How Did Louis Xvi Become Enlightened Despotism

King Louis XVI was born on august 23, 1754 in Versailles, France. In 1765, at the death of his father, louis, son and heir apparent of louis XV, Louis August became the new Dauphin of France. He ascended to the throne five years later in 1770 at the age of 20. Louis was the king in name and in power but did not support this authority in hunting and his personal hobbies than his kingship. Louis did not have any interest in the idea of enlightened despotism, which caused his courtiers to view him as slow-witted and unintelligent. Louis’s wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, was extremely unpopular among the common folk of France as the representative of hated Austrian alliance. Louis-August was overlooked by his parents who favored his older brother, …show more content…
News of the French revolution had spread all across Europe and it was getting quite a reaction. Most Europe were repulsed by the revolution and sympathized with the monarch and his family. It was soon clear that the French Revolution posed a threat to the surrounding countries, and the French revolutionaries were encouraging it. Many other monarchs across Europe were ready to come to the aid of Louis and Marie, including Marie’s own brother, Leopold 2 of Austria. In June, Marie Antoinette convinced her husband to attempt and escape to Austria where they could get help and protection from her brother. The citizens and revolutionaries took this as a very bad sign. They began to believe even more strongly that the King was against everything they stood for. They believed that he was trying to abandon the country and that it was his fault that other countries were against the revolution, so they gave chase. The couple was caught at the border near Varennes and forced to return to the Paris where they became prisoners of their own country. But on August 27, 1791 Austria and Prussia declared war on the country and vowed to restore the monarchy and in 1792, Britain joined the