies?
Louis XVI approved French military support for the American colonies in their successful struggle against the British, but the expense nearly bankrupted the country. Louis convened the Estates-General in an effort to solve his budget crisis, but by doing so he unwittingly sparked the French Revolution.
What happened in 1793?
France: The second revolution. …any event, the former king Louis XVI, now known simply as “Citizen Capet,” was executed on January 21, 1793, in an act of immense symbolic importance. For the deputies to the National Convention, now regicides, there could be no turning back. Laws to deport the refractory clergy, to bar the….
What was Louis XVI's reaction to the Revolution?
After 1789 Louis XVI’s incapacity to rule, his irresolution, and his surrender to reactionary influences at court were partially responsible for the failure to establish in France the forms of a limited constitutional monarchy.
When did Louis XVI flee to Varennes?
…flight to Varennes, when King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette (the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa and therefore sister of Joseph and Leopold and aunt of Francis), fled Paris in June 1791 for the safety of the Austrian Netherlands.
When was Louis XVI arrested?
In a context of civil and international war, Louis XVI was suspended and arrested at the time of the Insurrection of 10 August 1792. One month later, the absolute monarchy was abolished and the First French Republic was proclaimed on 21 September 1792.
How old was Louis XVI when he acceded to the throne?
Louis XVI by Antoine-François Callet, 1786. When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen years old. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was on the rise. He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation.
What was the result of Louis XVI's attempts to control the French Revolution?
Louis XVI's attempts to control it resulted in the Tennis Court Oath ( serment du jeu de paume ), on 20 June, the declaration of the National Constituent Assembly on 9 July, and eventually to the storming of the Bastille on 14 July, which started the French Revolution.
What was the name of the edict of Versailles?
Among the major events of Louis XVI's reign was his signing of the Edict of Versailles, also known as the Edict of Tolerance, on 7 November 1787, which was registered in the parlement on 29 January 1788.
What did Louis XVI focus on?
He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation. As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and foreign policy. While none doubted his intellectual ability to rule France, it was quite clear that, although raised as the Dauphin since 1765, he lacked firmness and decisiveness.
Why did the king and his family go to the Tuileries Palace?
After the situation had been defused by Lafayette, head of the Garde nationale, the king and his family were brought by the crowd to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the reasoning being that the king would be more accountable to the people if he lived among them in Paris. One Louis d'or, 1788, depicting Louis XVI.
Why is Louis XVI not a scholar?
There is a lack of scholarship on the subject of Louis XVI's time as a constitutional monarch, though it was a significant length of time. The reason as to why many biographers have not elaborated extensively on this time in the king's life is due to the uncertainty surrounding his actions during this period, as Louis XVI's declaration that was left behind in the Tuileries stated that he regarded his actions during constitutional reign provisional; he reflected that his "palace was a prison". This time period was exemplary in its demonstration of an institution's deliberation while in their last standing moments.
Why was Louis XVI executed?
Louis XVI’s Execution. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed for treason. Louis had failed to address France's financial problems, instigating the French Revolution that eventually descended upon him. He made matters worse by often escaping to more pleasurable activities like hunting and locksmithing.
How old was Louis XVI when he was king?
Only 20 years old at the time, Louis XVI was immature and lacked self-confidence. While Louis XVI wanted to be a good king and help his subjects, he faced enormous debt and rising resentment towards a despotic monarchy. His failure to successfully address serious fiscal problems would dog him for most of his reign.
Who Was Louis XVI of France?
Louis XVI was the last Bourbon king of France who was executed in 1793 for treason. In 1770 he married Austrian archduchess Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. After a slew of governing missteps, Louis XVI brought the French Revolution crashing down upon himself. Louis was guillotined, followed by Marie Antoinette nine months later.
How many children did Louis XVI have?
Eventually, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had four children together: Marie-Thérèse, Louis-Joseph, Louis-Charles and Sophie-Beatrix. All but Marie-Thérèse died in childhood.
Why was Louis Auguste so shy?
Louis Auguste was ill-prepared for the throne he was soon to inherit. Following the death of his parents, Louis' tutors provided him with poor interpersonal skills. They exacerbated his shyness by teaching him that austerity was a sign of a strong character in monarchs. As a result, he presented himself as being very indecisive.
What was Louis XVI's name?
Named Louis Auguste de France, he was given the title Duc de Berry signifying his junior status in the French Court. Louis XVI was the third son of Louis, Dauphin of France and grandson of Louis XV of France. His mother, Marie-Josephe of Saxony, was the daughter of Frederick Augustus II of Saxony, also the King of Poland.
What was the policy of King Louis XVI?
King Louis XVI and the French Revolution. Louis XVI’s policy of not raising taxes and taking out international loans, including to fund the American Revolution, increased France’s debt, setting in motion the French Revolution.
Vive la révolution
Contrary to popular belief, however, the initial aim of the revolution was not the disposal of the King. When the violence started with the storming of the Bastille in July 1789, Louis’ overall position, let alone his life, was not under threat. However, over the next few years a series of events lead to his position becoming untenable.
Austrian intervention
To make matters worse, the Austrian-born queen, Marie Antoinette, was corresponding with her royal family members back home, with the possibility of an armed intervention raised. Matters came to head in September 1791 when the King and his family attempted to escape in what is known to history as “the flight to Varennes.”
Downfall
A further Prussian declaration that they intended to restore the King to his full powers was seen as the final proof that he had invited these enemies into his country. In August 1792 a mob stormed his new home at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, and he was forced to take shelter, ironically, with the Assembly.
Why was Louis XVI imprisoned?
Louis XVI and his family were imprisoned in the aftermath of the 1789 French revolution. Louis was a direct successor to King Philip. So, not surprisingly, some have seen this as a kind of revenge meted against the French royals by the Templars.
Where did the Templars build their fortress?
The Templars constructed a huge fortress in the middle of Paris for their headquarters. It once dominated what is now the Marais district. Incredibly, the fortress survived the extinction of the Knights Templar and still stood strong at the time of the French revolution.
Overview
- One day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris.
Witness quotes
Journey to the Place de la Révolution
Execution
Jacques de Molay
Edgeworth, Louis' Irish confessor, wrote in his memoirs:
The path leading to the scaffold was extremely rough and difficult to pass; the King was obliged to lean on my arm, and from the slowness with which he proceeded, I feared for a moment that his courage might fail; but what was my astonishment, when arrived at the last step, I felt that he suddenly let go my ar…
Burial in the cemetery of the Madeleine
Louis XVI awoke early in the morning. After dressing with the aid of his valet Jean-Baptiste Cléry, he went to meet with the non-juring Irish priest Henry Essex Edgeworth to make his confession. He heard his last Mass, served by Cléry, and received Communion. The Mass requisites were provided by special direction of the authorities. On Edgeworth's advice, Louis avoided a last farewell scene with his family. At 7 o'clock he confided his last wishes to the priest. His royal seal was …
Today
After initially refusing to permit Sanson and his assistants to bind his hands together, Louis XVI relented when Sanson proposed to use his handkerchief instead of rope. The executioner's men cut the king's hair, removed his shirt's collar, and followed him up the scaffold. Upon the platform, Louis proclaimed his innocence to the crowd and expressed his concern for the future of France. He tried to give an extensive speech, but a drum roll was ordered by Antoine Joseph Santerre an…
Bibliography
A popular but apocryphal legend holds that as soon as the guillotine fell, an anonymous Freemason leaped on the scaffolding, plunged his hand into the blood, splashed drips of it onto the crown, and shouted, "Jacques de Molay, tu es vengé!" (usually translated as, "Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged"). De Molay (died 1314), the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, had reportedly cursed Louis' ancestor Philip the Fair, after the latter had sentenced him to burn a…
Overview
The body of Louis XVI was immediately transported to the old Church of the Madeleine (demolished in 1799), since the legislation in force forbade burial of his remains beside those of his father, the Dauphin Louis de France, at Sens. Two curates who had sworn fealty to the Revolution held a short memorial service at the church. One of them, Damoureau, stated in evidence:
Childhood
The area where Louis XVI and later (16 October 1793) Marie Antoinette were buried, in the churchyard of St. Mary Magdaleine's, is today the "Square Louis XVI" greenspace, containing the classically self-effacing Expiatory Chapel completed in 1826 during the reign of Louis' youngest brother Charles X. The crypt altar stands above the exact spot where the remains of the Royal couple were originally laid to rest. The chapel narrowly escaped destruction on politico-ideologic…
Family life
• Necker, Anne Louise Germaine, Considerations on the principal events of the French Revolution (1818)
• Hugo, Victor, The Memoirs of Victor Hugo (1899)
• Thompson, J.M., English Witnesses of the French Revolution (1938)
Absolute monarch of France (1774–1789)
Louis XVI was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as Citizen Louis Capet during the four months just before he was executed by guillotine. He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France, son and heir-apparent of King Louis XV, and Maria Josepha of Saxony. When his father died in 1765, he became the new Dauphin. Upon hi…
Foreign policy
Louis-Auguste de France, who was given the title Duc de Berry at birth, was born in the Palace of Versailles. One of seven children, he was the second surviving son of Louis, the Dauphin of France, and the grandson of Louis XV of France and of his consort, Maria Leszczyńska. His mother was Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, the daughter of Augustus III, Prince-Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.
Revolutionary constitutional reign (1789–1792)
On 16 May 1770, at the age of fifteen, Louis-Auguste married the fourteen-year-old Habsburg Archduchess Maria Antonia (better known by the French form of her name, Marie Antoinette), his second cousin once removed and the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his wife, the Empress Maria Theresa.
Imprisonment, execution and burial (1792–1793)
When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen years old. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was on the rise. He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation.
As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and foreign policy. …
Legacy
French involvement in the Seven Years' War had left Louis XVI a disastrous inheritance. Britain's victories had seen them capture most of France's colonial territories. While some were returned to France at the 1763 Treaty of Paris, a vast swath of North America was ceded to the British.
This had led to a strategy amongst the French leadership of seeking to rebuild …