King Louis XVI was born on August 23, 1754 in Versailles, France. With the death of his father in 1765, Louis became the new heir to the throne of France. He ascended to the throne five years later in 1770 at the age of 20 years. In an attempt to solidify the new ally between their two countries, Louis married Marie Antoinette, the daughter of the empress of Austria, on May 16, 1770. Louis did not have any interest in the idea of Enlightened Despotism(1), which caused his courtiers to view him as slow-witted and unintelligent. He proved them right countless times when he allowed courtier's opinions to direct his ruling. Despite this, he was honest, well-intentioned, and he took his responsibilities as king seriously. However, he felt out of place among the nobility of France and often wished that he were a common man.

Historians consider the start of the Revolution to be the...