Why was King Louis XVI a Bad Leader? Analyzing the Failures of French Monarchy

The French Revolution and Louis XVI’s Reign

Did Louis XVI of France deserve the death he got? Did he commit treason? Many classes still debate this topic even though it happened two centuries ago. To put it short, he was the last French King during the nobility of Versailles and ruled for about 15 years before fleeing the throne when tensions rose. Louis XVI had no regard for his citizens and had them starve and live in poverty as he lived in a large luxurious mansion and threw lavish parties.

Louis XVI was the last French King, and his death was part of one of the first acts of the French Revolution. He was born on August 23, 1754, and at 16, he married Marie Antoinette, the daughter of the Austrian emperor and empress. He was only 20 when he ascended to the throne.

During his rule, the economic situation in France worsened (Louis). While Louis and Marie lived a lavish life of parties and riches, the people were starving and in poverty. Growing unrest among French citizens led to the meeting of the Estates General, which did not do much, and then the storming of the Bastille, which was the start of the French Revolution, to raid for weapons. Eventually, Louis XVI attempted to avoid the crisis by committing treason and fleeing to Varennes with Marie Antoinette (Royal). This act of treason led to his justified death by guillotine. Kim Jong-un is the current dictator of North Korea, a communist country. His grandfather and father ruled before he took over in 2011. His method of ruling is strict, and most citizens are impoverished.

Permission is needed to travel, making it difficult for visitors to enter. If citizens are caught listening to foreign broadcasts, asking for a change in government, or trying to escape, they are brutally punished and sometimes killed (North). According to an Amnesty International Report, hundreds and thousands of people are in prison and camps because they have disagreed with the government. Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Song, disagreed with his way of rule, and he was labeled as a “traitor for all ages” and executed even though he was considered one of Kim Jong-un’s top advisors (Kwon). For the hundreds of people he has killed since coming to power, he deserves to go to jail and should be executed.

The Failings of the Last French Monarch

On the night of June 20, 1791, King Louis XVI, his wife Queen Marie Antoinette, and his four children flew to Varennes to attempt to escape France. The King and queen disguised themselves as servants and attempted to escape. They fled to Varennes, a town close to the Austria-France border. They planned to make it across, but rumors of their escape had spread, and an official asked for their passports. Their signatures exposed them as the royals. Revolution guards arrested them and returned them to Paris (Louis XVI’s flight). The people were unhappy with them because of how they ruled, but the royal family trying to escape was the last straw.

On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was executed. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later. Louis XVI certainly was not the best ruler, and some may argue that he was stuck in unfortunate circumstances and did not deserve his demise, but the role of a ruler was to guide and help the people, and he failed to do that. He could have genuinely tried to help with the meeting of the Estates General instead of simply feigning interest. Like Kim Jong-un, who does not try to fix the problems his citizens vocalize; he instead ignores and silences them. Kim Jong-un has even been said to be a harsher ruler than his predecessor and father, Kim Jong-il. Hence, the reason why both of them need to be stopped.

References

1. Louis, A. (1789). Economic Decline under Louis XVI: The French Monarchy’s Failures. Versailles Press.
2. Royal, B. (1790). The Fateful Flight: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s Attempt to Flee. Revolution Chronicles Publishing.
3. Amnesty International. (2014). Human Rights Violations in North Korea: An In-depth Report. Amnesty International Publications. 

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