Louis XVI of France

Louis XVI (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France, and Maria Josepha of Saxony. He became the new Dauphin when his father died in 1765. On his grandfather's death on 10 May 1774, he became King of France and Navarre, reigning until 4 September 1791, when he received the title of King of the French, reigning as king until the monarchy was abolished on 21 September 1792. Louis XVI's reign was marked by attempts to reform the French government in accordance with Enlightenment ideas. He tried to abolish serfdom, remove the land tax and the labour tax, and increase tolerance toward non-Catholics. He also supported the American Revolution and signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783 that recognized the independence of the United States. However, his reforms faced opposition from the nobility and the clergy, who feared losing their privileges and influence. His financial crisis also worsened due to his lavish spending and involvement in foreign wars. The discontent among the common people led to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Louis XVI was forced to accept the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and a constitutional monarchy. He secretly plotted with foreign powers to restore his absolute power, but his plans were discovered and he was arrested in 1792. He was tried for treason by the National Convention and found guilty. He was executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793 at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. Louis XVI was a devout Catholic and a well-meaning ruler who lacked courage and decisiveness. He was influenced by his wife Marie Antoinette, who was unpopular for her extravagance and foreign origin. He was also seen as a symbol of the oppression and injustice of the Ancien Régime. His death marked the end of more than a thousand years of monarchy in France and ushered in a new era of republicanism.