On the death of his grandfather Louis XV, Louis succeeded to the French throne on May 10, 1774. Updates? He and the royal family remained virtual prisoners in the Tuileries, a royal and imperial palace in Paris that served as the residence of most French monarchs. At dawn, they infiltrated the palace and attempted to kill the queen, who was associated with a frivolous lifestyle that symbolized much that was despised about the Ancien Régime. The Edict of Versailles did not legally proclaim freedom of religion in France – this took two more years, with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789 – however, it was an important step in eliminating religious tensions and it officially ended religious persecution within his realm.[24]. However, his indecision, many delays, and misunderstanding of France were responsible for the failure of the escape. The anger of the populace boiled over on 10 August when an armed mob – with the backing of a new municipal government of Paris that came to be known as the Insurrectional Paris Commune – marched upon and invaded the Tuileries Palace. Junior Varsity at Versailles. "[22] In spite of his indecisiveness, Louis XVI was determined to be a good king, stating that he "must always consult public opinion; it is never wrong. The French expeditionary force arrived in North America in July 1780. He levied taxes and spent abolished feudal privileges. [53], The convention would be voting on three questions: first, Is Louis guilty; second, whatever the decision, should there be an appeal to the people; and third, if found guilty, what punishment should Louis suffer? In 1701, the year after his grandson became king of Spain, French companies won the monopoly to supply Spanish colonies in South America with African slaves. Between 1816 and 1826, a commemorative monument, the Chapelle expiatoire, was erected at the location of the former cemetery and church. Louis convened the Estates-General in an effort to solve his budget crisis, but by doing so he unwittingly sparked the French Revolution. For the next two years, the palace remained the official residence of the king. [54] 361 of the deputies voted for Louis's immediate execution. Fascination with constitutions and constitutional government was a creature of the Enlightenment. This decision would be final. 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". Louis XVI In 1770 he married the Austrian archduchess Marie Antoinette. His fear of being manipulated by her for imperial purposes caused him to behave coldly towards her in public. Following these two events the Girondins could no longer keep the king from trial. In Marie Antoinette (1938), he was played by Robert Morley. [51] Second, in November 1792, the armoire de fer (iron chest) incident took place at the Tuileries Palace, when the existence of the hidden safe in the king's bedroom containing compromising documents and correspondence, was revealed by François Gamain, the Versailles locksmith who had installed it. [27] In 1782, he sealed an alliance with the Peshwa Madhu Rao Narayan. His mother never recovered from the loss of her husband and died on 13 March 1767, also from tuberculosis. After the sudden death of Mirabeau, Maximilien Radix de Sainte-Foix, a noted financier, took his place. Some, like Honoré Mirabeau, secretly plotted with the Crown to restore its power in a new constitutional form. He became the king at the age of 20, after the death of his grandfather Louis XV. By the end of the century, France was arguably the major power of Europe and Louis XIV referred to himself as the Sun King – such was his prestige. [63], The 19th-century historian Jules Michelet attributed the restoration of the French monarchy to the sympathy that had been engendered by the execution of Louis XVI. Thenceforward he seems to have been completely dominated by the queen, who must bear the chief blame for the court’s subsequent political duplicity. Louis XIV King of France and Navarre In Power May 14, 1643 – Sept. 1, 1715 Born Sept. 5, 1638 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France Died Sept. 1, 1715 (at age 76) Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France Nationality French Religion Catholicism Louis XIV rose to power when he was only five years old. At the same time, he encouraged the Girondin faction in the Legislative Assembly (which had succeeded the National Assembly in September 1791) in their policy of war with Austria, in the expectation that French military disaster would pave the way for the restoration of his authority. [citation needed] The Madeleine cemetery was closed in 1794. The executioner, Charles Henri Sanson, testified that the former king had bravely met his fate. "[23] He, therefore, appointed an experienced advisor, Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Comte de Maurepas who, until his death in 1781, would take charge of many important ministerial functions. One month later, the absolute monarchy was abolished and the First French Republic was proclaimed on 21 September 1792. Ans.1- Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly and accepted theprinciple that his powers would be checked by a constitution. This convocation was one of the events that transformed the general economic and political malaise of the country into the French Revolution. Well-disposed toward his subjects and interested in the conduct of foreign policy, Louis had not sufficient strength of character or power of decision to combat the influence of court factions or to give the necessary support to reforming ministers, such as Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot or Jacques Necker, in their efforts to shore up the tottering finances of the ancien régime. Necker supported the American Revolution, and he carried out a policy of taking out large international loans instead of raising taxes. The growth of anti-clericalism among revolutionaries resulted in the abolition of the dîme (religious land tax) and several government policies aimed at the dechristianization of France. [27][33] Suffren became the ally of Hyder Ali in the Second Anglo-Mysore War against British rule in India, in 1782–1783, fighting the British fleet along the coasts of India and Ceylon. 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 XVI (Louis-Auguste; French pronunciation: ​[lwi sɛːz]; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. How did Louis XVI react when his powers were limited? He and the royal family remained virtual prisoners in the Tuileries, a royal and imperial palace in Paris that served as the residence of most French monarchs. Despite this, he still hoped to avoid war. These included efforts to abolish serfdom, remove the taille (land tax) and the corvée (labour tax),[1] and increase tolerance toward non-Catholics as well as abolish the death penalty for deserters. In 1785, he appointed La Pérouse to lead a sailing expedition around the world. He himself appeared twice before the Convention (December 11 and 23). The former king was then quickly beheaded. [25] When this policy of hiding and ignoring the kingdom's financial woes failed miserably, Louis dismissed and replaced him in 1783 with Charles Alexandre de Calonne, who increased public spending to "buy" the country's way out of debt. Louis came from the House of Bourbon. 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. Louis-Joseph, the second child of King Louis XVI and heir to the throne (dauphin), dies today. In October, Louis and his family were forced by the mob to return to Paris from their palace at Versailles. His overthrow and execution ended a monarchy that was over 1,000 years old, although he was not the last French king. It was seen as if with the death of one came the life of the other. Louis was losing further control and was the main symbol of the revolution. The National assembly. Louis and his wife were the famous targets of the 1789 Women’s March on Versailles. Louis did not do anything about the storming. His son, the future Louis XVI, becomes heir to the French throne. 72 of the deputies voted for the death penalty, but subject to several delaying conditions and reservations. ability, not rank or birth. The first part of his reign was marked by attempts to reform the French government in accordance with Enlightenment ideas. In the same year Louis was persuaded by Pierre Beaumarchais to send supplies, ammunition, and guns to the rebels secretly. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics. The king was subsequently forced to accept a new constitution that sharply limited his power. His younger brothers would succeed him as Louis XVIII and Charles X. Arnault Laporte, who was in charge of the Civil list, collaborated with both Montmorin and Mirabeau. One questioned, "Can the King do it? Louis and both his wife didn't seem to care about governing. Bastille. He extended France’s eastern borders at the expense of the Habsburgs and secured the Spanish throne for his grandson. By the time that Louis-Auguste and Marie-Antoinette were married, the French people generally disliked the Austrian alliance, and Marie-Antoinette was seen as an unwelcome foreigner. Louis attempted to work within the framework of his limited powers after the women’s march but won little support, and he and the royal family remained virtual prisoners in the Tuileries. Though related to King Louis XVI, Louis-Philippe, like his father, was a supporter of the French Revolution. 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