Marie-Antoinette Is Executed
Marie-Antoinette, born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria, was the last queen of France before the French Revolution led to the monarchy's downfall. Married to Louis XVI at a young age, she faced intense public scrutiny due to her foreign roots and perceived extravagant lifestyle, earning her widespread unpopularity and the moniker "Madame Deficit." Her reign coincided with severe economic difficulties in France, exacerbated by the lavish spending of the royal court and the burden of supporting the American Revolution. The revolution began on July 14, 1789, marking a significant shift in French politics as the populace rose against the monarchy's excesses.
As revolutionary fervor grew, Marie-Antoinette and her husband attempted to flee to Austria but were captured, leading to their imprisonment. Following the execution of Louis XVI for treason on January 21, 1793, Marie-Antoinette was also tried and, despite the lack of substantial evidence against her, was found guilty of treason. She was ultimately executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, in Paris, marking a dramatic end to her turbulent life and the reign of the French monarchy. Her execution remains a pivotal moment in French history, symbolizing the revolutionary struggle against the old regime and the complexities of social change.
Marie-Antoinette Is Executed
Marie-Antoinette Is Executed
Marie-Antoinette, queen of France, became a casualty of the French Revolution when she was executed on October 16, 1793.
Marie-Antoinette was born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria, to the Austrian emperor Francis I and his wife Maria Theresa. At the time, Austria was one of Europe's great powers and historically an enemy of France. In an effort to unite the Bourbon dynasty of France with the Habsburg dynasty of Austria, Marie-Antoinette was married to the future Louis XVI of France in 1770 when she was just a teenager. Louis took the throne in 1774, but his young queen Marie-Antoinette was extremely unpopular with the general public because not only was she a foreigner, but she was also from the hated Austrian court. Marie-Antoinette was also widely criticized for her love of extravagant living, which caused several major scandals even after she curbed the palace's excess by reducing its staff. She also incurred the ire of members of the court when she eliminated what she deemed unnecessary positions, prompting noblemen to spread rumors about her, including stories of affairs that she probably did not have. She was dubbed Madame Deficit and made a scapegoat for many of the nation's financial problems. She is said to have replied “Let them eat cake” when informed that many of the people were in want of bread, but most historians agree that she never said it.
After Louis supplied economic and military assistance to the American colonies, helping them to triumph over Great Britain in the American Revolution, France went bankrupt, thanks in no small measure to the corrupt social order in which the wealthy nobles were largely untaxed. Louis was a weak king, unable to address the country's economic problems and the growing discontent among the French people, with the result that the French Revolution broke out on July 14, 1789, when Parisians stormed the Bastille, the royal prison. As his authority crumbled Louis and Marie-Antoinette tried to flee to Austria, but they were seized before they could escape. Marie-Antoinette suffered separation from her children during the royal family's incarceration, and she was forced to view the severed head of her best friend, Princess de Lambelle, displayed before her on a pole. In 1792 the newly established French republic charged Louis with treason and he was executed on January 21, 1793. Despite the lack of evidence for the crimes of which she was accused, Marie-Antoinette was also charged with treason and executed by guillotine several months later on October 16, 1793, in Paris.