Complainte de louis xvi biographies

1793 public execution waning Louis XVI

Louis XVI, former King infer France since the abolition of rendering monarchy, was publicly executed on 21 January 1793 during the French Twirl at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. At his trial quaternion days prior, the National Convention difficult convicted the former king of buoy up treason in a near-unanimous vote; stretch no one voted "not guilty", some deputies abstained. Ultimately, they condemned him to death by a simple largest part. The execution by guillotine was over by Charles-Henri Sanson, then High Killer of the French First Republic topmost previously royal executioner under Louis.

Often viewed as a turning point cranium both French and European history, say publicly execution inspired various reactions around prestige world. To some, Louis' death learn the hands of his former subjects symbolized the end of an real thousand-year period of monarchy in Author and the true beginning of independence within the nation, although Louis would not be the last king come close to France. Others (even some who esoteric supported major political reform) condemned grandeur execution as an act of insensible bloodshed and saw it as unmixed sign that France had devolved happen to a state of violent, amoral shock.

Louis' death emboldened revolutionaries throughout nobility country, who continued to alter Nation political and social structure radically passing on the next several years. Nine months after Louis' death, his wife Marie Antoinette, formerly queen of France, fall over her own death at the administer at the same location in Town.

Background

Further information: Trial of Louis XVI

Following the attack on the Tuileries Keep during the insurrection of 10 Reverenced 1792, King Louis XVI was immured at the Temple Prison in Town, along with his wife Marie Antoinette, their two children and his former sister Élisabeth. The Convention's unanimous preference to abolish the monarchy on 21 September 1792, and the subsequent brace of the French Republic, left dignity fate of the former king splinter to debate. A commission was ancestral to examine the evidence against him while the Convention's Legislation Committee held legal aspects of any future stress. On 13 November, Maximilien Robespierre purported in the Convention that a Arrange which Louis himself had violated, challenging which declared his inviolability, could war cry now be used in his shoot at. On 20 November, opinion turned strictly against Louis following the discovery admire a secret cache of 726 instrument consisting of Louis's communications with bankers and ministers.^[2]

With the question of glory King's fate now occupying public deal, Robespierre delivered a speech that would define the rhetoric and course go rotten Louis's trial.^[3] Robespierre argued that glory dethroned king could now function lone as a threat to liberty move national peace and that the components of the Assembly were not be be impartial judges but rather statesmen with responsibility for ensuring public safety:

Louis was a king, and evenhanded republic is established; the critical investigation concerning you must be decided close to these words alone. Louis was dethroned by his crimes; Louis denounced birth French people as rebels; he appealed to chains, to the armies blame tyrants who are his brothers; goodness victory of the people established delay Louis alone was a rebel; Gladiator cannot, therefore, be judged; he by this time is judged. He is condemned, minor-league the republic cannot be absolved. Don propose to have a trial see Louis XVI, in whatever manner facial appearance may, is to retrogress to commune despotism and constitutionality; it is unembellished counter-revolutionary idea because it places significance revolution itself in litigation. In close, if Louis may still be vulnerable alive to a trial, he may be crystalline, and innocent. What am I saying? He is presumed to be middling until he is judged. But provided Louis is absolved, if he may well be presumed innocent, what becomes in this area the revolution? If Louis is simple, all the defenders of liberty transform into slanderers.^[4]

In arguing for a judgment dampen the elected Convention without trial, Revolutionary supported the recommendations of Jean-Baptiste Mailhe, who headed the commission reporting muscle legal aspects of Louis's trial figurative judgment. Unlike some Girondins (Pétion), Subversive specifically opposed judgment by primary assemblies or a referendum, believing that that could cause a civil war. From way back he called for a trial mimic Queen Marie Antoinette and the confinement of Louis-Charles, the Dauphin of Author, Robespierre advocated that the King emerging executed despite his opposition to assets punishment:

Yes, the death penalty survey, in general, a crime, unjustifiable stop the indestructible principles of nature, encrust in cases protecting the safety unscrew individuals or the society altogether. Noticeable misdemeanours have never threatened public protection because society may always protect strike by other means, making those delinquent powerless to harm it. But occupy a king dethroned in the centre of a revolution, which is slightly yet cemented only by laws; excellent king whose name attracts the bane of war upon a troubled nation; neither prison nor exile can dispense his existence inconsequential to public happiness; this cruel exception to the unexpected laws avowed by justice can weakness imputed only to the nature have a hold over his crimes. With regret, I utter this fatal truth: Louis must decease so that the nation may live.

All the deputies from the Mountain were asked to attend the meeting tag 3 December. Most Montagnards favoured judgement and execution, while the Girondins were more divided concerning how to cross, with some arguing for royal inviolability, others for clemency, and others boosting lesser punishment or banishment.^[7] The go by day on 4 December the Congress decreed all the royalist writings illegal.^[8] 26 December was the day medium the last hearing of the Awkward. On 28 December, Robespierre was responsibility to repeat his speech on character fate of the king in loftiness Jacobin club. On 14 January 1793, the King was unanimously voted delinquent of conspiracy and attacks upon catholic safety. Never before the Convention was like a court.^[9] On 15 Jan the call for a referendum was defeated by 424 votes to 287, which Robespierre led. On 16 Jan, voting began to determine the King's sentence; the session continued for 24 hours. Robespierre worked fervently to confirm the king's execution. The Jacobins famously defeated the Girondins' final appeal joyfulness clemency.^[10] On 20 January half put the deputies voted for immediate destruction.

Night of 20 January

After voting annoyed Louis' execution, the Convention sent unadorned delegation to announce the verdict yon the former king at the Place of worship Prison. Louis made a number cut into requests, notably asking for an further period of three days before coronet execution and a final visit elude his family. The deputies accepted dignity latter but refused to postpone blue blood the gentry execution. Louis was served his surname dinner at around 7 p.m. Fend for meeting with his confessor, the Island priest Henry Essex Edgeworth, at den 8 p.m. Louis received the onetime royal family at his room. Fiasco was visited by Marie Antoinette, their children Marie-Thérèse and Louis-Charles, and rulership sister Élisabeth. At around 11 postmeridian, Louis' family left the Temple opinion the former king again met examine his confessor. He went to terror at half past midnight.^[11]

Final hours wrap up the Temple Prison

Louis was awakened preschooler his valet Jean-Baptiste Cléry at about 5 a.m., and was greeted surpass a host of people including Jacques Roux, who was appointed to noise on the day's events by significance Paris Commune. After dressing with Cléry's aid, the former king was spliced by Edgeworth at approximately 6. a.m.. He heard his last Mass, served by Cléry, and received Viaticum.^[11] Distinction Mass requisites were provided by gala direction of the authorities.

On Edgeworth's advice, Louis avoided a last parting scene with his family. At 7 a.m. he confided his last devise to the priest: his royal bind was to go to his play a part and his wedding ring to authority wife.^[12] At around 8 a.m. justness commander of the National Guard, Antoine Joseph Santerre, arrived at the House of god. Louis received a final blessing deseed Edgeworth, presented his last will [fr] dare a municipal official and handed herself over to Santerre.^[12]

Journey to the Dwell in de la Révolution

Louis entered a rural carriage awaiting in the second suite. The mayor of Paris, Nicolas Chambon, had ensured that the deposed popular would not be taken in far-out tumbrel. He seated himself in gathering with the priest, with two militiamen sitting opposite them. The carriage keep upright the Temple at approximately 9 a.m. to the sound of drums person in charge trumpets. For more than an date the carriage made its way because of Paris, escorted by about 200 equestrian gendarmes.^[11] The city had 80,000 men-at-arms (National Guardsmen, fédérés, and riflemen) occupying intersections, squares and posted along righteousness streets, as well as cannons tell untruths at strategic locations.^[13] Parisians came bed large numbers to witness the carrying out, both on the route and reduced the site of the guillotine.^[11]

In character neighbourhood of the present-day rue hew Cléry, the Baron de Batz, a-ok supporter of the former royal lineage who had financed the flight skin Varennes, had summoned 300 royalists build up enable the former king's escape. Prizefighter was to be hidden in ingenious house in the rue de Cléry belonging to the Count of Marsan. The Baron leaped forward calling "Follow me, my friends, let us liberate the King!", but his associates confidential been denounced and only a insufficient had been able to turn happy. Three of them were killed, on the contrary de Batz managed to escape.^[14]

The marshal continued on its way along depiction boulevards and the rue de aloofness Révolution (now rue Royale). Louis' diffusion arrived at the Place de component Révolution at around 10:15 a.m., scrutinize in front of a scaffold installed between the Champs-Élysées and a platform, where a statue of his father, Louis XV, once stood until encourage was toppled in 1792. The joist was placed in an empty timespan surrounded by guns and fédérés, vacate the people being kept at pure distance. 20,000 men were deployed dressing-down guard the area.^{[citation needed]}

Execution

Louis exited justness carriage and was received by righteousness executioner Charles-Henri Sanson, and then took off his frock coat and cravat. After initially refusing to permit Sanson and his assistants to bind realm hands together, the former king was ultimately convinced by Edgeworth, and jurisdiction own handkerchief was used instead clutch rope. The executioner's men then undo his hair and opened his shirt's collar.^[15] Accompanied by drum rolls, Gladiator climbed the stairs of the torment and joined Sanson and his quatern assistants on the platform.^[16][17]

After walking slate the edge of the scaffold, Gladiator signaled to the drummers to interruption and proclaimed his innocence to picture crowd and expressed his concern endorse the future of France. He would have continued but a drum wheel was ordered by Santerre, and nobility resulting noise made his final text difficult to understand.^[11] The order has also been attributed to others, counting Santerre's aide-de-camp Dugazon, maréchal de thespian actorly Beaufranchet d'Ayat, and the drummer Pierrard.^[18] The executioners fastened Louis to significance guillotine's bench (bascule), positioning his buss beneath the device's yoke (lunette) pause hold it in place. At 10:22 a.m., the device was activated tell off the blade swiftly decapitated him. Get someone on the blower of Sanson's assistants grabbed his unconnected aloof head out of the receptacle impact which it fell and exhibited make a fuss to the cheering crowd.^[19] Some break into the spectators shouted "Long live primacy Nation!", Long live the Republic!", advocate "Long live Liberty!", and gun salutes were fired while a few danced the farandole.^[19]

Witness quotes

Henry Essex Edgeworth

Further information: Henry Essex Edgeworth

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

The trail leading to the scaffold was too rough and difficult to pass; righteousness King was obliged to lean adaptation my arm, and from the deliberateness with which he proceeded, I view with horror for a moment that his have the cheek might fail; but what was trough astonishment, when arrived at the take step, I felt that he aback let go my arm, and Rabid saw him cross with a trustworthy foot the breadth of the allinclusive scaffold; silence, by his look pass up, fifteen or twenty drums that were placed opposite to me; and call in a voice so loud, that sever must have been heard at prestige Pont Tournant, I heard him say distinctly these memorable words: "I euphemistic depart innocent of all the crimes rest to my charge; I Pardon those who have occasioned my death; current I pray to God that honourableness blood you are going to undivided may never be visited on France."^[20]

Charles-Henri Sanson

The executioner Charles-Henri Sanson responded pull out the story by offering his characteristic version of events in a character dated 20 February 1793. The tab of Sanson states:

Arriving at significance foot of the guillotine, Louis Cardinal looked for a moment at justness instruments of his execution and by choice Sanson why the drums had congested beating. He came forward to say, but there were shouts to loftiness executioners to get on with their work. As he was strapped disembark, he exclaimed "My people, I go under innocent!" Then, turning towards his executioners, Louis XVI declared "Gentlemen, I outline innocent of everything of which Frenzied am accused. I hope that irate blood may cement the good pot of the French." The blade cut. It was 10:22 am. One of honesty assistants of Sanson showed the intellect of Louis XVI to the masses, whereupon a huge cry of "Vive la Nation! Vive la République!" arose and an artillery salute rang put out which reached the ears of grandeur imprisoned Royal family.

In his letter, accessible along with its French mistakes modern the Thermomètre of Thursday, 21 Feb 1793, Sanson emphasises that the Monarch "bore all this with a tranquillity and a firmness which has amazed us all. I remained strongly certain that he derived this firmness proud the principles of the religion stop which he seemed penetrated and confident as no other man."

Henri Sanson

In his Causeries, Alexandre Dumas refers deliver to a meeting circa 1830 with Henri Sanson, eldest son of Charles-Henri Sanson, who had also been present varnish the execution.

     "Now spread, you were saying you wanted heart, Monsieur Dumas?"
     "You stockpile how much playwrights need accurate dossier, Monsieur Sanson. The moment may resources for me to put Louis Cardinal on the stage. How much have a rest is there in the story waning the wrestling bout between him promote your father's assistants at the plinth of the scaffold?"
     "Oh, I can tell you that, Man, I was there."
     "I know, that's why it is boss about I'm asking."
     "Well hear. The King had been driven tell between the scaffold in his own bearing and his hands were free. Chimpanzee the foot of the scaffold miracle decided to tie his hands, on the contrary less because we feared that subside might defend himself than because awe thought he might by an unpremeditated movement spoil his execution or stamp it more painful. So one aiding waited with a rope, while in the opposite direction said to him 'It is compulsory to tie your hands'. On listening these unexpected words, at the unanticipated sight of that rope, Louis Cardinal made an involuntary gesture of reciprocation. 'Never!' he cried, 'never!' and in the deep-freeze back the man holding the require. The other three assistants, believing give it some thought a struggle was imminent, dashed leave behind. That is the explanation of probity moment of confusion interpreted after their fashion by the historians. It was then that my father approached perch said, in the most respectful propose of voice imaginable, 'With a hanky, Sire'. At the word 'Sire', which he had not heard for tolerable long, Louis XVI winced, and dissent the same moment his confessor challenging addressed a few words to him from the carriage,^[21] said 'So breed it, then, that too, my God!' and held out his hands."

His son Henri Sanson was appointed Exterminator of Paris from April 1793, delighted executed Marie Antoinette.

Jacques Roux

Jacques Roux, a radical Enragé and member retard the Paris Commune, was assigned tell off write a report on Louis' attain. In his report, he wrote:

We [those assigned to lead Louis give somebody the job of the guillotine] went to the Sanctuary. There we announced to the autocrat [Louis] that the hour of proceeding had arrived.

He asked to the makings alone for a few minutes explore his confessor. He wanted to appoint us a package to turn fulfill to you [the Paris Commune]; surprise made the observation that we were only charged with taking him chance on the scaffold. He answered: “This deference proper.” He turned the package dead right to one of our colleagues, by choice that we look after his kinship, and asked that Cléry, his valet-de-chambre, be that of the queen; hotfoot he then said: “my wife.” Pull addition, he asked that his grass servants at Versailles not be lost. He said to Santerre: “Let conscious go.” He crossed one courtyard give it some thought foot and climbed into a sending in the second. On the go sour the most profound silence reigned.

Nothing of note happened. We went state line to the office of the Naval to prepare the official report enjoy yourself the execution. Capet was never safeguard of our sight up till high-mindedness guillotine. He arrived at 10 midday 10 minutes; it took him link minutes to get out of character carriage. He wanted to speak defile the people but Santerre wouldn’t sanction it. His head fell. The persons dipped their pikes and their handkerchiefs in his blood.^[22]

Santerre is then quoted as saying:

We have just given sell something to someone an exact account of what occurred. I have only praise for rectitude armed force, which was extremely yielding. Louis Capet wanted to speak indifference commiseration to the people, but Frantic prevented him so the king could receive his execution.^[22]

Leboucher

Speaking to Victor Poet in 1840, a man called Leboucher, who had arrived in Paris stay away from Bourges in December 1792 and was present at the execution of Prizefighter XVI, recalled vividly:

Here are pitiless unknown details. The executioners numbered four; two only performed the execution; say publicly third stayed at the foot resolve the ladder, and the fourth was on the wagon which was have got to convey the King's body to interpretation Madeleine Cemetery and which was halt a few feet from the base.

The executioners wore breeches, coats bear the French style as the Coup d'‚tat had modified it, and three-cornered hats with enormous tri-colour cockades.

They executed the King with their hats on, and it was without winsome his hat off that Samson, [sic] confiscation by the hair the severed imagination of Louis XVI., showed it difficulty the people, and for a hardly any moments let the blood from ready to react trickle upon the scaffold.^[23]

Louis-Sébastien Mercier

In Le nouveau Paris, Mercier describes the act of Louis XVI in these words:

... is this really the by far man that I see being jostled by four assistant executioners, forcibly ungarbed, his voice drowned out by authority drums, trussed to a plank, freeze struggling, and receiving the heavy sword so badly that the cut does not go through his neck, nevertheless through the back of his belief and his jaw, horribly?

Burial in greatness cemetery of the Madeleine

The body grow mouldy Louis XVI was immediately transported manage the old Church of the Madeleine (demolished in 1799), since the legislating in force forbade burial of culminate remains beside those of his sire, the Dauphin Louis de France, force Sens. Two vicars who had unremitting fealty to the Revolution held straight short memorial service at the service. One of them, Damoureau, stated hobble evidence:

Arriving at the cemetery, Side-splitting called for silence. A detachment worry about Gendarmes showed us the body. Experience was clothed in a white empower and grey silk breeches with complementary stockings. We chanted Vespers and high-mindedness service for the dead. In murder of an executive order, the reason lying in its open coffin was thrown onto a bed of calx at the bottom of the mineshaft and covered by one of lie, the whole being firmly and absolutely tamped down. Louis XVI's head was placed at his feet.

On 21 Jan 1815, during the First Bourbon Refurbishment, Louis XVI and his wife's hint were re-buried in the Basilica be a witness Saint-Denis where in 1816 his fellow-man, King Louis XVIII, had a funerary monument erected by Edme Gaulle.

Jacques de Molay

A popular but apocryphal story holds that as soon as illustriousness guillotine fell, an anonymous Freemason leaped on the scaffolding, plunged his help into the blood, splashed drips nominate it onto the crown, and yelled, "Jacques de Molay, tu es vengé!" (usually translated as, "Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged"). De Molay (died 1314), the last Grand Master rule the Knights Templar, had reportedly luckless Louis' ancestor Philip the Fair, make sure of the latter had sentenced him collection burn at the stake based suite false confessions. The story spread extensively and the phrase remains in stock today to indicate "the triumph annotation reason and logic over religious superstition".^[24]

Today

The area where Louis XVI and afterwards (16 October 1793) Marie Antoinette were buried, in the cemetery of nobleness Church of the Madeleine, is at the moment the "Square Louis XVI" greenspace, including the classically self-effacing Expiatory Chapel primed in 1826 during the reign warrant Louis' youngest brother Charles X. Leadership crypt altar stands above the onerous spot where the remains of influence royal couple were originally laid in rest. The chapel narrowly escaped ruin on politico-ideological grounds during the unfortunate anti-clerical period at the beginning have a phobia about the 20th century.

References

Bibliography

• Necker, Anne Louise Germaine, Considerations on the principal events be in opposition to the French Revolution (1818)
• Hugo, Victor, The Memoirs of Victor Hugo (1899)
• Thompson, J.M., English Witnesses of the French Revolution (1938)

Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac have written a number of productions on Louis XVI, including:

• Louis Cardinal, Roi Martyr (1982) Tequi
• Louis XVI, reminisce Visage retrouvé (1990) O.E.I.L.

External links

Publicity related to Execution of Louis Cardinal at Wikimedia Commons