Kingdom of France Royaume de France (French) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1791–1792 | |||||||||
| Motto: La Nation, la Loi, le Roi "The Nation, the Law, the King" | |||||||||
| Anthem: Marche Henri IV (1590–1830) "March of Henry IV" | |||||||||
.svg) Kingdom of France in September 1791 – September 1792 | |||||||||
| Capital | Paris | ||||||||
| Common languages | French | ||||||||
| Religion | Constitutional[1] | ||||||||
| Demonym | French | ||||||||
| Government | Parliamentaryconstitutional monarchy | ||||||||
• King | Louis XVI | ||||||||
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| 20–21 June 1791 | |||||||||
| 3 September 1791 | |||||||||
| 10 August 1792 | |||||||||
| 21 September 1792 | |||||||||
| Currency | Assignat | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI | |
|---|---|
.svg) Cabinet ofKingdom of France | |
 | |
| Date formed | 3 September 1791 (1791-09-03) |
| Date dissolved | 21 September 1792 (1792-09-21) |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | KingLouis XVI |
| No. of ministers | 5 |
| Ministers removed | 19 |
| Totalno. of members | 24 |
| Member party | Independents,Feuillants,Moderate Jacobins (1792) |
| Status in legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Opposition party | Jacobins |
| Opposition leader | Georges Couthon,Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud and others |
| History | |
| Election | 1791 |
| Legislature term | 6 September 1791 – 2 September 1792 |
| Successor | Government of the National Convention |
TheKingdom of France (the remnant of the precedingabsolutist Kingdom of France) was a short-livedconstitutional monarchy that existed from 3 September 1791 until 21 September 1792, when it was succeeded by theFrench First Republic.
On 3 September 1791, theNational Constituent Assembly forced KingLouis XVI to accept theFrench Constitution of 1791, thus turning the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy.
After the10 August 1792 Storming of the Tuileries Palace, theLegislative Assembly on 11 August 1792 suspended the constitutional monarchy.[2] The freshly electedNational Convention abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792, thus, ending 203 years of consecutiveBourbon rule over France.
Since 1789, France underwent arevolution in its government and social orders. A National Assembly declared itself into being and promulgated their intention to provide France with a fair and liberal constitution.[3] Louis XVI was forced to move to Paris in October of that year as a result of themarch on Versailles,[4] and growing fear for the survival of his reign and the royal family lead in June of 1791 to the failed escape attempt known as theFlight to Varennes.[5] The attempted flight severely damaged any positive public opinion for the monarchy.[6]
Leopold II, theHabsburg emperor of theHoly Roman Empire and brother ofMarie Antoinette, the queen of France, in July sent out adiplomatic note asking for support of the other rulers of Europe to rally and demand the French royal family's freedom, and while the response of other powers was weak,[7] it did cause the Holy Roman Empire andPrussia to engage in talks to settle their outstanding disputes.[8] Leopold II in late August then together withFrederick William II of Prussia released theDeclaration of Pillnitz. The declaration stated that Prussia and Austria wished to restore Louis XVI to absolute power but would only attempt to do so with the assistance of the other European powers.[9]
Louis XVI was forced to submit to the Constitution of 1791 by the National Assembly in the aftermath of hisFlight to Varennes.[10] The Constitution of 1791, which established the Kingdom of the French, was revolutionary in its content. It abolished the nobility of France and declared all men to be equal before the law. Louis XVI had the ability to veto legislation that he did not approve of, as legislation still needed Royal Assent to come into force.[11]
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.[12] The Duke of Brunswick, Commander of the Austrian and Prussian military, issued the Brunswick Manifesto in 1792; it brought about theStorming of the Tuileries on the 10th of August. The manifesto explicitly threatened the people of Paris with dire repercussions if they in any way harmed Louis XVI or his family.[13] 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.[2] The newly elected National Convention, elected under universal male suffrage, abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792 and proclaimed a republic.[14] Louis wasexecuted by guillotine on 21 January 1793.
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King of the French | 6 September 1791 | 2 September 1792 | N/A | ||
| Minister of Finances | 29 May 1791 | 24 March 1792 | Feuillant | ||
| 24 March 1792 | 13 June 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 18 June 1792 | 29 July 1792 | Independent | |||
| 29 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 | Independent | |||
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | 29 November 1791 | 15 March 1792 | Feuillant | ||
| 15 March 1792 | 13 June 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 | Independent | |||
| 18 June 1792 | 23 July 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 23 July 1792 | 1 August 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| Secretary of State for War | 7 December 1791 | 9 March 1792 | Feuillant | ||
| 9 March 1792 | 9 May 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| 9 May 1792 | 13 June 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 18 June 1792 | 23 July 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| 23 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| Secretary of State of the Navy | 18 September 1791 | 7 October 1791 | Feuillant | ||
| 7 October 1791 | 16 March 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| 16 March 1792 | 21 July 1792 | Independent | |||
| 21 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 | Feuillant | |||
| Keeper of the Seals | 21 November 1790 | 23 March 1792 | Feuillant | ||
| 16 March 1792 | 14 April 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 14 April 1792 | 4 July 1792 | Girondins | |||
| 4 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 | Feuillant | |||
48°48′18″N2°07′13″E / 48.8049°N 2.1203°E /48.8049; 2.1203
