Preview

What Were The Causes of The Downfall of Louis XVI- Is he fully responsible for his own downfall?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1695 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Were The Causes of The Downfall of Louis XVI- Is he fully responsible for his own downfall?
As the tragic events of the French Revolution unfolded, King Louis XVI of France soon found himself in the centre of it and gradually became one of the victims. In the morning of Tuesday 21st January 1793, he was woken by his guards and taken to Place de la Revolution. "My people, I die an innocent man" were his last words to the crowd, and moments later, his head was held up to the crowd . However, what caused the end of monarchy? Was Louis XVI completely responsible for his own downfall? There is no questioning that Louis XVI is, in fact, partially responsible for his own downfall, but other factors, both short term and long term, also contributed to his downfall.

Awkward and timid, Louis XVI found himself on the throne at the age of twenty, succeeding his grandfather Louis XV. Soon, after 15 years, he found his crown being taken away. His downfall is partially caused by his nature of being indecisive and lazy. Louis XVI's wife, Queen Marie-Antoinette, though she knew very little of state affairs, often interfered with in government. King Louis XVI was never able to oppose her for a long time. This was mainly because before their downfall, Queen Marie-Antoinette had quite a lot of power. Besides, the King was indecisive, allowing the Queen to take a lot of advantages from him. For example, in 1776, Marie-Antoinette managed to bring down Louis's reforming minister, Jacques Turgot, because he had offended one of the Queen's favourites---the Count de Guines. The arrogant Queen not only wanted Louis XVI to demote him, but to also send him into prison at the Bastille . King Louis XVI could be viewed as a lazy King, because he never truly cared about his country, France. Instead of using his mind on trying to improve his country, Louis XVI tends to enjoy the simple pleasures of a king's life, especially hunting. He was often seen riding in the forests surrounding the palace of the Versailles. Also, he had a huge appetite. "One observer noted that Louis once consumed


Bibliography: Connelly, O. (2000). The French Revolution And Napoleonic Era. Harcourt College Publishers Dickinson, M (1992). The French Revolution. Thomas Nelson and Sons LTd. Gilbert, A. (1995). The French Revolution. Wayland (Publishers) Ltd. Hetherton, G. (1992). Revolutionary France: Liberty, tyranny and terror. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. King, G. and Owen, F. (2002). Exploring World History 2A. Ling Kee Publishing Co., Ltd. Mantin, P. ( ). The French Revolution. Heinemann Educational. (28 February, 2006). Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution (online). Retrieved 27 March, 2006 < http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html> Gale, T. (2003). The French Revolution (era), 1774-1815. (online). Retrieved 27 March, 2006
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Causes of The French Revolution.
    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Causes of The French Revolution.

    A revolution broke out in France in 1789 between the people of first and second Estates and the people of the Third Estate because the people of the Third Estate were treated incredibly unfair so they came together and took matters into their own hands. The three most important causes of the French Revolution were the bad economy and unfair taxes paid by the Third Estate, lack of voice and rights, and the idea of enlightenment and the inspiration of the American Revolution. The revolution led to the execution of the king and queen of France, Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette.…

    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What did Louis XIV hope to accomplish in his domestic and foreign policies?
    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What did Louis XIV hope to accomplish in his domestic and foreign policies?

    Louis XIV strove vigorously for supremacy in foreign affairs. He was to use his foreign policy to establish a universal monarchy for himself or alternatively to use it to secure natural frontiers for France thus improving its defenses. He worked successfully to create an absolutist and centralized state. During his reign Louis was involved in four major wars, some of which Louis may be accountable as the provocateur; however, I believe that mainly his motives were purely defensive. The war of Devolution served as a pretext which nettled him part of Flanders, although the Dutch then moved against him with the Triple Alliance. Louis was determined to crush Holland and this began the third of the Dutch wars, which depleted his treasury. Louis proved an incredibly extravagant spender, dispensing huge sums of money to finance the royal court. The following ten years the king limited his policies to diplomacy. Louis continued the nobility's exemption from taxes but forced its member into financial dependence to the crown and the provincial nobles also lost political power. Louis does have a genuine concern for his country and despite his dubious methods he does manage to secure the territories that he wishes to secure. He curtailed local authorities and created specialized ministries. Louis's grandson retained the Spanish throne but the war of Spanish Succession left France in great debt and a weakened military. Louis used the bourgeoisie to build his centralized bureaucracy. He illustrated new administrative methods to make him more in control. Louis's general Colbert worked to improve the French economy. Colbert worked to create a favorable balance of trade and increase France's colonial holdings. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy. He reduced the national debt through more efficient taxation. His principal taxation devices included the aides, the douanes, the…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did King Louis Xvi Impact The French Revolution
    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did King Louis Xvi Impact The French Revolution

    As King Louis XVI reined over France during the French Revolution his actions heavily impacted the revolution. When he took over as king in 1774 the country was in severe financial crisis; extravagant spending for the American Revolution left the country on the brink of bankruptcy (History.com Staff 2009). Heavy taxes were imposed which were impossible for the Third Estate (the common people) to pay due to low harvests. King Louis XVI was not popular by the citizens which resulted in outbreaks to overthrow him.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Was the Better Leader, Louis Xiv or Peter the Great?
    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who Was the Better Leader, Louis Xiv or Peter the Great?

    ← Doyle, William. The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 2001…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Worksheet
    • 358 Words
    • 4 Pages

    French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Worksheet

    For each date and location, identify the significant event that occurred and write a single-sentence description of the event.…

    • 358 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Georges Lefebvre's The Coming Of The French Revolution
    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Georges Lefebvre's The Coming Of The French Revolution

    Written for a broad, general audience—without footnotes, a bibliography, or other formalities—The Coming of the French Revolution still holds a persuasive power over the reader. Georges Lefebvre wrote The Coming of the French Revolution in 1939, carefully dividing the story into six parts. The first four are organized around four acts, each associated with the four major groups in France—the “Aristocratic Revolution,” the “Bourgeois Revolution,” the “Popular Revolution,” and the “Peasant Revolution.” Part V examines the acts of the National Assembly to abolish feudalism and write Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and Part VI presents the “October Days” (xv-xvii).…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    World History: Louis Xiv
    • 6350 Words
    • 26 Pages

    World History: Louis Xiv

    Louis XIV, France's Sun King, had the longest reign in European history (1643-1715). During this time he brought absolute monarchy to its height, established a glittering court at Versailles, and fought most of the other European countries in four wars. The early part of his reign (1643-61), while Louis was young, was dominated by the chief minister Cardinal Mazarin. In the middle period (1661-85) Louis reigned personally and innovatively, but the last years of his personal rule (1685-1715) were beset by problems.…

    • 6350 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The American and French Revolutions Comparison and Contrast Analysis Social Economic Political causes
    • 976 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The American and French Revolutions Comparison and Contrast Analysis Social Economic Political causes

    Bibliography: Smitha, Frank E. "French Revolution." MacroHistory : World History. 2002. 05 Mar. 2009 .…

    • 976 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism
    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism

    Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World history . 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007.…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Napoleon and the Modern state
    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Napoleon and the Modern state

    Bibliography: Doyle, William. The Oxford History of the French Revolution. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Marie Antoinette's Downfall
    • 2666 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Marie Antoinette's Downfall

    START: Marie Antoinette was quickly appreciated and even admired at the court. She was a beautiful young lady who enjoyed the party-filled life of Versailles.…

    • 2666 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Differences Between the French and American Revolutions
    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Differences Between the French and American Revolutions

    Sometimes a revolution can take place within a country against its own current state of government, other times a revolution can take place externally to rid a country of another country's influence. There are many components that are involved in a revolution taking place. One must consider the causes or reasons of the situation, the events that occur during the revolution and the effects or aftermath that had been created by that revolution. There were major differences between the French and American Revolutions.…

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Causes of the French Revolution DBQ.
    • 1094 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Causes of the French Revolution DBQ.

    Louis XVI was one of the most incompetent and frankly idiotic rulers in the history of France. He would have absolutely nothing to do with his official duties as king, and his horribly decadent lifestyle contributed greatly to the economic plight France was in. The fact that he was married to Marie Antoinette, a native of Austria, France's sworn enemy, was very detrimental as well. Louis XVI inherited debt from previous rulers, but he made no move of any kind toward paying it off. In fact, he borrowed vast sums of money in order to give aid to the Americans in their revolution, which only worsened France's already outstanding deficit. In 1786, bankers refused to lend the government any more money, and Louis XVI was in serious trouble. Of course, all of this put Louis in a highly unfavorable position with the people of France, who absolutely despised him and his wife. Marie Antoinette was a major problem for Louis as well. She gave him poor advice on governing matters, spent large amounts of money on her own vanity, and was generally hated by the people the moment she set foot…

    • 1094 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    French Revolution
    • 1890 Words
    • 8 Pages

    French Revolution

    The main source for the French Revolution was Louis XVI and his over control of everything. King Louis XVI was an absolute monarch that ruled by the divine right theory, the right t to rule from god. He got to choose all civil officials and military officers, created and enforced laws. Had the power to declare war and make peace. He taxed everything and spent people’s money on what he saw fit, controlled the thoughts expressed by a strict censorship of speech and press. He had the power to imprison anyone without trial for an indefinite period. During his rule he lived in his magnificent palace at Versailles, completely oblivious to the rising tide of popular discontent.…

    • 1890 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What did Louis XIV hope to accomplish in his domestic and foreign policies? To what Extent did he succeed? Be specific in giving examples of his successes and failures
    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What did Louis XIV hope to accomplish in his domestic and foreign policies? To what Extent did he succeed? Be specific in giving examples of his successes and failures

    Louis XIV was an absolute monarch. He was often called "the Sun King," and ruled over France. He wanted to help France achieve economic, political, and cultural pinnacle. Many historians believe the phrase "absolute power corrupts absolutely" mirrors Louis XIV's reign. Louis XIV revoked the Edict on Nantes, changing the economy of France in one motion. By creating the city of Versailles and being a major patron of the arts, Louis was very influential on French culture. His costly wars and failures almost led to France's bankruptcy. Louis XIV was very corrupt in his power. It's shown in all he did to change France. He got what he wanted, when he wanted it.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics