Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII of France, born Louis Stanislas Xavier on November 17, 1755, in Versailles, was the King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief period during the Hundred Days in 1815 when Napoleon Bonaparte returned to power. Here are key points about his life and reign:
Early Life and Exile
First Restoration
- After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig in 1813, the Allies decided to restore the French monarchy, leading to Louis's return to France in May 1814.
- His first reign was marked by the Treaty of Paris, which aimed to restore peace in Europe and France's borders to those of 1792.
- Louis attempted to reconcile the Ancien Régime with the new political realities post-Revolution, introducing the Charter of 1814, which established a constitutional monarchy.
The Hundred Days
- Napoleon's escape from Elba and subsequent return to power in March 1815 forced Louis XVIII to flee France again, this time to Belgium.
- After Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo, Louis returned to France for the second time.
Second Restoration
- Louis's second reign was more conservative than the first, influenced by the Ultra-royalists who sought to undo much of the revolutionary changes.
- He faced challenges such as economic difficulties, the White Terror, and political opposition from both left and right wings.
- Despite these issues, Louis managed to maintain a semblance of stability, though his reign was marked by a return to monarchical traditions with limited democratic reforms.
Legacy and Death
- King Louis XVIII died on September 16, 1824, at the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
- He was succeeded by his brother, Charles X of France.
- Louis's reign is often viewed as a transitional period in French history, attempting to blend elements of the old monarchy with the new political landscape created by the Revolution.
References
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