Hello Steemians!
Welcome to today's episode of the "Today in History" serial, where I bring you daily historical facts and events of the current date.
Today, on January 21, 1793, the French King Louis XVI, was guillotined for treason!
He was born Louis-Auguste on August 23, 1754. in Versailles, son to Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony, Dauphine of France.
He was given the tittle Duce de Berry at birth, and was well educated from an very early age, showing much talent for many specialties.
Louis, Dauphin of France, Louis XVI's father
On December 20, 1765, at the age of only eleven, Louis XVI became the new Dauphin of France as his father had died of tuberculosis.
He married Marie Antoinette, the Habsburg Archduchess, on May 16, 1770.
At that time Marie was fourteen and Louis fifteen years old.
Marie Antoinette with the Rose - Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
As his grandfather Louis XV the King of France has died in 1774, Louis XVI became he new king.
He wanted to be loved by the public, and he aimed towards weakening the parlament giving more voice to the people and listening to their wishes,he once said:
"It may be considered politically unwise, but it seems to me to be the general wish and I want to be loved."
Louis XVI - age 20
Louis XVI tried to reform France towards the Enlightenment ideas, which was taken badly by the French nobleman which responded with hostility and he had to give up on his ideas.
He introduced the deregulation of the grain market which eventually resulted in the Flour War on April 1775.
Motivated by the rivalry with Britain, Louis XVI decided to start supporting the North American colonists in 1776, helping them to gain independence.
Thank to the French the thirteen colonies gained independence from Great Britain, which resulted in ending of the American Revolutionary War, with the Treaty of Paris, on September 3, 1783.
The battle of the Chesapeake - 1781
As unpopularity of the old regime was losing popularity in France, Louis XVI was faced with the start of the French Revolution which began in 1789, as a angry crowd stormed the Palace of Versailles.
In 1791, Louis and his family attempted to escape France.
Louis wanted to rise an army to help him re-establish the monarchy, but was arrested at Varennes-en-Argonne and taken back to Paris.
The return of the royal family to Paris on 25 June 1791. -Jean-Louis Prieur
Foreign rulers were concerned about the evolution of the situation in France, so on August 27, 1791, the French noblemen together with Leopold II Holy Roman Emperor and Frederick William II of Prussia, issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, declaring thereby support to Louis XVI.
This provoked the leaders of the French Revolution, so the Austrians and Prussians began an invasion.
Regardless, it had the opposite effect, it resulted in the invasion of the Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792.
The Storming of the Tuileries Palace - 10 August 1792.
Louis XVI and his family took shelter but were arrested and imprisoned only 3 days later.
On September 21, France officially abolished the Monarchy was declared to be a Republic.
Louis was convicted of high treason on January 15, 1793. with 693 from 721 deputies voting guilty.
He was beheaded on January 21, with a guillotine on the Place de la Revolution and was buried on the Madeline cemetery with his head placed between his legs.
Execution of Louis XVI
Thank you for reading!
Hope you enjoyed today's episode about the last French king!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.biography.com
http://pm.lasseron.free.fr
https://www.youtube.com
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