The Execution of france's king and queen
By Zachary Dushenko
On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed. Soon after, on October 16, Marie Antoinette followed her husband to the chopping block. The French revolution has been going poorly from the start, and the execution of Louis and Marie shows the revolution turning sour. At the beginning of this revolution, the bloodshed was kept a bit lower. But with the creation of the guillotine and a reason to kill the monarchs (Flight to Varennes), the call for bloodshed drowned out all remaining logic. Even our revolution in 1640 wasn’t as insane as this!
Even before the flight to Varennes, many people were calling for the heads of the king and queen. Both people from the lower classes of life (Urban workers, peasants, etc.) and the upper classes didn’t trust them. They believed that their glorious vision could not fail. That there was only one thing preventing their country’s success: The survival of the monarchy. Of course, these ultra-radicals held little power in court, thus keeping the king and queen alive.
But soon, Louis could undoubtedly see his head was soon to be on the chopping block. So, he, the queen, and their children all made a run for it, during the aforementioned Flight to Varennes. With this incentive for blood, these madmen succeeded in taking out the monarchy entirely.
On January 21, 1793, Louis walked, strong even in his last hours, to the Guillotine. His neck was placed under the bloody razor, and it fell down, bringing his death. The animals then raised up his head, as if their murder was a victory. On October 16 of that year, Marie Antoinette met the same fate as her husband.
Even before the flight to Varennes, many people were calling for the heads of the king and queen. Both people from the lower classes of life (Urban workers, peasants, etc.) and the upper classes didn’t trust them. They believed that their glorious vision could not fail. That there was only one thing preventing their country’s success: The survival of the monarchy. Of course, these ultra-radicals held little power in court, thus keeping the king and queen alive.
But soon, Louis could undoubtedly see his head was soon to be on the chopping block. So, he, the queen, and their children all made a run for it, during the aforementioned Flight to Varennes. With this incentive for blood, these madmen succeeded in taking out the monarchy entirely.
On January 21, 1793, Louis walked, strong even in his last hours, to the Guillotine. His neck was placed under the bloody razor, and it fell down, bringing his death. The animals then raised up his head, as if their murder was a victory. On October 16 of that year, Marie Antoinette met the same fate as her husband.
Bibliography
"King Louis XVI Executed." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
"King Louis XVI Executed." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.