Louis XVI was a French monarch who gave something to talk about in his time and is still well remembered. However, his fame was not due to the quality of his management as king but to the contrary, in addition to other intimate rumors that penetrated the walls of the palace. Although he had the opportunity to reach the young reign, bearing the weight of a transformative hope on his shoulders, it was disillusionment that plagued his entire reign. Why was Louis xvi executed?

The mixture of his weak personality with the historical context, formed the perfect cocktail to give a fateful end to his projects and his life. It was during the reign of Louis XVI that the French Revolution found a place to develop. Know the biographical data of this French monarch in this entry.

Origin of a young and weak-tempered monarch

The city of Versailles in France witnessed the birth of Louis XVI. King Louis XV was his grandfather, his father Prince Luis Fernando de Borbón and his mother Princess María Josefa de Sajonia. He was born on August 23, 1754 , he was called Louis Auguste de France and inherited the Duchy of Berry. His reign of France spanned the period from 1774 to 1792, he was also co-prince of Andorra from 1774 to 1793. Why was Louis xvi executed?

Perhaps not even Luis Auguste himself believed that he would reach the reign, since his father and brother Luis José predicted the line of succession. But both physically disappeared, which made Louis XVI unexpectedly and prematurely become king at only 20 years of age. However, his character was not the best additive to one of the most important thrones in Europe, namely the French.

Shy and reserved

Away from his nurse at the young age of six, Luis Auguste suffers from a great sadness that could not be mitigated even with the most eccentric diversions. His father tried to educate him through a method that favored effort and work. However, these measures were not enough to combat the extreme shyness and reserved character that Louis XVI manifested throughout his life. Characteristics that came to suppose a defect for his reign and his life in general.

A scandalous marriage

Four years before becoming king, he married Marie Antoinette , Archduchess of Austria, in 1770. It was undoubtedly a scandalous marriage, be it because of the queen’s festive behavior or because of the king’s oddities. The queen consort held parties where, apparently, she was intimate with third parties in addition to surrendering to the game and other earthly pleasures. For his part, the king was criticized when it was revealed that he was incapable of consummating the marriage, a fact that was possible seven years after the nuptials. Despite the circumstances, they had four children.

Furthermore, history reveals that Louis XVI was influenced by his wife , apart from the nobility , in political affairs. This caused that the first measures related to the economy with liberal character have been refuted by the nobles. This and other aspects of his personality marked the reign of Luis Auguste, bringing it to a painful end. Why was Louis xvi executed?

Louis XVI’s failed attempts to rule France

During the early days of his reign, the ministers Anne-Robert Jacques Turgot, Jacques Necker and Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes; they tried to carry out economic reforms with liberal influence . The purpose was that the public deficit was reduced, however this was not possible due to the suspicion of the nobility. With regard to foreign policy, ruled by Count Vergennes, France stood out for its excellent role in the American War of Independence.

Persistent resistance to economic liberation , sponsored by the privileged, forced the convocation of the Estates General. This was a legislative body that was made up of representatives of the clergy , the nobility and the people (mostly bourgeois ). Although the king was better esteemed after decreeing the vote of the Third Estate (the people) as double, he soon came under attack from both this class and the privileged.

In the midst of this environment, the Third State constitutes a National Assembly and proclaims itself as the only custodians of sovereignty. Those who represented the people swore that they would not dissolve until a constitution for France was achieved. Why was Louis xvi executed?

Louis XVI and the French Revolution

Pressured by the court, Louis XVI, prepares the intervention of the army to dissolve the National Assembly by force. It was in 1789, on July 14, when the Parisian popular masses took up arms and stormed the Bastille , starting the French Revolution . Louis XVI tries to escape and request help from foreign monarchs, but it was not possible. He is forced to live in the Tuileries Palace with the royal family, where they were prisoners and with little power.

Sad end for Louis XVI

The unstable state of the monarchy that the king represented at that time does not manage to counteract the attacks to which it was subjected. In 1792 a revolt stormed the palace and the monarch was imprisoned . The National Convention judges Luis Auguste and accuses him of treason, for which he is sentenced to death after a vote that approves the measure with only one vote difference. Why was Louis xvi executed?

Louis XVI was guillotined in the Plaza de la Revolución on January 21, 1793 , after 10:20 am; He was 38 years old. Once beheaded, a loud roar was heard from the crowd shouting: “Long live the Republic!”, At the same time that many sang “La Marseillaise” and many others danced around the scaffold. His wife suffered the same fate a few months later, as did the king‘s own sister .