Austria's Response To Marie Antoinette's Execution

Marie Antoinette's death on 16 October 1793 was the culmination of years of growing radicalism and hostility towards the monarchy. The House of Hapsburg's response to her execution was mostly personal, with some family members going into a depression and others discriminating against French citizens in their lands. However, the Hapsburgs had already played their hand and were losing the war against the First Coalition, so there was little they could do. As news of her death spread across Europe, reactions poured in. Her niece, Archduchess Marianne, wrote to the Bishop of Nancy, It is a terrible event.

The House of Hapsburg's reaction

Marie Antoinette's niece Archduchess Marianne, the daughter of Emperor Leopold II, wrote to the Bishop of Nancy, "Monseigneur, I heard of the unfortunate Queen's death in some black-sealed letters I received from Dresden. It is a terrible event." Marie Antoinette's sister Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples, was devastated. Heavily pregnant with her 17th child, it was feared that she would lose the baby. She cried, "Good God! Did you ever think the French would have treated my sister and her husband in so horrible a way?" She gave birth to a healthy daughter two months later, but she did not rally quickly.

The reaction of Marie Antoinette's niece, Archduchess Marianne

Archduchess Marianne was the daughter of Emperor Leopold II, who had been born the day Marie Antoinette left for France. By the time of Marie Antoinette's execution, Leopold II had been dead for a year, leaving six siblings to react to the death.

The House of Hapsburg's reaction to Marie Antoinette's death was limited, as most of the political manoeuvring had already happened. The execution was the culmination of years of growing radicalism and hostility to the monarchy. The Hapsburgs were concerned with the safety of the royal family, but by the time of her death, they had already played their hand and were losing.

The reaction of Marie Antoinette's sister, Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples

Marie Antoinette's sister, Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples, was devastated by the news of her sister's execution. Heavily pregnant with her 17th child, Maria Carolina was so distraught that it was feared she would lose the baby. She cried:

> Good God! Did you ever think the French would have treated my sister and her husband in so horrible a way?

Two months later, Maria Carolina gave birth to a healthy daughter, but she did not rally quickly.

The reaction of the Hapsburgs was mostly personal, with some family members going into a depression and others enacting limited discrimination against some French citizens in their lands. However, the execution of Marie Antoinette was the culmination of years of growing radicalism and a steady progression of hostility to the monarchy. By the time of her death, the Hapsburgs had already played their whole hand and were losing.

The impact of the execution on the Franco-Austrian alliance

The execution of Marie Antoinette on 16 October 1793 was the culmination of years of growing radicalism and hostility towards the monarchy. By the time of her death, the war against Austria and the First Coalition was already in its second year, and the Hapsburgs had already played their hand and were losing.

The impact of her execution on the Franco-Austrian alliance was therefore limited. Most of the dynastic and political manoeuvring had already happened, and the Hapsburgs' response was largely personal. Some family members went into a depression, and there were reports of limited discrimination against some French citizens in their lands.

Marie Antoinette's political influence was perceived to benefit Austria, and she had feared that the death of her mother, Empress Maria Theresa, would jeopardise the Franco-Austrian alliance. However, her brother, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, wrote to her that he had no intention of breaking the alliance. He made a second visit to France in July 1781 to reaffirm the alliance and see his sister, but this was tainted by false rumours that Marie Antoinette was sending him money from the French treasury.

Despite the limited impact of her execution on the Franco-Austrian alliance, reactions to Marie Antoinette's death poured in from across Europe. Her niece, Archduchess Marianne, wrote to the Bishop of Nancy, "It is a terrible event". Marie Antoinette's sister, Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples, was devastated and cried, "Did you ever think the French would have treated my sister and her husband in so horrible a way?"

The impact of the execution on the war against Austria and the First Coalition

The execution of Marie Antoinette on 16 October 1793 was the culmination of years of growing radicalism and hostility towards the monarchy. By the time of her death, the war against Austria and the First Coalition was already in its second year.

The House of Habsburg didn't have much of a response to her death because most of the dynastic and political manoeuvring had already happened. The execution of the queen was the final act in a long series of events that had already put the royal family in danger. The Habsburgs and other powers were concerned for their safety, but by the time of Marie Antoinette's death, they had already played their hand and were losing.

Some members of the Habsburg family went into a depression following the execution, and there were reports of limited discrimination against some French citizens in their lands. However, any reaction to the death of Marie Antoinette would have been mostly personal, as the political situation had already moved on.

The death of Marie Antoinette did not have a significant impact on the war against Austria and the First Coalition. By the time of her execution, the war had already been raging for two years, and the political situation had moved beyond the influence of the queen. The death of Marie Antoinette was a tragic end to a series of events that had already set the course of history in motion.

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