King Louis: The French Revolution

In this letter, he disapproved of the reduction of his royal powers and personal wealth, which affected his lifestyle and authority. He denounced the Revolution, National Assembly, and its constitution. Copies of the letter circulated in public and revealed to people that “Louis had lied to the French” when he swore an oath “before God and the nation to uphold the constitution” (102). Not only did he leave behind his people but his flight would have led to a civil war between revolutionaries and loyalists aided by foreigners. On top of that, deputies of the National Assembly dealt with the aftermath of a missing king: paranoid Parisians suspecting a conspiracy, people storming the palace, and palace servants being accused of treason. This added to the “profound sense of desertion and betrayal” by a king that people saw as a “good father” (222). Out of disgust, they denounced Louis: calling him all sorts of names, took down portraits of him, and covered “in black the word royal” on signs, buildings, and other public places (110). The “myth of the kingship had been shattered” because nobody knew what to do with Louis at this time (104, 108). Some wanted exile or imprisonment whereas others suggested reinstating him as only a figurehead, and some thought about a “republic without a king” (108). Either way, they no longer

While even prior to King Louis XVI flight, the monarchy’s power was already waning. However, upon being forcibly sent back to Paris after the flight, this action further damaged the monarchy by losing the trust and respect of the populace and many factions within the National Assembly. After the knowledge that Louis XVI had willing fled by his own accord had spread through the newspaper presses, many people expressed a severe revulsion and disgust for the monarch and many began to vilify his name, including removing artistic depictions of him from homes and public shops—many of which these images were tossed into the gutter (Tackett, 104). The degree to which the people loss faith and trust in their fatherly monarch figure weakened the image and

It is often debated whether or not the reign of King Louis XIV had a positive or negative effect on France. Although there were improvements during his reign in transportation, culture, and national defense, there were far more negative aspects. He depleted the national treasury with his liberal spending on personal luxuries and massive monuments. His extreme fear of the loss of power led to poor decision making, which caused the court to be of lower quality. King Louis XIV’s disastrous rule brought about a series of effects that influenced the French Revolution in the following century.

On the morning of January 21, 1793, an innocent man was executed in front of his entire country, by means of the guillotine. That man was King Louis XVI. King Louis XVI, who was married to Queen Marie Antoinette, was the King of France during the beginning stages of the French Revolution. Which took place throughout 1788, and up until King Louis XVI was charged with treason, in 1792. Before the French Revolution really started, France was divided by a strict class system and there were three estates. The third estate were restless and angry with the government. To do something about their complaints, they soon created the National Assembly at the Tennis Court Oath and the well known, violent, events of the French Revolution soon came to being. King Louis XVI was innocent of committing treason against France, because he showed throughout his rulership of the country

King Louis XVI and Marie Antionette were two people that should not have been ruling a country. King Louis was always gone on hunting trips and Marie Antionette spent every dime of French money. Once the Monarchy ran out money, they started to tax the Third, and poorest, estate. The third estate took up 97% of the population. 97% of the population was starving and the royal family kept spending large amounts of money until the people revolted. The people of France tried to reason with King Louis, but he refused to change his ways and kept taxing the third estate. When the people revolted, they stormed the Bastille and took all of the weapons they could. The people then went to the King’s palace and demanded he fix the way he was ruling before they killed him. The King didn’t listen and was executed along with his wife. Of the three kids that Marie Antionette had, the two boys died of Tuberculosis in jail and the daughter was sent to live the remainder of her life in exile in Austria. It may seem as though the people of France had successfully overgrown their monarchy and could begin a life of freedom, however this is not the case. The French had rushed into combat too fast and did not have a plan for what to do after they had killed their rulers. The right of Terror begins where Maximilian Robespierre beheads 40,000 people in the span of ten months for speaking against the revolution. In the end, Robespierre ends up getting

The French Revolution was spreading and Prussia and Austria had grown fearful; therefore, to stop the spreading of the revolution the countries waged war against France, gaining land, troops, and power bringing fear to the French. The neighboring countries in the awakening of the revolution, August 1791, formed an alliance wreaking havoc in the French cities. (Doc A) When the guillotining of Louis the 16th occurred Austria became fearful and angry hoping for the safety of the queen and beloved sister Marie Antoinette. (Doc A) The raging war went on for many years but in 1794 the invasion of foreign enemies grew short and the French are close to stopping them. (Doc A) In the words of Robespierre “We must smother the … external enemies of the Republic or perish.”(Doc G)

First off, leadership was very important and in the case that the king was better, the revolution could have been avoided. King Louis was a big spender and lacked the leadership necessary to be a king. He was already in huge debt from helping the American Revolution, as well as participating in the 7 Years War, and his debt kept increasing due to his pursuing of personal pleasures over serious governmental affairs. This is clearly shown in Ellis’ and Esler’s World History when it says, “Louis XV, who

The author explained how the French Revolution starts and also how choice made by the royal government affect the old regime which moved the country into different conflicts. For example, in chapter 1 “The

After reading this book I understand a lot more about the French Revolution. Most of the problems that occurred dealt with the idea of change. Some people like things the way they are, some are afraid of change, and others would like to see something new. Louis XVI wanted things the way they were and be treated as a king is supposed to be treated, and

The published letter of the king’s reasoning for departure also served the public with rage, and, “equally significant for the future of the Revolution was the dramatic change in attitude toward the king…everything was transformed by the king’s flight.” (Tackett, 101) People in the streets of Paris were throwing out their portraits of the royal family and were seeing the king, the one they praised a week ago, as a deserter and conspirator to their newly-formed and praised government. The use of rumor and newspapers by members of The Cordelier Club also helped spread certain radical ideals in which prompted the idea of turning France into a republic, and of dissembling the monarchy and the king altogether. It was this power in the streets of Paris that would soon grow with every day after the king fled, as, “Outside the Legislative Assembly, however, the more radical revolutionaries had managed to hold the loyalty of most of the provincial club network, giving them a powerful propaganda tool.” (Popkin, 58) The National Assembly was still strong in its number of members favorable of this new constitutional monarchy, but it was in the streets and with the people that the actual aspect of the Revolution was shifting. Members of the National Assembly were getting restless

Timothy Tackett’s book When the King Took Flight focuses on arguably the most consequential event in the French Revolution. King Louis XVI and his family’s attempt to escape France would influence an atmosphere of violence that would only continue to worsen. King Louis XVI regretted signing and accepting the Civil Constitution of the Clergy earlier in July 1790. Deciding to flee the country he assumed that through foreign intervention or negotiating he could change parts of the constitution he disagreed with. However he would be recognized and captured in Varennes. The king underestimated the true meaning and appeal of the revolution (87). His misunderstanding of the revolution led the way for the destruction of kingship and the monarchy itself. This decision had given power to the sans-culottes and the idea of a republic. While the kings flight to Varennes had many unintended consequences it serves as a crucial turning point for the revolution.

The royal family could not be discrete enough to travel through the countryside to north France. They travelled with too many luxury goods and got recognized at a fancy restaurant where the server compared Louis’s picture on money to his actual face. This catastrophe sent King Louis and his family back to France as prisoners and seen as traitors to the country. As a prisoner in Paris, the King received his biggest wish—to do nothing and relax. It was an excuse for inaction toward his country and a reveal of his inert nature. The departure and the arrest brought change to the people of Paris and around France because their eyes opened to the truth of their submissive king. Historian Timothy Tackett writes “Within hours after the news had broken a popular onslaught against symbols of royalty began throughout the city. Anything smacking of kings or kingship was removed, pulled down, covered over, or defaced.” The people revolted against the monarchy and instead, pushed for a new republic. King Louis’s failure to stand up for his people, his throne, and his opinions fueled this radical outbreak from the people.

When The king had attempted to take the national assembly they had many uprises, causing many nobels to flee and effectively saving the assembly, similar to how the animals had risen against the humans on the farm and they fled (french revolution, Animal

King Louis XVI reigned from 1643 to 1715 as a brilliant absolute monarch. He ruled alongside his beautiful wife, Marie Antoinette. During the Old Regime, everyone in France was divided into three social classes called estates. The first estate had the Church, the second estate had nobles and wealthy people, and the third estate was made up from the rest of the population. The third estate was split into subcategories of itself; the bourgeoisie which was more educated and more wealthy, the working class who were poorer than the bourgeoisie and often went hungry, and the peasants who were extremely poor and paid at least half of their income in taxes to the nobles.

Timothy Tackett believed that the night the king suddenly appeared in the small town in Northeastern France is arguably one of the most dramatic and poignant moments in the entire French Revolution; people started questioning the authority and the loyalty of their beloved king. According to the author, Timothy Tackett, “The King’s Flight to Varennes” - has marked a major turning point of the French Revolution. As the French citizens were in the midst of terror and destruction of the Revolution, King Louis XVI attempted to flee Paris to Belgian frontiers almost succeed, but fortunately he was stopped just miles away from the frontier. At first, the people thought they had rescued him from abduction; but after they learned the truth of his flight, people of different regions across France, expressed their frustration, anger, sorrowness, and fear of counter-revolutionaries.. “For better or for worse, it helped set the nation on a new and perilous trajectory toward the future.” (Tackett 223)