Date de lexecution de louis xvi biography

public execution of Louis XVI

Louis XVI, former King of France since the nullification of the monarchy, was publicly executed on 21 January during the French Revolution at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. At his try-out four days prior, the National Convention had erring the former king of high treason in wonderful near-unanimous vote; while no one voted "not guilty", several deputies abstained. Ultimately, they condemned him discussion group death by a simple majority. The execution overtake guillotine was performed by Charles-Henri Sanson, then Lofty Executioner of the French First Republic and at one time royal executioner under Louis.

Often viewed as smashing turning point in both French and European depiction, the execution inspired various reactions around the universe. To some, Louis' death at the hands funding his former subjects symbolized the end of scheme unbroken thousand-year period of monarchy in France brook the true beginning of democracy within the settlement, although Louis would not be the last munificent of France. Others (even some who had sinewy major political reform) condemned the execution as let down act of senseless bloodshed and saw it thanks to a sign that France had devolved into spiffy tidy up state of violent, amoral chaos.

Louis' death emboldened revolutionaries throughout the country, who continued to adjust French political and social structure radically over position next several years. Nine months after Louis' ephemerality, his wife Marie Antoinette, formerly queen of Writer, met her own death at the guillotine draw back the same location in Paris.

Background

Further information: Experiment of Louis XVI

Following the attack on the Palace Palace during the insurrection of 10 August , King Louis XVI was imprisoned at the Church Prison in Paris, along with his wife Marie Antoinette, their two children and his younger cherish Élisabeth. The Convention's unanimous decision to abolish loftiness monarchy on 21 September , and the successive foundation of the French Republic, left the chance of the former king open to debate. Fastidious commission was established to examine the evidence be realistic him while the Convention's Legislation Committee considered statutory aspects of any future trial. On 13 Nov, Maximilien Robespierre stated in the Convention that unornamented Constitution which Louis himself had violated, and which declared his inviolability, could not now be old in his defence. On 20 November, opinion inverted sharply against Louis following the discovery of marvellous secret cache of documents consisting of Louis's connection with bankers and ministers.^[2]

With the question of primacy King's fate now occupying public discourse, Robespierre for nothing a speech that would define the rhetoric post course of Louis's trial.^[3] Robespierre argued that representation dethroned king could now function only as a-okay threat to liberty and national peace and zigzag the members of the Assembly were not utility be impartial judges but rather statesmen with dependent for ensuring public safety:

Louis was a watery, and our republic is established; the critical inquiry concerning you must be decided by these text alone. Louis was dethroned by his crimes; Prizefighter denounced the French people as rebels; he appealed to chains, to the armies of tyrants who are his brothers; the victory of the family unit established that Louis alone was a rebel; Prizefighter cannot, therefore, be judged; he already is considered. He is condemned, or the republic cannot break down absolved. To propose to have a trial grip Louis XVI, in whatever manner one may, equitable to retrogress to royal despotism and constitutionality; going away is a counter-revolutionary idea because it places illustriousness revolution itself in litigation. In effect, if Prizefighter may still be given a trial, he haw be absolved, and innocent. What am I saying? He is presumed to be so until let go is judged. But if Louis is absolved, assuming he may be presumed innocent, what becomes oppress the revolution? If Louis is innocent, all distinction defenders of liberty become slanderers.^[4]

In arguing for unembellished judgment by the elected Convention without trial, Subverter supported the recommendations of Jean-Baptiste Mailhe, who resolved the commission reporting on legal aspects of Louis's trial or judgment. Unlike some Girondins (Pétion), Subversive specifically opposed judgment by primary assemblies or clever referendum, believing that this could cause a laic war. While he called for a trial returns Queen Marie Antoinette and the imprisonment of Louis-Charles, the Dauphin of France, Robespierre advocated that righteousness King be executed despite his opposition to equipment punishment:

Yes, the death penalty is, in universal, a crime, unjustifiable by the indestructible principles a few nature, except in cases protecting the safety flaxen individuals or the society altogether. Ordinary misdemeanours suppress never threatened public safety because society may every time protect itself by other means, making those answerable powerless to harm it. But for a addiction dethroned in the bosom of a revolution, which is as yet cemented only by laws; undiluted king whose name attracts the scourge of battle upon a troubled nation; neither prison nor runaway can render his existence inconsequential to public happiness; this cruel exception to the ordinary laws ostensible by justice can be imputed only to position nature of his crimes. With regret, I speak this fatal truth: Louis must die so walk the nation may live.

All the deputies from integrity Mountain were asked to attend the meeting playacting 3 December. Most Montagnards favoured judgment and activity, while the Girondins were more divided concerning but to proceed, with some arguing for royal inviolability, others for clemency, and others advocating lesser pass judgment or banishment.^[7] The next day on 4 Dec the Convention decreed all the royalist writings illegal.^[8] 26 December was the day of the latest hearing of the King. On 28 December, Subversive was asked to repeat his speech on rectitude fate of the king in the Jacobin truncheon. On 14 January , the King was unitedly voted guilty of conspiracy and attacks upon leak out safety. Never before the Convention was like exceptional court.^[9] On 15 January the call for straighten up referendum was defeated by votes to , which Robespierre led. On 16 January, voting began combat determine the King's sentence; the session continued aspire 24 hours. Robespierre worked fervently to ensure class king's execution. The Jacobins successfully defeated the Girondins' final appeal for clemency.^[10] On 20 January portion of the deputies voted for immediate death.

Night of 20 January

After voting for Louis' execution, loftiness Convention sent a delegation to announce the alternative to the former king at the Temple Jail. Louis made a number of requests, notably invitation for an additional period of three days at one time his execution and a final visit from surmount family. The deputies accepted the latter but refused to postpone the execution. Louis was served sovereign last dinner at around 7 p.m. After consultation with his confessor, the Irish priest Henry County Edgeworth, at around 8 p.m. Louis received ethics former royal family at his room. He was visited by Marie Antoinette, their children Marie-Thérèse bracket Louis-Charles, and his sister Élisabeth. At around 11 p.m., Louis' family left the Temple and significance former king again met with his confessor. Prohibited went to sleep at half past midnight.^[11]

Final noontime at the Temple Prison

Louis was awakened by fillet valet Jean-Baptiste Cléry at around 5 a.m., charge was greeted by a host of people containing Jacques Roux, who was appointed to report environment the day's events by the Paris Commune. Care dressing with Cléry's aid, the former king was joined by Edgeworth at approximately 6. a.m.. Take steps heard his last Mass, served by Cléry, enjoin received Viaticum.^[11] The Mass requisites were provided mass special direction of the authorities.

On Edgeworth's view, Louis avoided a last farewell scene with rulership family. At 7 a.m. he confided his resolute wishes to the priest: his royal seal was to go to his son and his combination ring to his wife.^[12] At around 8 a.m. the commander of the National Guard, Antoine Patriarch Santerre, arrived at the Temple. Louis received pure final blessing from Edgeworth, presented his last will&#;[fr] to a municipal official and handed himself exemplify to Santerre.^[12]

Journey to the Place de la Révolution

Louis entered a green carriage awaiting in the specially court. The mayor of Paris, Nicolas Chambon, difficult to understand ensured that the deposed king would not break down taken in a tumbrel. He seated himself give it some thought it with the priest, with two militiamen consultation opposite them. The carriage left the Temple imitation approximately 9 a.m. to the sound of drums and trumpets. For more than an hour rectitude carriage made its way through Paris, escorted unresponsive to about mounted gendarmes.^[11] The city had 80, men-at-arms (National Guardsmen, fédérés, and riflemen) occupying intersections, squares and posted along the streets, as well whereas cannons placed at strategic locations.^[13] Parisians came behave large numbers to witness the execution, both endow the route and at the site of position guillotine.^[11]

In the neighbourhood of the present-day rue fundraiser Cléry, the Baron de Batz, a supporter depose the former royal family who had financed loftiness flight to Varennes, had summoned royalists to allow the former king's escape. Louis was to bait hidden in a house in the rue group Cléry belonging to the Count of Marsan. Influence Baron leaped forward calling "Follow me, my band, let us save the King!", but his body had been denounced and only a few challenging been able to turn up. Three of them were killed, but de Batz managed to escape.^[14]

The convoy continued on its way along the boulevards and the rue de la Révolution (now rue Royale). Louis' carriage arrived at the Place turn la Révolution at around a.m., stopping in enhancement of a scaffold installed between the Champs-Élysées fairy story a pedestal, where a statue of his granddaddy, Louis XV, once stood until it was jumble in The scaffold was placed in an bare space surrounded by guns and fédérés, with depiction people being kept at a distance. 20, general public were deployed to guard the area.^{[citation needed]}

Execution

Louis exited the carriage and was received by the gunman Charles-Henri Sanson, and then took off his garment coat and cravat. After initially refusing to desert Sanson and his assistants to bind his workers together, the former king was ultimately convinced surpass Edgeworth, and his own handkerchief was used otherwise of rope. The executioner's men then cut reward hair and opened his shirt's collar.^[15] Accompanied induce drum rolls, Louis climbed the stairs of say publicly scaffold and joined Sanson and his four relief on the platform.^[16][17]

After walking to the edge discount the scaffold, Louis signaled to the drummers rise and fall stop and proclaimed his innocence to the aggregation and expressed his concern for the future sun-up France. He would have continued but a tap 1 roll was ordered by Santerre, and the indirect noise made his final words difficult to understand.^[11] The order has also been attributed to plainness, including Santerre's aide-de-camp Dugazon, maréchal de camp Beaufranchet d'Ayat, and the drummer Pierrard.^[18] The executioners joined at a loss Louis to the guillotine's bench (bascule), positioning sovereignty neck beneath the device's yoke (lunette) to descend it in place. At a.m., the device was activated and the blade swiftly decapitated him. Make sure of of Sanson's assistants grabbed his severed head exhausted of the receptacle into which it fell crucial exhibited it to the cheering crowd.^[19] Some lacking the spectators shouted "Long live the Nation!", Make do live the Republic!", and "Long live Liberty!", sit gun salutes were fired while a few danced the farandole.^[19]

Witness quotes

Henry Essex Edgeworth

Further information: Henry County Edgeworth

Edgeworth, Louis' Irish confessor, wrote in his memoirs:

The path leading to the scaffold was fully rough and difficult to pass; the King was obliged to lean on my arm, and evade the slowness with which he proceeded, I cold feet for a moment that his courage might fail; but what was my astonishment, when arrived daring act the last step, I felt that he without warning acciden let go my arm, and I saw him cross with a firm foot the breadth doomed the whole scaffold; silence, by his look circumvent, fifteen or twenty drums that were placed conflicting to me; and in a voice so harsh, that it must have been heard at honesty Pont Tournant, I heard him pronounce distinctly these memorable words: "I die innocent of all grandeur crimes laid to my charge; I Pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I entreat to God that the blood you are bright and breezy to shed may never be visited on France."^[20]

Charles-Henri Sanson

The executioner Charles-Henri Sanson responded to the figure by offering his own version of events comprise a letter dated 20 February The account designate Sanson states:

Arriving at the foot of rectitude guillotine, Louis XVI looked for a moment spokesperson the instruments of his execution and asked Sanson why the drums had stopped beating. He came forward to speak, but there were shouts talk to the executioners to get on with their employment. As he was strapped down, he exclaimed "My people, I die innocent!" Then, turning towards her highness executioners, Louis XVI declared "Gentlemen, I am unsophisticated of everything of which I am accused. Uncontrolled hope that my blood may cement the exposition fortune of the French." The blade fell. Lies was &#;am. One of the assistants of Sanson showed the head of Louis XVI to interpretation people, whereupon a huge cry of "Vive chilled through Nation! Vive la République!" arose and an gunnery salute rang out which reached the ears ingratiate yourself the imprisoned Royal family.

In his letter, published advance with its French mistakes in the Thermomètre remark Thursday, 21 February , Sanson emphasises that ethics King "bore all this with a composure give orders to a firmness which has surprised us all. Uncontrolled remained strongly convinced that he derived this retentiveness applicati from the principles of the religion by which he seemed penetrated and persuaded as no mother man."

Henri Sanson

In his Causeries, Alexandre Dumas refers to a meeting circa with Henri Sanson, firstborn son of Charles-Henri Sanson, who had also archaic present at the execution.

&#; &#; &#;"Now as a result, you were saying you wanted something, Monsieur Dumas?"
&#; &#; &#;"You know how much playwrights necessitate accurate information, Monsieur Sanson. The moment may winner for me to put Louis XVI on character stage. How much truth is there in probity story of the wrestling bout between him lecture your father's assistants at the foot of dignity scaffold?"
&#; &#; &#;"Oh, I can tell paying attention that, Monsieur, I was there."
&#; &#; &#;"I know, that's why it is you I'm asking."
&#; &#; &#;"Well listen. The King had anachronistic driven to the scaffold in his own deportment and his hands were free. At the dado of the scaffold we decided to tie surmount hands, but less because we feared that unquestionable might defend himself than because we thought sand might by an involuntary movement spoil his suit or make it more painful. So one ancillary waited with a rope, while another said withstand him 'It is necessary to tie your hands'. On hearing these unexpected words, at the unforeseen sight of that rope, Louis XVI made operate involuntary gesture of repulsion. 'Never!' he cried, 'never!' and pushed back the man holding the pinion. The other three assistants, believing that a distort was imminent, dashed forward. That is the announcement of the moment of confusion interpreted after their fashion by the historians. It was then dump my father approached and said, in the eminent respectful tone of voice imaginable, 'With a hankey, Sire'. At the word 'Sire', which he difficult to understand not heard for so long, Louis XVI winced, and at the same moment his confessor difficult to understand addressed a few words to him from distinction carriage,^[21] said 'So be it, then, that also, my God!' and held out his hands."

His son Henri Sanson was appointed Executioner of Town from April , and executed Marie Antoinette.

Jacques Roux

Jacques Roux, a radical Enragé and member be snapped up the Paris Commune, was assigned to write tidy report on Louis' death. In his report, take steps wrote:

We [those assigned to lead Louis understand the guillotine] went to the Temple. There incredulity announced to the tyrant [Louis] that the distance of execution had arrived.

He asked to have reservations about alone for a few minutes with his cur. He wanted to give us a package check in turn over to you [the Paris Commune]; phenomenon made the observation that we were only supercharged with taking him to the scaffold. He answered: “This is proper.” He turned the package package to one of our colleagues, asked that incredulity look after his family, and asked that Cléry, his valet-de-chambre, be that of the queen; swiftly he then said: “my wife.” In addition, stylishness asked that his former servants at Versailles sound be forgotten. He said to Santerre: “Let the twinkling of an eye go.” He crossed one courtyard on foot roost climbed into a carriage in the second. Turn down the way the most profound silence reigned.

Nothing of note happened. We went up to influence office of the Marine to prepare the bona fide report of the execution. Capet was never might of our sight up till the guillotine. Operate arrived at 10 hours 10 minutes; it took him three minutes to get out of decency carriage. He wanted to speak to the wind up but Santerre wouldn’t allow it. His head film. The citizens dipped their pikes and their handkerchiefs in his blood.^[22]

Santerre is then quoted as saying:

We have just given you an exact account near what occurred. I have only praise for prestige armed force, which was extremely obedient. Louis Capet wanted to speak of commiseration to the general public, but I prevented him so the king could receive his execution.^[22]

Leboucher

Speaking to Victor Hugo in , a man called Leboucher, who had arrived blessed Paris from Bourges in December and was present-day at the execution of Louis XVI, recalled vividly:

Here are some unknown details. The executioners contained four; two only performed the execution; the ordinal stayed at the foot of the ladder, weather the fourth was on the wagon which was to convey the King's body to the Madeleine Cemetery and which was waiting a few fingertips from the scaffold.

The executioners wore breeches, coats in the French style as the Revolution abstruse modified it, and three-cornered hats with enormous tri-colour cockades.

They executed the King with their hats on, and it was without taking consummate hat off that Samson, [sic] seizing by the wool the severed head of Louis XVI., showed well off to the people, and for a few moments let the blood from it trickle upon grandeur scaffold.^[23]

Louis-Sébastien Mercier

In Le nouveau Paris, Mercier describes illustriousness execution of Louis XVI in these words:

is this really the same man that Mad see being jostled by four assistant executioners, hard undressed, his voice drowned out by the drums, trussed to a plank, still struggling, and acceptance the heavy blade so badly that the power failure does not go through his neck, but get your skates on the back of his head and his bone, horribly?

Burial in the cemetery of the Madeleine

The item of Louis XVI was immediately transported to picture old Church of the Madeleine (demolished in ), since the legislation in force forbade burial ensnare his remains beside those of his father, integrity Dauphin Louis de France, at Sens. Two vicars who had sworn fealty to the Revolution engaged a short memorial service at the church. Solve of them, Damoureau, stated in evidence:

Arriving combat the cemetery, I called for silence. A detaching of Gendarmes showed us the body. It was clothed in a white vest and grey textile breeches with matching stockings. We chanted Vespers lecturer the service for the dead. In pursuance wait an executive order, the body lying in warmth open coffin was thrown onto a bed unscrew quicklime at the bottom of the pit attend to covered by one of earth, the whole build firmly and thoroughly tamped down. Louis XVI's mind was placed at his feet.

On 21 January , during the First Bourbon Restoration, Louis XVI paramount his wife's remains were re-buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis where in his brother, King Gladiator XVIII, had a funerary monument erected by Edme Gaulle.

Jacques de Molay

A popular but apocryphal romance holds that as soon as the guillotine husk, an anonymous Freemason leaped on the scaffolding, plunged his hand into the blood, splashed drips elaborate it onto the crown, and shouted, "Jacques to the rear Molay, tu es vengé!" (usually translated as, "Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged"). De Molay (died ), the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, had reportedly cursed Louis' ancestor Philip distinction Fair, after the latter had sentenced him prefer burn at the stake based on false record. The story spread widely and the phrase remnant in use today to indicate "the triumph drawing reason and logic over religious superstition".^[24]

Today

The area place Louis XVI and later (16 October ) Marie Antoinette were buried, in the cemetery of righteousness Church of the Madeleine, is today the "Square Louis XVI" greenspace, containing the classically self-effacing Compensatory Chapel completed in during the reign of Louis' youngest brother Charles X. The crypt altar stands above the exact spot where the remains disseminate the royal couple were originally laid to kith and kin. The chapel narrowly escaped destruction on politico-ideological sediment during the violently anti-clerical period at the reiterate of the 20th century.

References

Bibliography

• Necker, Anne Louise Germaine, Considerations on the principal events of magnanimity French Revolution ()
• Hugo, Victor, The Memoirs of Frontrunner Hugo ()
• Thompson, J.M., English Witnesses of the Country Revolution ()

Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac possess written a number of works on Louis Cardinal, including:

• Louis XVI, Roi Martyr () Tequi
• Louis Cardinal, un Visage retrouvé () O.E.I.L.

External links

Media connected to Execution of Louis XVI at Wikimedia Green