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Bastille Day
by W.Holidays
Louis XVI
1754-1793
After the
death of his grandfather, Louis XVI became King of
France. He was 19. He preferred hunting and tinkering to
leading the country. In his desire to be accepted he allied himself
with the nobility and ignored his duties as king. Unfortunately, the
country was already facing monetary problems when Louis became king and
rather than economize he continued to spend money wastefully. His lack
of involvement in the court allowed the minister, A.R.J. Turgot, to
make reforms that Parliament and the court firmly rejected. Louis was
forced to dismiss him and find a replacement. He chose Jacques Necker
but Necker resigned shortly after his appointment as the debt of France
rose steadily with its involvement in the American Revolution.
Bankruptcy was inevitable and the French Revolution began. In 1789
Versailles was overtaken and the royal family was forced to move into
the Tuileries palace. He and his family attempted to escape, but they
were caught at Varennes. This was considered an act of treason and
Louis was condemned to death. He was guillotined on January 21, 1793.
 Marie Antoinette
1755-93
Marie was
born to the
Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. She was the Queen of France and wife to
Louis XVI. The marriage was made to strengthen the allegiance with
Austria when she was only 14 and Louis 15. The marriage remained
unconsummated for seven years. The queen was unpopular with the people
of France and was regarded as a foreign sympathizer. She was unhappy
and became extravagant, wasting money on frivolous pleasures which
earned her the nickname "Madame Deficit". She became involved in
several scandals making her the most despised person in France. Her
most memorable act, the response to the bread famine with the quote
"Let them eat cake" probably never happened. In 1793 she was charge
with treason for trying to escape and met her fate with the guillotine.
Maximilien
Robespierre
1758-94
Known
as the Incorruptible, he was one of the leaders of the French
Revolution. He was a lawyer and a political activist. He was elected to
the States-General in 1789 and to the National Convention in 1792. In
1793, he was selected to head the Committee of Public Safety, a
position he held throughout the Reign of Terror. Robespierre overthrew
many powers in the Convention and gave rise to a new civic religion.
The Convention began to fear his leadership as the Reign of Terror
continued and in 1794 Robespierre was arrested, tried, and guillotined.
Today
Bastille
Day was proclaimed a national holiday in 1880 and in 1848 the
motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was reinstated. In France, most
folks take Bastille Eve off and celebrate with festive balls and
brilliant displays of fireworks. The day that follows is filled with
parades, bands, dancing, and general good times.
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