Just four years earlier, King Louis sixteenth held firm control over his kingdom. France was an absolute monarchy. This means that the king had complete power to govern. His title "Louis, by the grace of God, King of France" showed the belief in his divine right. Divine right was a belief that a monarch's authority came from God. Now, in a sudden turn of events, the king faced the judgement of people he once ruled.
Throughout the continent, a system of rule based on the power of monarchs, nobles, and church leaders had been in place for centuries. Unhappiness with this system, however, was leading the people of France closer to revolution. A revolution is a sudden or great change. The revolution in France would upset the old system of government and change Europe.