The assassination of the Duc de Berry on St. Valentine's Day in 1820 further exacerbated tensions. The assassin, a passionate Bonapartist, was a former stable worker for Napoleon on Elba. The ultra-royalists were quick to blame the government for the murder, citing its employment of former Bonaparte supporters. In the midst of this turmoil, King Louis XVIII realized that his chief minister, Elie Decazes, would need to be removed from office to appease the ultra-royalists. With the ultra-royalists gaining influence, Decazes was replaced by Richelieu, who imposed restrictions on press and individual liberties. However, even Richelieu's tenure was short-lived, as pressure from the royalists forced his resignation. The Comte d'Artois, the king's …show more content…
Louis XVIII made history as the only French monarch to die while still in office, leaving behind a legacy of attempts to navigate the complex political landscape of post-Revolution …show more content…
On March 18, 1830, a significant majority expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's direction. In response, the monarch took drastic measures, suspending the constitution, dissolving the Chamber, and calling for fresh elections. This move only fueled the flames of opposition. The July Revolution Charles X's actions reached a tipping point on July 25, when he issued four ordinances from his residence at Saint-Cloud. These decrees further curtailed press freedom, manipulated the electoral process, and dissolved the recently elected Chamber. With these ordinances, Charles signed his own political demise, a fact seemingly lost on him and his loyal prime minister, Jules de Polignac, who was known for his eccentric beliefs. The response was swift and eloquent. On July 26, Le National, an opposition newspaper, openly defied censorship by calling for insurrection. Led by Louis-Adolphe Thiers, a dynamic figure known for his wit and intellect, the journalists behind Le National rallied against the king's oppressive measures. Thiers, with his keen understanding of politics and sharp rhetoric, emerged as a central figure in the unfolding crisis. Born in Marseille in 1797, Thiers had initially pursued a career in law before transitioning to journalism. His early encounters with influential figures like Talleyrand had shaped his political outlook, and
like a wound, which inspired courage whilst it mitigated ferocity, which ennobled whatever it touched, and under which vice itself lost half its evil, by losing all its grossness. Edmund Burke -1793 Marie Therese and Louis Charles; The Aftermath Her son, Louis Charles (now King Louis XVII) was kept in a dark, dirty cell until he died of tuberculosis in 1795. In future years many men came forward claiming to be the long-lost prince. The most believable was Karl Wilhelm Naundorff, who died in