Louis+XVI's+Execution

What led to King Louis XVI’s execution?



When Louis XVI became king, he was not at all prepared. He lacked the education needed to be a good king and he also had a bad personality. He was indecisive, timid, and had a poor understanding of the situations in his country. This would prove problematic in the future during his time of reign. France’s huge debt after the American Revolution, his unfair taxes, and his opposition to any limits on his authority led to his execution.

Because France and Great Britain were enemies, and because King Louis XVI really wanted to bring shame to Great Britain, he decided to support the American colonists in their war for independence. The Americans won the war with French aid however, because of all the expensive help the French gave to the Americans, the American Revolution landed France in a huge debt. France was satisfied with the the colonies beating Britain but in a way, the American Revolution had bankrupted France.

To solve this issue King Louis XVI unwisely chose to tax citizens of the third estate (middle classes and common people) heavily to get rid of France’s debt however he allowed the first and second estates (clergy and nobility) to pass on these taxes. Soon. crowds of third estate citizens, weary of the unfair taxes, begin to protest. These protests would soon lead to the beginning of the French revolution.

Soon, the third estate broke away declared itself the French National Assembly and a mob forced the royal family to move out of Versailles into the Tuileries, a palace in Paris, where they are held as prisoners. Louis XVI tried to negotiate with a revolutionary who suggested King Louis can still be in the king’s seat however it would be a limited monarchy. Unwilling to let go his absolute power, King Louis has lost the king’s place and no chance to fix his ways and become a better king.

Having no appeal towards the French third estate citizens, King Louis did not remain king very long before several events led to his final execution. In the end, Louis was accused of high treason and crime against the state and executed by guillotine. Even when he was about to die, he still held his head high as if he was still the monarch.

Works Cited

1. "Louis XVI." //World History: The Modern Era//. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. 2. "Louis XVI Biography." //Bastille Day and the French Revolution (1789)//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. . 3."The Execution of Louis XVI, 1793." //EyeWitness to History - history through the eyes of those who lived it//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. .