Why did Louis XVI refuse to approve the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man?

King Louis XVI refused to sanction the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen because he viewed these measures as radical innovations that undermined the traditional order of the realm.1

The August Decrees, passed on August 4, 1789, abolished the feudal regime and the tithe, while the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaimed principles such as liberty, equality, the inviolability of property, and the right to resist oppression. These documents represented a fundamental shift in sovereignty from the monarch to the nation, directly challenging the absolute authority the king had previously sought to maintain.12

Louis XVI’s refusal to approve these acts was a manifestation of his broader political irresolution and his inability to accept the transition toward a constitutional monarchy. His resistance to these popular demands, along with his general failure to engage constructively with the National Constituent Assembly, ultimately fueled further public unrest, leading to the march on Versailles in October 1789, which forced the royal family to relocate to Paris.31