Which king ruled during the French Revolution?

At the time of the French Revolution, France was ruled by Louis XVI.  He was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.

His indecisiveness and conservatism, especially the belief in the Divine Right of Kings made him an unpopular figure in France. He was seen as the symbol of the Ancien Regime and for all the ills it stood for.

Following the storming of the Bastille, Louis XVI was forced to recognise legislative authority of the National Assembly. He made an unsuccessful attempt to flee from France in June 1791 but he was captured and his image suffered further as a result. 

Louis was then tried by the National Convention, found guilty of high treason, and executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793. He is the only monarch in French history to be ever executed, bringing an end to a thousand years of continuous French monarchy.

For further reading check the following articles:

• The Renaissance
• Age of Enlightenment.
• French Revolution

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