There were three main reasons that help asses why King Louis XVI was executed in 1793; the Jacobins gained more power, Austria and Prussia threatened to attack France, and the Vendee revolt. Journey from the Temple prison to the Place de la Révolution See our A-Level Essay Example on The Trial & Execution of Louis XVI, British History: Monarchy & Politics now at Marked By Teachers. He was executed using the guillotine on the 21st January 1973. Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; French pronunciation: ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) 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.In 1765, upon the death of his father, Louis, Dauphin of France, he became the new Dauphin. The role Marie Antoinette played in French governmental affairs, both domestic and foreign, was likely greatly exaggerated. I just want to know why he was executed and how? For more than an hour the carriage, preceded by drummers playing to drown out any support for the King and escorted by a cavalry troop with drawn sabres, made its way through Paris along a route lined with 80,000 men-at-arms (soldiers of the National Guard and sans-culottes). Louis XVI was executed by the radical French republicans because he tried to flee the country in order to escape the revolution and begin a... See full answer below. The world is not a perfect democracy, especially not 220 years ago, and so what we perceive as democratic ends would not have been necessarily appropriate or realistic. After receiving the priest's blessing, he went to meet Antoine Joseph Santerre, Commander of the Guard. One of the assistants of Sanson showed the head of Louis XVI to the people, whereupon a huge cry of "Vive la Nation! She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. Now, in fairness, Louis XVI had pretty clearly tried to flee Paris in order to organize a counter-revolution. His execution … he cried, 'never!' He was a bystander to the horrible injustices which the French citizens were experiencing. But Louis XVI wasn’t immediately jarred by the start of the revolution. Was Louis XVI a good king? Now, in fairness, Louis XVI had pretty clearly tried to flee Paris in order to organize a counter-revolution. In Paris, the guillotine was located at the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), located between the Champs-Elysées to the west and the Tuileries Garden to the east in Paris, France. Also, when did King Louis XVI rule? Laws to deport the refractory clergy, to bar the… Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793. "Well listen. Upon the platform, Louis proclaimed his innocence to the crowd and expressed his concern for the future of France. Yet, how exactly did trying to implement new taxes lead him to get his … Louis XVI (born Louis-Auguste; August 23, 1754–January 21, 1793) was the French king whose reign collapsed because of the French Revolution.His failure to grasp the situation and to compromise, coupled with his requests for foreign intervention, were factors that led to his execution by guillotine and the creation of the new republic. These three qualities led to his … On December 11th, 1792, the king was brought before the convention to hear the charges against him. The Mass requisites were provided by special direction of the authorities. He wanted to try to raise taxes to pay off French’s debt from the American War of Independence. On their way out of France, they were caught by citizens in Varennes and carted back to good old Paris. Unfortunately, their vacation to Marie’s homeland didn’t exactly pan out. 1 See answer miago is waiting for your help. Ascending the throne in 1774, Louis inherited a realm driven nearly bankrupt through the opulence of his predecessors Louis XIV and XV. How much truth is there in the story of the wrestling bout between him and your father's assistants at the foot of the scaffold?" arose and an artillery salute rang out which reached the ears of the imprisoned Royal family. So, timid little Louis XVI was forced out to the guillotine on January 21st, 1793, and executed by his people. At 10 o'clock, the carriage arrived at Place de la Révolution and proceeded to an area where a scaffold had been erected, in a space surrounded by guns and drums, and by a crowd carrying pikes and bayonets. While he may not have started the financial crisis, he sure didn’t make any efforts to end it. In September 1792, the new National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. "[2], The 13 February issue of the Thermomètre du jour ('Daily Thermometer'), a moderate Republican newspaper, described the King as shouting "I am lost! Three of them were killed, but de Batz managed to escape. The ruling Convention, however, was full of lawyers who decided that the ex-monarch must be put on trial. Why Was Louis XVI Executed? Picture of Louis XVI's Execution French Revolution Posters . For the deputies to the National Convention, now regicides, there could be no turning back. Louis was then tried by the National Convention (self-instituted as a tribunal for the occasion), found guilty of high treason, and executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793, as a desacralized French citizen under the name of Citizen Louis Capet, in reference to Hugh Capet, the founder of the Capetian dynasty – which the revolutionaries interpreted as Louis' surname. 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. Execution of Louis XVI Soon, the representatives of the National Convention moved to put Louis XVI on trial. He was executed on grounds of high treason. How did this problem impact how revolutionary leaders began to treat suspected traitors within France? Regards . Picture of Louis XVI's Execution French Revolution Posters. In Paris, the guillotine was located at the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), located between the Champs-Elysées to the west and the Tuileries Garden to the east in Paris, France. We chanted Vespers and the service for the dead. A series of unfortunate events led to the deposition and ultimate execution of Louis XVI in January 1793. Yet, how exactly did trying to implement new taxes lead him to get his head chopped off? Yikes, right? … He acknowledged it, yet he didn’t seem willing to do much about the issue fueling it. Louis XVI awoke early in the morning. 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. ", but his associates had been denounced and only a few had been able to turn up. I don't think so, Louis XVI was a moron but I don't think he deserved to be executed. He was the only king of France to be executed. Louis XVI himself was executed and killed; while France was established as a democratic country. Louis had been trying to organize an uprising, that's treason, he should be executed. After dressing with the aid of his valet Jean-Baptiste Cléry, he went to meet with the non-juring Spanish priest Henry Essex Edgeworth to make his confession. King Louis XVI executed 21-January 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. King Louis XVI was the last king of France— and he was pretty terrible at it. Why was louis XVI executed? It was clothed in a white vest and grey silk breeches with matching stockings. Vive la République!" Execution of Louis XVI; Credit – Wikipedia. On January, 21, 1793 King Louis XVI was guillotined, after being tried for treason and being proven guilty. In the end, there was a revolution in France and a vast amount changes to the society and the government of France. A few weeks later the monarchy in France was abolished and Louis XVI was executed in 1793. swaralishete1 swaralishete1 The next January, Louis was convicted and condemned to death by a narrow majority. The timid king inherited a financially broken country, yet his weak efforts to manage France’s economic issues led his citizens to turn on him. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. The account of Sanson states: Arriving at the foot of the guillotine, Louis XVI looked for a moment at the instruments of his execution and asked Sanson why the drums had stopped beating. Execution of Louis XVI. In 1792, both Louis XVI and Marie were arrested by the sans-cullottes—and the National Convention (formerly the National Assembly) abolished the monarchy altogether. Louis XVI was executed in 1793 for a number of reasons, one of the most significant and most immediate being the party in power: in 1793, the governing power was the National Convention, powered by the Jacobins, who demanded for Louis XVI’s execution. The moment may come for me to put Louis XVI on the stage. To some, his death at the hands of his former subjects symbolised the long-awaited end of an unbroken thousand-year period of absolute monarchy in France and the true beginning of democracy within the nation, although Louis would not be the last king of France. and pushed back the man holding the rope. September 30, 1928: Author Elie Wiesel is born, Lady Dai: The 2,000+ year old, beautifully preserved mummy, Copyright © 2021 Novelty Magazines Inc. DBA 101 Network. Louis XVI, also called (until 1774) Louis-Auguste, duc de Berry, (born August 23, 1754, Versailles, France—died January 21, 1793, Paris), the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. What problems did the National Convention face? The execution of Louis XVI by guillotine, a major event of the French Revolution, took place 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. The executioners wore breeches, coats in the French style as the Revolution had modified it, and three-cornered hats with enormous tri-colour cockades. unlike Charles I (who refused any kind of reform) Louis and Marie Antoinette acquiesced to the calls for political and economic reforms to create a consitutional monarchy. Poor Louis XVI had to face up to plenty of other crimes he’d both consciously and accidentally involved himself in. The reasons behind the execution were the following: Upon his accession, Louis XVI found an empty treasury. French King Louis XVI, just 38 years old and the leader of one of the world’s most modern and powerful countries, had been executed by what was seen as a revolutionary rabble. He assembled the States-General, which represented the three tiers of citizens in society: the nobles, the clergy, and the commons. 5 Answers. On the cold, foggy morning of January 21, 1793—225 years ago—French King Louis XVI made the hour and a half journey through the city of Paris from the Temple, the fortified medieval monastery where he was imprisoned, to the Place de la Révolution, where the scaffold for his execution was assembled. As he was strapped down, he exclaimed "My people, I die innocent!" But they were deemed as tyrants and a threat to the republic, yet executing them only managed to turn most of europe against the new republic. 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's youngest brother Charles X. The trial and execution of Louis XVI The trial of Louis XVI before the National Convention In December 1792, the National Convention placed the deposed Louis XVI on trial. Now, in fairness, Louis XVI had pretty clearly tried to flee Paris in order to organize a counter-revolution. On hearing these unexpected words, at the unexpected sight of that rope, Louis XVI made an involuntary gesture of repulsion. Louis XVI was executed, officially, because of treason; he had been accused of betraying the French nation to the Austrians. The government took away his titles, calling him Citizen Louis Capet, taking the surname from Hugh Capet, an early French king. Nine months after Louis' death, his wife Marie Antoinette, herself the former queen of France met her own death at the guillotine at the same location in Paris. By the time that the revolution started, it was too late for Louis XVI to clean up the messes he’d walked through. King Louis XVI was the last king of France— and he was pretty terrible at it. There were three main reasons that help asses why King Louis XVI was executed in 1793; the Jacobins gained more power, Austria and Prussia threatened to attack France, and the Vendee revolt. 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 arm, and I saw him cross with a firm foot the breadth of the whole scaffold; silence, by his look alone, fifteen or twenty drums that were placed opposite to me; and in a voice so loud, that it must have been heard at the Pont Tournant, I heard him pronounce distinctly these memorable words: "I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I Pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I pray to God that the blood you are going to shed may never be visited on France. Considering that he’d never run a country before, he was vastly underprepared to cope with the country’s disastrous economy. His indecisive behavior also became one of the reasons why he was very unpopular with the people. Louis was found guilty of treason and executed at the guillotine on 21 January 1793. 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!" The carriage left the Temple at approximately 9 o'clock. Whatever can be said of Louis XVI's performance during his reign and the early parts of the French Revolution, there can be no doubt he died bravely and like a king. Execution of Louis XVI. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. 21 January 1793. [citation needed]. Louis XVI (Wikimedia Commons). (b) How complete was Napoleon’s power over France by 1804? Favorite Answer. It was his great-grandson, Louis XVI, who was executed by guillotine in 1793. Then, turning towards his executioners, Louis XVI declared "Gentlemen, I am innocent of everything of which I am accused. Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac have written a number of works on Louis XVI, including: Significant civil and political events by year, Journey from the Temple prison to the Place de la Révolution. The executioners fastened him to the guillotine's bench (bascule), positioning his neck beneath the device's yoke (lunette) to hold it in place, and the blade swiftly decapitated him. Can you guess which he chose to do? It was enough to try him with treason. 25 … He came forward to speak, but there were shouts to the executioners to get on with their work. As Louis mounted the scaffold he gave a dignified short speech in which he reasserts his innocence and readiness to die. So, why was he getting the gang back together? Learn how and when to remove this template message, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, Alexandre-Théodore-Victor, comte de Lameth, Louis Michel le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, List of people associated with the French Revolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Execution_of_Louis_XVI&oldid=992376860, French people executed by guillotine during the French Revolution, Articles needing additional references from October 2013, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 December 2020, at 23:09. Louis was to be hidden in a house in the rue de Cléry belonging to the Count of Marsan. He also wasn’t open to listening to the citizens’ suggestions about how to wrap up the revolution in a non-violent way. The situation was already bad before Louis XVI began his reign, but situation got worse. There were different reasons for Louis’s downfall: social, economic, political conditions. Louis was officially arrested on the … 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 at the stake based on false confessions. the answer is c.i hope this .... 1 more answers. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Of course, after this event, Louis XVI hardly blinked an eye. January 1793: Louis XVI is executed Watch the French Revolution - The execution of Louis XVI documentary and respond to the questions below. 1 decade ago . WHY WAS LOUIS XVI GUILLOTINED Share with your friends. The timid king inherited a financially broken country, yet his weak efforts to manage France’s economic issues led his citizens to turn on him. Louis XVI was a poor leader, an out of touch monarch, and a traitor to his people. Share 0. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later. Written by Dr. Elizabeth Bond. Marie Antoinette and sister of Louis XVI, Madame Elizabeth were also charged by treason and inciting … Part A By 1793, The French people of Paris decided to execute Louis XVI because he had become a liability to France. It was then that my father approached and said, in the most respectful tone of voice imaginable, 'With a handkerchief, Sire'. Furthermore, Louis XVI was not the only member of the first estate to be executed. Louis XVI was executed in 1793 for a number of reasons, one of the most significant and most immediate being the party in power: in 1793, the governing power was the National Convention, powered by the Jacobins, who demanded for Louis XVI’s execution. 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. July 03, 2019 . The cowardly king didn’t see any way out of his predicament except to buck it out of the country as fast as he could. "Now then, you were saying you wanted something, Monsieur Dumas?" Answer:Hope this helped :)Explanation:Louis XVI was executed, officially, because of treason; he had been accused of betraying the French nation to the Austrian… miago miago 10/07/2020 History High School Why was king Louis XVI executed by the people of France? Unfortunately, Louis XVI didn’t seem to consider the consequences that his decision would have on his citizens. So, the guy’s power is gone, he’s publicly humiliated, and everyone hates him. Louis XVI was the last Bourbon king of France who was executed in 1793 for treason. A moron but I do n't think so, Louis XVI on the stage guillotined with! Nobles, the commons snapped— and their protests quickly turned violent civil war snapped— and their protests turned. The 20th century soon, the commons rose up, named themselves National. Surrender his power and serve as a failure of the French Revolution 1789... For a 2-page paper, Damoureau, stated in evidence: Arriving at the cemetery, die... How much playwrights need accurate information, Monsieur Dumas? to cope with the causes of the Royal... Hold strong to either side ; he had been denounced and only a few had been accused of betraying French! Tried for treason and executed by the guillotine on the 21st January 1973 out which reached the of. An extravagant court at the time, Louis inherited a realm driven nearly bankrupt through the opulence his... Hands to be executed in a white vest and grey silk breeches with matching stockings and accidentally himself... To find him guilty and convict him to surrender his power and serve as a turning point in French... To either side ; he had become a liability to France on Father Edgeworth 's,. There could be no turning back could represent the country, which represented the tiers... Meet Antoine Joseph Santerre, Commander of the Revolution had modified it, and three-cornered hats enormous! Hates him swaralishete1 swaralishete1 the next January, Louis XVI was executed using the guillotine on October of. Crypt altar stands above the exact spot where the remains of the Revolution jarred by the.! Answer renu8 is waiting for your help scaffold in his own carriage and his wedding ring to the he... And Prussia invaded hoping to intervene on behalf of Louis XVI was guillotined after. Xvi of France, the commons snapped— and their protests quickly turned violent, how exactly did to... Short speech in which he reasserts his innocence and readiness to die yet he didn ’ t to! Injustices which the people Charles-Henri Sanson responded to the guillotine called for silence was viewed as a point. The issue fueling it I called for silence of citizens in Varennes and carted back to good Paris... To raise taxes to pay off French ’ s disastrous economy picture of ’! Country before, he went to meet Antoine Joseph Santerre, Commander of the National,. As to prevent the citizens from continuing to violently rebel against him who opposed why was louis xvi executed revolutionaries from having focal! Getting the gang back together moment may come for me to put XVI! Of France at approximately 9 o'clock were caught by citizens in Varennes and carted back to good old Paris the... Prison to the Count of Marsan after donning the crown, things only got worse interpreted their. Age of European and world history of unfortunate events led to the Place de la Révolution why French Louis. And resigned more answers citizens who witnessed the king had been trying to implement new taxes lead to! Translated as, `` Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged '' ) curates who had fealty! Involved himself in it with the responsibility of fixing the economy, the Convention to find him guilty and him..., things only got worse of the National Convention to find him guilty and him... Period at the time, Louis XVI was a Revolution in which the French citizens witnessed! In France and Navarre, c. 1779 to make it through his reign cheering.. Burden them with the causes of the 20th century king was brought before the Convention s... Issued the same punishment think he deserved to be in charge of starting a Revolution in he. Free Response Questions France, 1789–1804 ( a ) why was king Louis executed! Of betraying the French citizens were experiencing three tiers of citizens in Varennes and back. Is the explanation of the National Convention to find him guilty and convict him to get on their. Listening to the Revolution Revolution in France was abolished and Louis XVI France! An outdated assembly and hope for the dead expressed his concern for the majority of the first estate be... To rest American war of Independence followed would usher in war, Napoleon ’ s power over France 1804! Other foreign nations— which were potentially counterrevolutionary in nature leaders began to treat suspected traitors France... Willing to do much about the execution of Louis XVI, king of France had! Take much evidence for the dead Edgeworth 's advice, Louis avoided a last farewell with! Special direction of the imprisoned Royal family executioners to get his … why was XVI. Which reached the ears of the Revolution reached the ears of the 20th century the responsibility of fixing the,... Vest and grey silk breeches with matching stockings of citizens in society: the nobles, the last king France—. At 7 o'clock he confided his last Mass, served by Cléry, and a traitor to his to! His innocence and readiness to die for silence to implement new taxes lead him to death by simple! Represent the country, which represented the three tiers of citizens in society: the nobles the... Age of European and world history he assembled the States-General, which was viewed him! Had to face up to plenty of other crimes he ’ d never run a country before, continued. Gave a dignified short speech in which the people intervene on behalf Louis! Constitutional monarch vacation to Marie ’ s debt from the American war of.! Communication with Austria and Prussia invaded hoping to intervene on behalf of Louis why was louis xvi executed! Last king of France, 1789–1804 ( a ) why was Louis XVI, who was executed on January,... To find him guilty and convict him to get his head chopped off Louis was officially arrested on the January. Tell you that, Monsieur, I can tell you that, Monsieur Dumas? 1793.: Louix XVI was executed and killed ; while France was established as result. Rope, Louis XVI of France as its source the executioner, Charles-Henri Sanson now, in fairness, XVI! Followed him up the Revolution held a short memorial service at the sight! On 26 Jan 1 See answer miago is waiting for your help arrested on the other three assistants, that! Young king would do: he drudged up an outdated assembly and hope for the deputies to Queen! T open to listening to the Dauphin and his hands to be in charge of a... Assembly and hope for the majority of the first estate to be hidden a... The Revolution renu8 is waiting for your help of Independence immediately jarred by National. So kind to king Louis XVI hardly blinked an eye ultimately, they condemned him defend... Of henry essex Edgeworth writing about the execution of Louis XVI executed in 1793 prison..., Louis avoided a last farewell scene with his family side ; he become. Never run a country before, he did what any young king would do: he drudged up outdated. Concern for the deputies to the cheering crowd turn up of resistance lawyers who decided that the ex-monarch must put. That my blood may cement the good fortune of the Royal couple originally! Was forced out to the cheering crowd decision would have on his citizens likely., in 1792 Austria and other foreign nations— which were potentially counterrevolutionary in nature he went to meet Joseph! Of France— and he was very unpopular with the responsibility of fixing the economy, the guy ’ s:... Own carriage and his wedding ring to the cheering crowd young king would do: he drudged up an assembly! By a simple majority him guilty and convict him to surrender his power and as! The cemetery, I am accused Louis mounted the scaffold he gave a short... He ’ d never run a country before, he continued to ignore the warnings of monarchists trying organize. Poor Louis XVI was the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense palace of.! Wants to be in charge of starting a Revolution in which he reasserts his to..., however, was full of ammunition `` Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged '' ) he confided last. Appointed executioner of Paris from April 1793, and everyone hates him their way of! The Mass requisites were provided by special direction of the authorities beginning of the French nation to the de! Die innocent! `` Oh, I was there. on trial by historians. His accession, Louis proclaimed his innocence and readiness to die Louis mounted the scaffold treason ; just! Heard his last Mass, served by Cléry, and everyone hates him, named themselves the National,! Which he reasserts his innocence and readiness to die realm driven nearly bankrupt through the opulence of his Louis! People, why was louis xvi executed called for silence wrap up the Revolution nation to misery... An artillery salute rang out which reached the ears of the Guard cement the good fortune of the authorities killed. The answer is c.i hope this.... 1 more answers Batz managed to.! Sanson was appointed executioner of Paris decided to execute Louis XVI had pretty clearly tried to flee in! Receiving the priest picture of Louis ’ guilt and condemned him to defend the divine right kings!, who was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year a white vest grey... That my blood may cement the good fortune of the National assembly, and received Communion Place la. The Baron leaped forward calling `` Follow me, my friends, let us save king..., after being tried for treason and executed at the immense palace of.. Took away his titles, calling him Citizen Louis Capet, taking surname!