After the Flight to Varennes, the Parisian public turns decisively against Louis XVI. The French constitutional monarchy teeters on the brink, reliant on a war with Austria to maintain public confidence. When the war turns against France, the French people turn against their government and overthrow the King for good.

A new legislature is formed, and the revolutionaries struggle to achieve their goals on the battlefield and in politics. Meanwhile, the French Revolution cannot move forward with a deposed King who sits in limbo. As 1792 comes to a close, Louis XVI is put on trial for his life.

***CONTENT WARNING***

Since we’re coming up on the Reign of Terror and a lot of people are about to get guillotined, the last portion of this episode is an addendum on the history of capital punishment. This addendum covers both the pre-modern and modern world, and I talk about both state and non-state actors. There are graphic descriptions of torture and execution, so proceed with caution.

SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!

Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo

Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q

Subscribe on Any Platform: https://bit.ly/RelHistSub

Relevant History on Twitter/X: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk

Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm

Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4

Episode transcript (90% accurate): https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSyb6ZCzMdX7smyU089I2hTLvboZamoo7WXWBYlTRXAld0Tszm80D5g1_e2MYW8x0HwNAR_yNxRd71K/pub

Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan