Appointment of Defence Counsel
Louis XVI received legal assistance from Malesherbes, Tronchet and de Sèze in preparing his defense.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1792 in France — Page 9
Explore 596 historical events and records for France in 1792.
Historical records for France in 1792
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December
Declaration of War
Addresses the Assembly & says war will be inevitable if the emigres are not dispersed
Declaration of War
Louis XVI addressed the Assembly and says war will be inevitable if the emigres are not dispersed.
Defence before Convention
Louis XVI appeared before the Convention while Raymond de Sèze presented the principal legal defense against the charges.
Defense of Louis XVI
De Seze presents the principal legal defense of Louis XVI before the Convention and challenges the case for condemning the former monarch.
Final Statement to Convention
Louis XVI addressed the Convention after his defense and denied intending to shed the blood of the French people.
Raymond de Seze Delivers Royal Defence
Counsel Raymond de Sèze presented a defence of Louis XVI before the Convention. He disputed the legality of retroactively punishing conduct protected by the former constitution.
Arrest of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
Because of Talleyrand-Perigords aristocratic background the National Convention issue a warrant for his arrest
Arrest of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
Because of Talleyrand-Perigords aristocratic background the National Convention issue a warrant for his arrest.
Carnot Inspects Eastern Army Preparedness
Carnot participated in assessing the condition of French forces on the Rhine frontier. His attention to discipline and command foreshadowed the growing use of deputies as military supervisors.
Coalition Counterattack Forces Frankfurt Withdrawal
The French garrison lost Frankfurt after Allied counterpressure. Custine's earlier success proved vulnerable without enough forces to defend scattered conquests.
Defence Counsel Prepare Royal Plea
Lawyers representing Louis XVI reviewed the accusations and prepared arguments on constitutional authority and individual responsibility. Their work confronted a chamber whose members had already overthrown hereditary monarchy.
Execution
Robespierre supported the death sentence for Louis XVI, arguing that the former king had betrayed the nation.
Execution
Supports the condemnation of Louis XVI to death for treason:"It is with regret that I pronounce, the fatal truth: Louis ought to perish rather than a hundred thousand virtuous citizens; Louis must die, that the country may live"
Exile of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
Because of Talleyrand-Perigords aristocratic background the National Convention issue a warrant for his arrest
Girondin attacks on Paris radicals: Attempts at political mediation
Danton sought room for action between competing republican camps as the war crisis deepened. His position differed from colleagues who regarded every political compromise as betrayal.
Girondin attacks on Paris radicals: Factional suspicions escalate
Robespierre was accused by political rivals of trying to dominate the Revolution. The controversy helped turn differences of policy into disputes about personal conspiracy.
Guard escorts Louis XVI toward judgment
Parisian armed forces carried out security duties as the former king faced the National Convention. Santerre's command was linked to the coercive authority replacing the constitutional monarchy.
Jacobin Club
Supports the condemnation of Louis XVI to death for treason:"It is with regret that I pronounce, the fatal truth: Louis ought to perish rather than a hundred thousand virtuous citizens; Louis must die, that the country may live"
Jacobin Club
Supports the condemnation of Louis XVI to death for treason:"It is with regret that I pronounce, the fatal truth: Louis ought to perish rather than a hundred thousand virtuous citizens; Louis must die, that the country may live"
National Convention
Because of Talleyrand-Perigords aristocratic background the National Convention issue a warrant for his arrest
Opposition to Revolutionary Violence
Olympe de Gouges publicly opposed escalating revolutionary violence and criticized the politics associated with the Terror.
Robespierre Demands Political Judgment of King
Robespierre maintained that the Convention had already made a political judgment when it established the Republic. He opposed a conventional trial that might imply uncertainty about the former king's responsibility.
Treason
Supports the condemnation of Louis XVI to death for treason:"It is with regret that I pronounce, the fatal truth: Louis ought to perish rather than a hundred thousand virtuous citizens; Louis must die, that the country may live"
Treason
Supports the condemnation of Louis XVI to death for treason:"It is with regret that I pronounce, the fatal truth: Louis ought to perish rather than a hundred thousand virtuous citizens; Louis must die, that the country may live"
War strategy expands beyond Austria
As the republic fought on several fronts, Brissot defended an active strategy against European monarchies. Military expansion magnified both the ambitions and the vulnerabilities of his faction.
Other events (month unknown)
Abdication Clause Invoked in Debate
Vergniaud suggested that the king's failure to defend the Constitution might trigger its provisions treating the monarch as having abdicated.
Abolition of Monarchy
In the National Convention demands the abolition of the Monarchy
Advance into Austrian Netherlands Reconsidered
Luckner confronted the logistical difficulty of offensive operations in the north while France lacked stable supplies and reliable senior command.
Anglo-French commercial interests enter diplomacy
During his London contacts, Talleyrand considered how trade and strategic interests could shape relations. He hoped that mutual advantage might temper ideological distrust.
Assembly Confronts Approaching Invasion
Brissot participated in arguments over emergency preparation as enemy forces threatened the frontier and confidence in the army faltered.
Assembly Debates the King's Legal Responsibility
Vergniaud participated in arguments over how the Convention should prosecute Louis XVI without undermining the new republic's claim to lawful government.
Attempt to Rally National Guards Falters
Lafayette failed to mobilize decisive support for action against the Jacobins, demonstrating his declining political influence in the capital.
August uprising brings Desmoulins into victorious camp
The insurrection of 10 August removed the king from effective power. Desmoulins's long campaign against the monarchy placed him among writers identified with the triumph of the radicals.
Bailly's constitutional moderation comes under attack
As the monarchy collapsed, former constitutional officials became vulnerable to accusations of defending royal authority. Bailly's association with the 1791 repression shaped how opponents interpreted his earlier service.
Barras aligns with republican Convention Barras
In the new Convention, Barras moved within the political world that supported a republican settlement. Representatives faced the simultaneous burdens of foreign invasion, internal unrest and constitutional reconstruction.
Battle of Mons
Blames the French defeats at Mons & Tournai on treason & an "Austrian Committee"
Battle of Mons
The French are forced to retreat after the Battle of Mons
Battle of Tournai
Blames the French defeats at Mons & Tournai on treason & an "Austrian Committee"
Battle of Tournai
The French are forced to retreat
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.