In a word, yes. Whilst everyone else is distracted in Eastern Europe, Louis XVI goes for, and succeeds, at the worst possible option for internal stability. From here, chaos will naturally ensue.
Threadmarks: Chapter 2 - Part 4 - "The King forbids his ministers to sign any order in his name..." Testament Politique de Louis XVI, p. x
Part 4 - "The King forbids his ministers to sign any order in his name..." Testament Politique de Louis XVI, p. x
Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier, Baron de Breteuil, 'First' Minister of Louis XVI's government at Montmedy, and a contemporary cartoon of the National Guard
The Duke of Choiseul had...
One thing that is worth considering for Britain is, it did have a significant amount of political discontent after WWI when many in the generation that had fought in the trenches raged against the older generation of generals and politicians who had thrown them into the meat-grinder. The rise of...
Absolutely right, it was hinted at the end of the first chapter that Britain and Russia may well not get involved in a big war in France and this is exactly why. But as you say, Louis XVI's continued presence arguably makes a stronger case for Austrian intervention. How that will end is another...
Threadmarks: Chapter 2 - Part 3 - "How much does this provision not diminish the Royal Majesty in the eyes of the people" Testament Politique de Louis XVI, p. iv
Part 3 - "How much does this provision not diminish the Royal Majesty in the eyes of the people" Testament Politique de Louis XVI, p. iv
A later portrait of Claude-Antoine-Gabriel de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul and Jean Sylvain Bailly
On the night of the 12th June 1791, the royal family...
That does seem to be a popular idea on this forum! I think there is a chance for it...at least to be floated as an idea. I'm not sure how long it might last, any form of civil conflict is always going to provoke further radicalism and it didn't take long for even Phillippe Egalite to become a...
Sorry for the slow response, I've had a busy week.
1) He probably can't, especially not with a constitutional monarchy where an elected government actually decides policy. He was always willing to bow to 'national interest' anyway, see going to war with Britain in the ARW. But if relations are...
Louis XVI's attitudes are not wholly consistent, over time and between public and private. He was indeed, as you put it, not exactly pleased with the Revolution but that wasn't an objection to reform entirely just the direction the Revolution went. This was the monarch who called the Estates...
Hundreds of years of rivalry are always going to be hard to unravel. I'm not sure massive economic concessions would be necessary, or even plausible, but the issue of the economy is probably another one that friendlier relations could be built around. Some kind of trading relationship would be a...
Thank you everyone for the fascinating discussion, it's all very interesting and I'm just disappointed I can't respond to all of it. So I'll just reply to some particular points that I can touch on without giving too many spoilers.
The point about soldiers, or rather officers, being unlikely to...
Having looked into this period in both Britain and France quite a lot, this really depends on more than just France going to a constitutional monarchy.
The revolution not going off the deep end would certainly endear France to the British political opposition of the period, Fox, Burke...
The revolution has already begun, yes, its onwards path will be quite different however.
its hard to say whether a living or dead Louis is more 'helpful' to the cause, as others have discussed, there are good arguments for both and depend on the character of the revolution. A living Louis is...