The King's Trial and Execution

The September Massacres (1792), slaughtering imprisoned "conspirators" as volunteers left for the front, created the violent atmosphere surrounding monarchy's final act. The Convention's declaration of the Republic (September 21) formalized existing reality. The question remained: what to do with the former king, now Citizen Capet?

The trial of Louis XVI (December 1792-January 1793) transcended legal proceedings to become revolution's defining moment. Could the nation judge its former king? Monarchists denied the Convention's competence. Girondins sought delays and appeals. Jacobins, led by Saint-Just and Robespierre, argued that kingship itself was a crime requiring no trial. The king's defense, ably conducted by Desèze, emphasized his constitutional actions and good intentions. The overwhelming evidence of correspondence with enemies undermined legal arguments.

The votes—guilty (693-0), death (387-334), immediate execution (380-310)—showed revolutionary logic triumphing over moderation. Many deputies, including Philippe Égalité (the former Duke of Orléans), voted death to prove revolutionary credentials. The narrow majorities revealed continuing divisions. Efforts to save Louis through foreign intervention or popular uprising failed. Paris remained calm as citizens accepted regicide as revolutionary necessity.

Louis XVI's execution (January 21, 1793) marked irreversible revolution. The king died with dignity, attempting a final speech drowned by drums. His reported last words—"I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I pray to God that the blood you are going to shed may never be visited on France"—showed personal courage whatever his political failures. The crowd's mixed reactions—some cheering, others silent—reflected revolutionary divisions.