Louis the XVI is most famous for getting his head whacked off—along with wife Marie Antoinette—during the French Revolution. But was he doomed from the start, or did his own mental health limitations make matters worse, leading to his downfall? Louis was an avid hunter, but by 1787—just a couple of years before the 1789 revolution—his hunting behaviors had become extreme. Did Louis develop a kind of "hunting addiction"—and did this impair his ability to deal with France's financial crisis? Let's have a look.
In fairness to Louis, he inherited many of the problems that led to the Revolution, including a regressive tax system, crushing national debt and general public disillusionment with the monarchy. Louis really wasn't a bad guy (aside, one presumes, from the perspective of a woodland creature) but was indecisive, passive and disengaged. To give an idea, it took him quite literally 7 years to figure out how to make love to his wife (in fairness, Marie Antoinette reportedly wasn't much help). Only the intercession of his brother-in-law, Marie Antoinette's brother, got things moving. Talk about your awkward conversations.
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