Constitution of 1791 — Constitutional Monarchy
The Constitution of 1791 was the product of two years of intensive debate in the National Constituent Assembly. Adopted on 3 September 1791, it established France as a constitutional monarchy with a separation of powers: legislative authority vested in a unicameral Legislative Assembly elected by "active citizens" (men paying direct taxes), and executive authority held by the King, who could suspend but not veto legislation. The document incorporated the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The property qualification for voting excluded about a third of adult men and provoked immediate criticism from democrats including Robespierre. Louis XVI accepted the constitution with apparent good grace on 14 September, though his secret correspondence with foreign monarchs — urging intervention to restore absolute monarchy — had already fatally undermined trust. The constitution was overtaken by events: the war with Austria (April 1792), the Brunswick Manifesto (July 1792), and the storming of the Tuileries (August 1792) ended the constitutional monarchy within a year of its adoption.
- Year: 1791 CE
- Category: Political
