Absolute Ruler: The Reign Of King Louis XIV

King Louis XIV was very egotistic. Lisa Hilton explains, “he was of the opinion that he was pretty much a god himself.” He only dressed in the finest fabrics and was very conscious of his appearance. Fashion was of great importance to him. He started wearing a wig when his hair line started to recede. To make himself appear taller, he wore high heeled shoes. He ritualized his daily activities. Nobles would stand in line to help him get dressed, watch him eat, and help him get ready for

A Comparison of the Characteristics of the Absolutist Rule of Charles I of England and Louis XIV of France

Still, the negative aspects of France’s rule under King Louis XIV far outweigh the positive ones. His reign can best be described by the statement “L’état, c’est moi,” (I am the state) that is attributed to him. King Louis XIV spent state money to pay for his own luxuries and monuments that glorified his image. It was also customary for the artists King Louis XIV sponsored to include direct or indirect allusions to him in their productions thus creating a god-like image of him. The Palace of Versailles alone used 5% of France’s income. This liberal

In 1685, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes and put the Edict of Fontainebleau in its place. Because of this document, all religious toleration for Huguenots (previously allowed by the Edict of Nantes) was no longer allowed, leaving them with two options: convert to Catholicism or leave France. Through this law, Louis achieved national religious unity.

He closed down many Catholic monasteries to seize their wealth. When he was not permitted to divorce his first wife by the Pope at the time, he split from the Catholic church entirely. Louis may have thrown several parties with the money he had collected through very high taxes, but Henry’s actions negatively helped kick-start the strenuous relationship between the Catholics and Protestants of England. This led to a very disastrous war that nearly tore Europe apart.

Louis would make the nobles do many embarrassing things, such as dress him, and even take out his chamber pot after going to the bathroom. Nobles would also be honored to see the king wake up in the morning, and watch him eat, things that had never been seen done by nobles for any other leader in history. By making the nobles do things like this, it made them feel less highly about themselves, less powerful, and less likely to try to overthrow him.

Until now, the analysis of both Louis XIV and Peter the great form of absolutism showed some similarities in term of ideals, but more important differences on the method of application. And this contrast in again portrayed in their use of religion but also in the monarch himself.

Huguenots were French Protestants of the 1500s and 1600s. Henry IV, a Huguenot prince, took the throne in 1589. Ten years after he inherited the throne, he issued the Edict of Nantes to protect the Protestants. This gave the Huguenots religious toleration and other freedoms. Around 100,000 Huguenots fled France in 1685 due to Louis XIV revoking the Edict of Nantes because he saw it as a threat to religious and political unity. Most of them ended up in the Americas, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands. Having the Huguenots flee was tough on the French economy because they were hardest workers of Louis’s subjects.

Louis XIV was a very generous spender. He put in large amounts of money to finance the royal court, and operated as a supporter of the arts, funding literary and cultural figures. He also kept his army in mind by building military complex known as the Hôtel des Invalides to give a home for officers and soldiers who had served him loyally in the army. The Hôtel des Invalides established new treatments frequently and set a new standard for the rather barbarous hospice treatment styles of the period. To support a Machiavellian tactic, Louis XIV didn?t have any mercenaries or auxiliaries, he controlled his own army, and was a self-sufficient ruler that didn?t rely on the help of others in battle.

How can one separate a mere normal man from a king? And which is more important between men with a passion from a man with a selfish desire? King Louis XVI was an example of a king unfit to rule. We will discuss King Louis’s early life, his reign as king, and the role he played in the French revolution.

An absolute monarch is a ruler by divine right who has control over every portion of his kingdom. The most famous absolute monarch, Louis XIV, had the longest reign of any of the French kings. Louis achieved this as a result of his reformed laws, foreign policy, a smart economic advisor, and his decision to deny power to the nobility. Although some of these ideas could be viewed as having a negative impacting on France, overall Louis XIV's absolute government was beneficial to the development of his country.

Some people think that King Louis XIV did more harm to France than good. They cite his lack of moderation in managing his money. They also point out that Louis denied religious liberties to the Protestants of France and tightened control over his Roman Catholic subjects by revoking the Edict of Nantes. They also claim Louis’ war efforts were very costly and drained the treasury of France. Some say his arrogance, including his emblem of the “Sun King”, turned “his” people away from him. They think that Louis only cared about himself and what he wanted and didn’t think about future France.

The reign of Louis XIV was the longest of the modern era, and during his time, France reached remarkable achievements in art and architecture, such as the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV was responsible for creating the lavish complex that was filled with Baroque interiors and surrounded by French and English gardens. In its later years, it was further renovated for other kings then given to the Republic for public use. Through its elaborate ornamentation and massive scale, the Palace of Versailles represents the glory of the Sun King and expresses the power of the French monarchy.

King Louis XIV distrusted the Protestants and everything they stood for. Because of that, he revoked the Edict of Nantes and

Many think he left France worse off than it started because of the way he left the treasury. It was thought that he spent the money only on himself, leaving the peasants with no money. It is also said that he spent the money on building his residences (Versailles and Marly) and supporting his luxurious lifestyle. Another argument brought up is how he was so egotistical. One reason for his being egotistical was the fact that he was thought of as “God Given” because the court was hoping that Louis XIII would have a child before he died. People talk about how he compared himself to the sun. As ruler Louis, thought of himself as the sun, which meant he was the center of the kingdom and his subjects rotated around him. Some see this as incredibly egotistical and thought that made him less of a ruler. One aspect of his being the sun was the fact that his bedroom was placed in the middle of the castle; he was always center of attention, as the sun would be. The other reason people think he was a negative influence on France was the fact that as soon as the last Prime minister died, Louis made himself the ruler. He decided to make all the decisions by himself, with no help. Some think this was a bad idea because he had no previous ruling experience by himself. These same people were angered when Louis re-established Catholicism, nullifying the Edict of Nantes. Some of the people of