King Louis XVI grew up with an interest in science, but without much of a background in politics, which led him to focus on the wrong problem in France. He began a campaign of modernizing the country’s military, sending forces to support the American independence, while at home the price of flour and bread was rising to unbearable levels and leading to “flour riots.” Louis was confronted with a massive uprising, forcing him to accept a wide swath of reforms. Sensing his time was short, Louis attempted to flee across the border to his wife’s family in Austria-Hungary, but was captured at the border and brought back. Shortly after he went on trial.

On this day, December 11, in 1792, King Louis XVI went on trial before the National Convention, France’s first democratically-elected ruling body. He was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to the guillotine.

Louis’s careless disregard for his peasants is often symbolized with the story of his wife Marie Antoinette’s remark, concerning the high prices of bread, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” translating to “Let them eat cake.” But its doubtful she ever spoke those words – the first written record of that statement appeared more than 100 years later. The meaning behind the attribution was still accurate, even if the words were never spoken.