Kingdom of France (1791–1792)

For the "Kingdom of France" between 1830 and 1848, see July Monarchy.

Kingdom of the French Royaume des Français
← 1791-1792 →   →
Flag Royal Coat of arms
Motto La Nation, la Loi, le Roi The Nation, the Law, the King
The Kingdom of France in 1791, showing the former provinces and newly established departements
Capital	Paris
Language(s)	French
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Provisional Constitutional Monarchy
King
- 1791–1792	Louis XVI
Legislature	Legislative Assembly
History
- French Constitution of 1791	3 September 1791
- Storming of the Tuileries	10 August 1792
- National Constituent Assembly abolishes the monarchy.	21 September 1792
Currency	Assignat

The Kingdom of France (French: Royaume de France), officially known^[where?] as the Kingdom of the French (French: Royaume des Français), was a short-lived constitutional monarchy that governed France from 3 September 1791 to 21 September 1792. De jure, the Kingdom of the French officially ended in 1814, after the restoration and when Louis XVIII became the De facto ruler of the Kingdom of France. Louis XVI (previously "King of France") ruled as the King of the French from the state's creation until its demise. From 1792, Louis XVII, son of Louis XVI, ruled as De jure and titular King of the French until 1795. The Kingdom of the French was France's first constitutional monarchy. Before that, France was an absolute monarchy. The Legislative Assembly suspended the monarchy on 11 August, the day after the Storming of the Tuileries Palace.^[1] The Legislative Assembly put the fate of the monarchy into the hands of the National Constituent Assembly (elected by universal male suffrage). The freshly elected National Constituent Assembly abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792, ending 203 years of consecutive Bourbon rule over France. The House of Bourbon would not rule France De facto again until 1814, when Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI and uncle of Louis XVII, would regain power in the restoration of the monarchy.

Background

In the years before, France had been undergoing a Revolution in its government and social orders. In June 1789, a National Assembly declared itself into being, and promulgated their intention to provide France with a fair and liberal constitution.^[2] Louis XVI moved to Paris in October of that year. Louis XVI grew to detest Paris, and organised an escape plot in 1791. The escape plot, known as the Flight to Varennes, ultimately failed to materialise. It destroyed any positive public opinion for the monarchy.^[3] Louis XVI's brothers-in-exile in Coblenz rallied for an invasion of France. Austria and Prussia responded to the royal brothers' cries and released the Declaration of Pillnitz in August. The declaration stated that Prussia and Austria wish to restore Louis XVI to absolute power, but would only attempt to do so with the assistance of the other European powers.^[4]

Constitution

Louis XVI was forced to adopt the Constitution of 1791 by the National Assembly in September of that year, in the aftermath of his Flight to Varennes to the Austrian Netherlands.^[5] The Constitution of 1791, which established the Kingdom of the French, was revolutionary in its content. It abolished the nobility of France, created all men equal before the law, and took the ability to ratify legislation away from the King, and gave it to France’s new legislature the Legislative Assembly. Louis XVI had the ability to veto legislation that he did not approve of, as the legislation still needed Royal Assent to come into force.^[6]

Demise

Louis XVI reluctantly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, bowing to the assembly's wishes. Prussia allied with Austria, and therefore France was at war with Prussia as well.^[7] The Brunswick Manifesto of August 1792 (issued by the Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, Commander of the Austrian & Prussian joint military) brought about the Storming of the Tuileries on 10 August 1792. The manifesto explicitly threatened the people of Paris with dire repercussions if they in any way harmed Louis XVI or his family.^[8] This infuriated the Parisians and the aforementioned event occurred as a result. The Legislative Assembly was inundated with requests for the monarchy's demise. The President of the National Assembly responded by suspending the monarchy on 11 August pending the outcome of elections for another assembly.^[1] The newly elected National Convention, elected under universal male suffrage, abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792. The convention proclaimed a republic in the monarchy's place.^[9]

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b} Fraser, 454
2. ^ Hibbert, 63
3. ^ Hibbert, 130
4. ^ Hibbert, 143
5. ^ Jones, 426
6. ^ The Constitution of 1791
7. ^ Hibbert, 145
8. ^ Jones, 459
9. ^ Jones, 462

References

• Fraser, Antonia: "Marie Antoinette: the Journey", Orion Books, London, 2001, ISBN 978-0-7538-1305-8
• Hibbert, Christopher: "The French Revolution", Penguin Books, Great Britain, 1982, ISBN 978-0-14-004945-9
• Jones, Colin: "The Great Nation: France from Louis XV to Napoleon", Columbia University Press, New York, 2002, ISBN 0-231-12882-7