When was Louis XVI executed and what did it mean for the Revolution?

• A. September 22, 1792; it marked the proclamation of the Republic
• B. January 21, 1793; it signaled a decisive break with the monarchy
• C. July 28, 1794; it marked the fall of Robespierre
• D. December 31, 1792; it deepened the republic's crisis

Answer: (B)

Louis XVI’s execution on January 21, 1793 marked a decisive break with the monarchy. After a trial in the National Convention, he was found guilty of treason and executed by guillotine, removing the king as a political figure and showing that sovereignty in the revolution rested with the people and the republic, not a hereditary ruler. This moment pushed the Revolution from seeking a constitutional settlement to establishing a republic and accepting that the old regime could be violently dismantled if deemed a threat. The result was a more radical political climate at home and heightened hostility from monarchist and conservative forces abroad, which helped drive the subsequent phases of the Revolution, including the war effort and the Reign of Terror. The other dates reference different milestones: the Republic was proclaimed in 1792, the fall of Robespierre occurred in 1794, and the late 1792 date is not the king’s execution.