1. The qualities of Louis XVI as King of France

Who was the head of the Ancien Régime?

The King

In the Ancien regime what type of monarch was King Louis XVI?

Absolute

What does Absolutism mean?

There were no legal limits to the King’s power over his subjects.

In reality, how was the King’s power limited?

Louis XVI had been taught to take advice on important decisions and it was usual to rely on career administrators and courtiers for this.

Louis was bound by the laws and customs of France

Louis needed the consent of the noble elite

There were deep-rooted local and social privileges.

When did Louis XVI rule from?

1774-92

When was Louis XVI executed?

1793

When did Louis XVI become a dauphin?

Eleven which was late

Why did Louis XVI become a dauphin at 11?

Following the death of both his elder brother and father.

Explain the intellectual abilities of Louis XVI?

He was adept in Italian and English, but was a withdrawn and shy

What luxuries did Louis XVI enjoy?

Hunting, poring over naval plans, ship design and lock making

What was Louis oppressed by?

A sense of duty

Explain the social abilities of Louis XVI?

He did not command immediate respect as a person, and was awkward and ill-at-ease on social occasions. He was indecisive and uncommunicative, and had limited ability to analyse problems and situations.

He consistently failed to at decisively to solve the problems about which he worried so much.

Did King Louis believe in the Divine Nature of Kingship?

Yes

Explain the religious character of Louis XVI

He was religiously devout and had a strong sense of mission to protect the Church.

Could King Louis XVI be argued to be a modern monarch for his time?

Yes, he took an interest in improvements for his people and all-affairs of the state

What did King Louis XVI lack?

Decisive character needed to steer France through the problems it faced.

He was too conscious of the importance of tradition and privelege to sweep it away but too eager to be popular to rely on absolute authority and assert strong government

Historians take different views on Louis’ character and abilities

How has he been described

• ‘lacking in will; honest and well-intentioned… far from being a great mind’ - Georges Lefebvre 1939

• ‘Devoted to his subjects, committed to reform, more the victim of circumstance than his own failings’ - Paul Hanson 2009

• having taken ‘an intelligent, if fluctuating interest in matters of government’ - Peter Jones 2010

However, few disagree that he was simply not strong enough for the challenges that faced him

How did the government work under Louis XVI?

Government, based in the Palace of Versailles, consisted of Louis, his advisers and ministers.

Louis decided overall direction of government policy and met his ministers individually to discuss the work of their department, rather than making decisions collectively.

What problem was created with Louis’ domination of government?

The problem of ministers and court factions working against each other, not co-operating.

Dealing with these issues was hard for a King who lacked good communication skills and a decisive personality.

How was the wide variation in laws and customs a second problem?

France had no single representative body covering the whole country.

All royal legislation had to be ratified by one of 13 regional parlements France was a patchwork of different forms administration, different legal systems, different taxes and different rules on who paid them.

So there was no solution to any problem

How did previous kings attempt to change the wide variation in laws and customs?

They attempted to create one system by splitting the country into 36 generalities or administrative areas, each under the control of a royal official or intendant.

The indentants were hindered by local law courts nad parlements and seen as overly authoritarian.

What was needed to solve the problems of government?

Decisive, modernisation and reform, but this could only come from strong leadership form the King or consistent support of able reforming ministers. Again Louis was not able to deliver