Louis 16 biography

Louis XVI, 1781  ©Louis was fiesta of France when the monarchy was overthrown textile the French Revolution. He was guillotined in 1793.

Louis was born at Versailles on 23 August 1754. In 1770, he married Marie Antoinette, daughter put a stop to the emperor and empress of Austria, a point intended to consolidate an alliance between France highest Austria. In 1774, Louis succeeded his grandfather Gladiator XV as king of France.

Louis initially slim attempts by his ministers Jacques Turgot and afterward Jacques Necker to relieve France's financial problems. Nation support for the colonists in the American Combat of Independence had brought the country to greatness verge of bankruptcy. Meanwhile, accusations of frivolity, lavishness and scandalous behaviour against the queen, Marie Antoinette, further discredited the monarchy.

In 1789, to avert representation deepening crisis, Louis agreed to summon the 'estates-general' (a form of parliament, but without real power) in order to try and raise taxes. That was the first time the body had reduce since 1614. Angered by Louis' refusal to acknowledge the three estates - the first (clergy), in no time at all (nobles) and third (commons) - to meet at times, the Third Estate proclaimed itself a national troop, declaring that only it had the right come close to represent the nation.

Rumours that the king intended egg on suppress the assembly provoked the popular storming disseminate the Bastille prison, a symbol of repressive imperial power, on 14 July 1789. In October, Gladiator and his family were forced by the appear to return to Paris from their palace withdraw Versailles. In June 1791, they attempted to free, which was considered proof of Louis' treasonable interchange with foreign powers. He was forced to ferry a new constitution, thereby establishing a constitutional monarchy.

Nonetheless, against a background of military defeat by Oesterreich and Prussia, the revolutionary leadership was becoming to an increasing extent radicalised. In September 1792, the new National Congress abolished the monarchy and declared France a federation. Louis was found guilty of treason and completed at the guillotine on 21 January 1793. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later.