France Becomes Republic: Monarchy Ends in 1792
The National Convention formally abolished the French monarchy on September 21, 1792, one day after the revolutionary army's unexpected victory at Valmy, and declared France a republic. King Louis XVI, stripped of all titles and referred to simply as "Citizen Louis Capet," was already imprisoned in the Temple with his family. The Convention put him on trial in December 1792 on charges of conspiracy and treason. He was convicted by a vote of 693 to 0 and sentenced to death by a margin of just one vote, with his cousin Philippe Egalite (the Duke of Orleans) voting for execution. Louis was guillotined on January 21, 1793, in the Place de la Revolution before a crowd that dipped handkerchiefs in his blood as souvenirs.
September 21, 1792
234 years ago
Key Figures & Places
French Revolution
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National Convention
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Proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy
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French Revolution
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National Convention
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Proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy
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Louis XVI
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French First Republic
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List of French monarchs
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