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Before Louis XVI inherited the throne, he married Marie Antoinette. Marie was the fourteen-year-old daughter of the Empress of Austria. Louis was at the young age of fifteen when their marriage was finalized. This marriage was used to strengthen the ties between France and Austria. -
King Louis, who spent most of his time hunting, in his library, and about anything else that wasn't ruling the people of France, angered the French people by this. On the other hand, Marie angered the French people because of her extravagant spending and lifestyle. Both Louis and Marie were very hands-off and didn't do much, this angered the French people. -
After the National Assembly was reinstated, they quickly restricted the king's powers. The people of France felt that the power was shifting to the side of the people and that soon, the revolution would be in full swing. -
Parisians stormed the Bastille on July 14th, 1789 to protest the rise in prices of food and other resources, and to gather weapons and ammunition. -
After the storming of the Bastille, a group of mostly women marched from Paris to the Palace of Versailles. They were marching to Versailles because that is where the King and Queen of France were living at the time. They demanded that the King and Queen return to Paris and essentially imprisoned them inside the palace. This event led to the Royal family attempting to flee France to Austria. -
The royal family attempted to flee France to the Austrian Netherlands in June 1791. They were captured and returned to Paris under escort as they approached the border. Louis's attempt to flee boosted his radical foes' power in the government and guaranteed his death. -
The National Assembly brought Louis to trial for treason and later, in 1793 condemned him to death. Louis spent the night before his execution saying goodbye to his family which included his 6 children, and his wife Marie. Marie would be executed in the following few months on separate charges. -
After Louis was condemned to death on January 20th, his execution was set for the next day, January 21st. He was escorted to his place of execution by 1,200 horsemen in a carriage. As King Louis arrived at the Place de Louis XV, where he was set to be executed he uttered a famous quote. As the carriage came to a rolling stop he said, "We are arrived, if I mistake not." He was then stripped of his clothes and executed by the guillotine. -
Several months after King Louis XVI was executed, Marie Antoinette was brought to trial for treason, theft, and false charges of sexual abuse. Her execution date came after the two-day trial had concluded on October 16th. Marie Antoinette would soon follow the same fate as her late husband. -
On October 16th, Marie Antoinette was escorted to her place of execution in an open carriage for the people of France to yell and throw things at her. Upon arrival, she was executed by the guillotine.