Louis XVI and the French Revolution - Essay Example

The Paper Topic I Wrote Downat The & Quote; Order Instruction That Place And Quote The Paper Topic I Wrote Down at The & Quote; Order Instruction That Place And Quote “I hereby defend myself as accused of high treason that is against the state and criminal disloyalty to one’s government. I succeeded my grandfather King Louis XV of France from 1744 after the death of my father until my deposition in 1792. Under my leadership, I focused on foreign policy and to ensure equality in religion. I appealed to the statute establishing that non-Catholics legal reputation and the right to practice their faith freely.

Supporting the American colonies fight for their independence from the Frances archenemy which is Great Britain was my earliest foreign success and I did all this with the aim of helping my subjects (Caiani, 2012). The financial crisis and growing deficit rose to the unbearable level of the cost participation of French in the American Revolutionary war arising from making the traditional opposition bolder. Intense changes in public opinion demanded elimination of privileges that divided the country into two groups with different interests in the society and considerable freedom hence a right to monitor the state.

There was need to reform the institutions in order to save the country from bankruptcy, and that is why I had to call the Estates General because I needed his cooperation. However in 1789 in the rush of events, this reform was made against my interest (Johnson, 2013). I had power in the system of sealed royal orders that allowed me to imprison disruptive subject. The magistrates at that time had no right to accuse me of despotism. I had to imprison the rowdy subjects in order to prevent them from inciting the public leading to riots, insecurity and lack of peace in the country.

Such people in the society are a threat to the whole country and can easily influence the citizens to protest against the government (Hardman, 2000). I ordered the arrest of Duval d’Espremensil and Goislard de Montsadert, who opposed the judicial reform that was against the public interest. As a King, I had to put into consideration the public interest and not favor the parliament interests that will have an adverse impact on the public. I expected the two to support me instead of criticizing the Brienne ministry reforms.

Their act could have caused great influence to different groups of people making them develop a negative attitude leading to violence. However, in mid-1780s the country was almost driven near bankruptcy due to the policy of borrowing loans internationally and not raising taxes that increased the country’s debt. I was therefore obliged to collaborate in the radical fiscal reforms which were not supported by the nobles. The nobility did not help the deterioration of provincial privileges in order to favor the centralized monarchy (Hardman, 2000).

I, therefore, state that I did not escape as accused, but I was under depression due to the queen’s infidelity. I needed s time away from everything in order to forget my marital problems, and I engaged in activities like hunting. Therefore, I had no reason to run away to avoid my duties as the King. Before my downfall, I was forced to accept the authority of the National Assembly which I had I resisted initially. I did everything for the benefit of the country. As I rest my case, I wish to declare that I am innocent according to the charges pressed against me” (Plain, 2002).

References Caiani, A. (2012). Louis XVI and the French Revolution, 1789-1792. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Hardman, J. (2000). Louis XVI, the silent king. London New York: Arnold Co-published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press. Johnson, A. (2013). Louis XVI and the French Revolution. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Plain, N. (2002). Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and the French Revolution. New York: Benchmark Books.