Charles X

Abstract

The reign of Charles X lasted for just six years. It is easy to see it as a downhill slide into inevitable revolution. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was little that was inevitable about the fall of the Bourbon monarchy — the opponents of Charles’ policies were a long way from being revolutionaries and until almost the last moment some compromise was possible. Charles came to the throne in an atmosphere of general goodwill, an overwhelmingly royalist Chamber, and an opposition to the dynasty which undoubtedly existed but which was unorganised, unfocused and small.