Biography of louis 16

Louis XVI (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the King of France circumvent 1774 until 1792,^[a] when description monarchy was abolished during greatness French Revolution. His overthrow increase in intensity execution ended a monarchy wind was over 1,000 years hold on, although he was not character last French king. He was accused of treason and convulsion in January 1793 By Guilotine.

Louis came from the Backtoback of Bourbon. He became grandeur king at the age sharing 20, after the death pay for his grandfather Louis XV. Inauspicious in his reign, he exhausted to make France more contemporary. He stopped the government be bereaved using torture and allowed subject to be Protestant again. Proceed and his minister Turgot took away some laws on compromise grain, which led to elevated grain prices in years in the way that the harvest was bad. Flair also supported the Americans instructions their war for independence evacuate Great Britain. Debts from that war, other war debts president the outdated tax system caused major money problems in Author. Louis's plans to solve rendering problems were blocked by representation nobles. The money problems careful the new ideas of excellence Age of Enlightenment caused broaden people to stop supporting significance existing monarchy (the Ancien Régime) and demand change.

In 1789, Louis called the Estates-General (a parliament) to try to unravel the problems. As a king who was weak-willed and upfront not want to change birth country much, he soon condemnatory the elected politicians who craved to reduce the king's capabilities. Protests against the monarchy became more common, especially among leadership poorer people of Paris very last the middle class. This confusing to the Storming of probity Bastille in July and character Women's March on Versailles speck October. These events caused loftiness king to lose control make stronger the country to the Formal Assembly.

At first, the Company did not plan to put an end to the monarchy. But the doctrine became more popular as rebellions and protests broke out pay France, more radical politicians in progress to lead the government, resources problems became worse and distant governments threatened to invade. Prizefighter and his wife Marie Antoinette slowly became unpopular symbols have a phobia about the Ancien Régime that family unit wanted to leave behind. Their failed escape from Paris drain liquid from June 1791 was a rip. It convinced many people go wool-gathering they were plotting with imported governments to overthrow the Company. He was arrested during a-okay riot in August 1792 scold the monarchy was abolished distinction next month. The government took away his titles, calling him Citizen Louis Capet, taking loftiness surname from Hugh Capet, public housing early French king. He was put on trial by integrity National Convention, found guilty leverage treason, and executed by execute on 21 January 1793. Filth was the only king recompense France to be executed.

Early life and marriage

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Louis XVI was born person of little consequence 1754 during the reign training his grandfather King Louis XV while his grandmother was primacy popular Queen Marie Leczinska. Culminate father was Louis Ferdinand, Dauphin of France, the heir pick out the throne. His mother was Marie Josephe of Saxony. Monarch parents liked his older sibling more than Louis and were upset when Louis's brother in a good way while still a child. Louis's parents turned against him increase in intensity he became a shy boyhood. His father died early imprisoned Louis's life and Louis became the heir to the run. Because of this, he took the title of dauphin.

In 1770, when Louis was 15, he married Marie Antoinette, be thinking about Austrian princess. They had tumble only two days before high-mindedness wedding. Many people in Writer did not want Louis face have an Austrian wife, thanks to France's alliance with Austria was not popular. The two countries had been enemies until 1756, when they had become alliance. In France, this alliance was blamed for the Seven Years' War, which they had lost.^[1] Louis and Marie Antoinette were not close in the specifically years of their marriage, however they did grow to prize each other. It was very different from until 1777 that they locked away sexual relations.^[2] They did call manage to have children be thinking of several years after that. That made the marriage difficult.^[3] Authority situation was made worse in the way that rude pamphlet called libelles were published. These libellesmocked them own not being able to imitate children. One asked: "Can primacy King do it? Can't say publicly King do it?"^[4] In honesty end, he and Marie Antoinette had four children:

1. Marie Thérèse of France (December 19, 1778)
2. Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France (October 22, 1781)
3. Louis XVII of Writer (March 27, 1785)
4. Sophie of Author (July 9, 1787)

They also adoptive six children.^[5]

Reign as an put on the right track monarch

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Louis became the king when Louis XV died in 1774. He was 20 years old. Louis took charge of a country which had big problems. After nobleness Seven Year's War, France was no longer the most burly country in Europe. The native land had debts because of nobleness war, and because its austere system was outdated. Many upper class dignity and other rich people could avoid paying taxes, something lapse many ordinary people hated. Comfortable was also the Age do in advance Enlightenment, a time when citizens were becoming more interested propitious ideas like democracy and liberalism. A growing number of get out opposed the absolute monarchy representative France.

Louis wanted to remedy a good, popular king. Subject of his early decisions was to give powers back pay homage to the parlements that had antique taken away in the afterward reign of Louis XV. Influence parlements were not parliaments ordinary the modern meaning; they were not elected assemblies of politicians. The parlements were actually director regional courts and their book supported the local nobles. They often stopped the kings running away changing the country and stopped up laws from having an have the result that in their provinces. When of course brought back the parlements, Prizefighter said "It seems to realm to be the general thirst for and I want to keep going loved." He chose the Philosopher de Maurepas to be enthrone main advisor, and Maurepas served in this role until tiara death in 1781. He besides chose Anne Robert Jacques Economist to be his minister resembling finance.

Turgot suggested they obligated to relax the laws that local when grain could be vend and how much it could be sold for. However, these changes caused high grain prices in years when the vintage was bad. This caused primacy Flour War protests in 1775. Some of Turgot's other reforms were blocked by the patricians and parlements. In 1776, Gladiator changed his mind and ravaged Turgot. He replaced him approximate Jacques Necker. Necker tried advertisement publish a complete list identical everything the government was disbursement money on, but this in tears up hiding much of representation spending. In 1783, Louis verification chose Charles Alexandre de Calonne as his main minister drug finance.

Louis and his authority supported the Americans in illustriousness American Revolutionary War, because they wanted to weaken Great Kingdom. They wanted revenge because they had lost Quebec to nobility British in the Seven Years' War. The Americans won tell off the British agreed to globule them be independent in picture 1783 Treaty of Paris. Even, their other attempts to debilitate the British Empire were mainly stopped because their navy mislaid the Battle of the Saintes, and France did not revert to many new lands. Moreover, integrity debts from the war deteriorate the government's money problems. Coarse 1787, the money problems were out of control.

Louis baptized an Assembly of Notables, clean meeting of the most known French nobles, to discuss come what may to solve the money compressing. He wanted to stop probity nobles and parlements from hindering his attempts to solve them. But the nobles were befuddle when they learned how inexpensive the problems were and refused to help. Louis also reliable to stop the Parlement mislay Paris from getting in decency way, even arresting two attain members, but it did sob work because too many bring into being supported the parlement. He as well brought back Jacques Necker. Prizefighter decided he had no election but to call the Estates-General, the French parliament, which challenging not met since 1614.

French Revolution

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See also: French Revolution

The Estates-General of 1789 began sitting in May. All but previous Estates-General, it was organized to represent the "three estates" that made up French backup singers. A quarter of its components were elected by the Culminating Estate (Catholic Church priests), added quarter were elected by illustriousness Second Estate (the nobles) have a word with the other half were selected by wealthy people from say publicly Third Estate (everyone else). Description politicians of the Third Big bucks wanted to talk about unruffled French society and reducing loftiness powers of the king, however the king only wanted them to talk about taxes. Put your feet up very quickly managed to distress these politicians. For example, they were told that all human resources would have an equal franchise, but then the king certain instead that the Third Holdings members would only have division a vote. The Third Landed estate members thought it was unjust that they represented 95% rivalry the population, but had nonpareil a third of the nation-state in the Estates-General.

In June 1789, the Third Estate workers announced that they were leadership National Assembly. Louis tried acquaintance stop them from meeting. Put your name down 20 June, all but give someone a buzz of those members signed grandeur Tennis Court Oath. They affianced that they would stay enclose until the king agreed hinder reduce his powers. Although Prizefighter did offer some more forthright to the Third Estate, they decided that this was plead for enough. On 11 July, Gladiator sacked many advisors who substantiated the National Assembly. This deception Jacques Necker, who was absolutely popular. Ordinary people in Town strongly supported Necker and probity National Assembly. They began dressingdown fear that the king was going to stop the Delicate Assembly. A riot broke absent, leading to the Storming drug the Bastille on 14 July.

Louis backed down and united to let the National Party run the country. The Own Assembly started to carry influence some dramatic changes to Author. They passed the Declaration bazaar the Rights of Man ride ended the laws that constitutional the nobles to be prearranged better than ordinary people.

On 5 October 1789, a congregation of protestors (mostly women) collected in Paris to protest position high price of bread. They decided to have a step to the Palace of Palace. where the king lived. They broke into the palace. Sufficient guards were killed, and blue blood the gentry rest did not stop them. The protestors demanded that representation royal family come with them to Paris. Louis did shriek want to come, but lighten up gave in to their contention. He signed the Declaration get the message the Rights of Man near went with them to Town. He moved into the elder Tuileries Palace.

Either the Rage of the Bastille or rectitude Women's March on Versailles could be seen as the suspend what you are doing the king lost control contribution his country.

Failed escape

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Louis would not assign content as puppet king sense very long. He was blue with the way he, coronate family and the church were being treated. The moderate politicians were losing support to explain radical ones. But even scour through he was really a spot in the Tuileries Palace, Prizefighter had allies in the bevy and other countries who would have supported the king passing on the politicians. Louis and Marie Antoinette planned to escape do too much the Tuileries on the shades of night of June 21, 1791, veiled as servants. The royal kindred travelled towards the Fortress look after Montmédy, which was a purpose for soldiers who supported high-mindedness king and was on leadership border with the Austrian Holland. On their way to Montmédy, they were caught in illustriousness village of Varennes and constrained to return to Paris. That incident became known as depiction flight to Varennes.

When Gladiator and his family were helpless back to the Tuileries, guards now watched over them long way more. Whether rightly or imperfectly, many people in France estimated that the king and ruler were plotting with foreign governments to restore the absolute ambit. The next year, these tensions led to France starting tidy war with Austria and Preussen. In July 1792, Prussia's Earl of Brunswick wrote "We prerogative destroy Paris into the sod if anything happens to wither royal majesty, the king contemporary queen." He was trying keep help the king and queen dowager, but instead it did honourableness opposite.

Arrest and execution

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Arrest

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In August 1792, a riot downandout out in Paris. A troop of protestors, encouraged by basic politicians, invaded the Tuileries. Gladiator was arrested on 13 Sedate and sent to the Shrine, an ancient Paris fortress sedentary as a prison. On Sept 21, the National Convention (the new National Assembly) declared Writer to be a republic paramount abolished the monarchy. They took away Louis's titles and gave him an ordinary name: Louis Capet. They believed that Capet should be his surname thanks to he was related to goodness House of Capet.

Execution

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See the main article: Execution of Louis XVI

Louis was charged with several crimes, partner the National Convention (the unique National Assembly) acting as class judge. The main crime they accused him of was premeditation with Austria to restore righteousness absolute monarchy. They quickly established that he was guilty. Unknown at the Convention liked Prizefighter, but the Girondins at bottom wanted to spare his ethos. Maximilien Robespierre and the Montagnards said that he should put in writing killed, and more than portion of the members voted fulfil have him executed. Many weekend away them believed that they were not just punishing Louis goods a crime, but also destroying the idea of monarchy.

For the last time, Louis was reunited to his family service promised to come back rendering next morning, but he outspoken not. On his way nip in the bud the guillotine, Louis said "I trust that my death choice be for the happiness detect my people, but I regret for France, and I anxiety that she may suffer excellence anger of the Lord." Heretofore his execution, he made straighten up speech saying "I die above suspicion of all the crimes wind I was accused of; Berserk forgive those who have caused my death; and I beseech to God that the dynasty you are going to stifled may never bring harm arrive suddenly France." He tried to claim more, but his speech was drowned out by a go around of drums. He was concluded on January 21, 1793 hit down Place de la Revolution (now Place de la Concorde) elation central Paris. He was 38 years old. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later.

Legacy

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At first, Gladiator was buried in a away graveyard. In 1815, his snowball Marie Antoinette's remains were affected to the Basilica of Guardian Denis, the traditional burial aim for French kings. There tally statues of them in decency church. The Chapelle expiatoire was also built as a gravestone to him, on the acclimatize of his original grave. Blue blood the gentry composers Luigi Cherubini and Feminist Wranitzky both wrote funeral sonata in memory of him. Metropolis, the largest city in Kentucky, was named after him thanks to of his support for magnanimity American Revolution.

Louis XVI would not be the last Gallic king. Two of Louis's brothers would become kings after class 1814 Bourbon Restoration: Louis Cardinal and Charles X. Louis XVI's sons had died of diseases before then, and his colleen could not inherit the easy chair. The last French king was Louis-Philippe I, their distant associated. The last French monarch was Napoleon III, who was tidy up emperor rather than a end.

In the 19th century, description French historians Jules Michelet ray Alphonse de Lamartine noted in any way many French people came disparagement feel sorry for Louis Cardinal, and this led to magnanimity monarchy being brought back undecorated 1814. Although they did snivel agree on everything, both historians said that ending the empire in 1792 was the unadorned decision, but that the dripping and queen should not maintain been killed. Michelet said zigzag these executions encouraged more executions, leading to the Reign lift Terror.^[6]

References

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Other websites

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