kiNG loUIS xvi & Marie Antoinette
King Louis XVI was born in August of the year 1754. He was a weak king, one of the reasons why France fell under. He contributed to the fall of the French monarchy as well. Although he did restore powers of The Parlement. Many financial ministers were appointed to keep up with France's taxes. One of the more popular ministers was Jacques Necker who King Louis failed to support, resulting the country to be on the edge of bankruptcy.
May of 1789, Estates-General met at Versailles to give France a written constitution, as well as Necker who urged the King to allow third estate representation. France at the time, was based on a political system, three estates. The first estate consisted of the clergy, the second estate consisted of nobles, and the third estate was the common people. Peasants made up 80% of the population and 2% were the first and second estate combined. The King however, ordered the three estates to meet separately, but the third estate repelled. Rumors saying the King would overthrow the third estate swept the people into a panic known as The Great Fear. On July 14, the third estate stormed the royal fortress, Bastille, which was is used as a prison. The third estate delegates and some of the first and second estate delegates then formed the National Assembly. King Louis ordered the National Assembly to close their meeting place, but they stormed the indoor tennis court and took oath not to disperse until a new constitution was composed. This is known as the Tennis Court Oath. June 27, King Louis legalized the National Assembly, but surrounded Versailles with troops and dismissed Necker. The Legislative Assembly replaced the National Assembly. April 20 of 1792, France declared war on Austria. That August, a mob forced the Legislative Assembly to capture King Louis and imprison the royal family. The National Convention succeeded the Legislative Assembly, abolishing the monarchy. January 21, 1793, King Louis was sent to the guillotine for death after being convicted of treason. |
Marie Antoinette was born in November of the year 1755. She was born in Austria, the enemy country of France. She was married off to King Louis at the age of fifteen. People of France began to blame her for France's problems which were undeniably caused from debt when entering the American Revolution as allies.
Many newspapers pointed fingers at Marie Antoinette with cartoon illustrations and vulgar names. She was a foreign born queen and unpopular in France. October of 1789, Parisian women protested the high cost of bread and other goods. They marched to Versailles and dragged the royal family to the city where they imprisoned them. June of 1791, King Louis and Marie left Paris for the Austrian border, but were eventually returned to Paris in which King Louis restored his throne. Jacobin, a radical revolutionary government declared war on Austria. Unfortunately, war did not go well and many French citizens blamed the Queen. In August, a mob stormed the Tuileries (royal palace) and overthrew monarchy, locking the royal family in a tower. In October of 1793, Marie was convicted of treason and sent to the guillotine, a quick machine that dislodges the head from the body. She was 37 years old. |