Who was Louis XVI?
Q: Who was Louis XVI?
A: Louis XVI was the King of France from 1774 until 1792, when the monarchy was abolished during the French Revolution. He came from the House of Bourbon and became king at the age of 20 after his grandfather's death.
Q: What reforms did he make in France?
A: Early in his reign, Louis XVI tried to make France more modern by stopping government use of torture and allowing people to be Protestant again. He also took away some laws on selling grain which led to high grain prices in years with bad harvests.
Q: What caused major money problems for France?
A: Debts from wars, other war debts, and an outdated tax system caused major money problems for France during Louis' reign.
Q: What happened when Louis called an Estates-General meeting?
A: When Louis called an Estates-General (a parliament) meeting to try to solve these money problems, he soon disappointed elected politicians who wanted to reduce his powers. This led to protests against the monarchy becoming more common across France.
Q: How did people become increasingly opposed to him?
A: As new ideas spread through the Age of Enlightenment, more people stopped supporting the existing monarchy (the Ancien Régime) and demanded change. His failed escape from Paris in June 1791 convinced many people that he was plotting with foreign governments against them, making him even less popular as a symbol of the Ancien Régime that people wanted to leave behind.
Q: Was Louis executed?
A: Yes, he was arrested during a riot in August 1792 and then executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793 - making him the only king of France ever executed.
