Absolutism: The Sun King Louis XIV Of France

The 17th century of European history, colloquially known as the “Age of Crisis”, gave rise to a new form of government: absolutism. Religious wars, economic troubles, inflation, and new agricultural challenges such as the Little Ice Age wracked the nations of Europe and caused tremendous fear and uncertainty among the masses. Thus, as many felt that life itself was endangered, they were willing to accept the rise of a strong, independent ruler who might lead them from the darkness. In this way, absolutism emerged- a new form of monarchy based on a hereditary ruler with complete authority. Perhaps the most well known example of an absolute monarch in European history is Louis XIV, the ruler of France from 1643 to 1715.

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

Transportation was improved by paving roads and by building ports and canals. He also built many massive palaces and monuments. These often showcased architecture and French goods of the time. The most elaborate palace built was the Palace of Versailles. Culture also seemed to grow during this period. Molière, Racine, Lully, La Fontaine, and Le Brun were all compensated with state pensions. France’s national defenses grew to rival those of England and Holland in size with the addition of a merchant marine, a police association and a navy. It could also be said that France acquired many new lands due to King Louis XIV’s decisions. In the War of Devolution against the Spanish Netherlands and in the later Anglo-Dutch War France acquired territory in Flanders. Later wars led to other territorial gains, one of which included Luxembourg.

Royal absolutism is a form of monarchy in which one ruler has supreme authority and where that authority is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs. There are many monarchical absolutist rulers however most of them are non- memorable. Two rulers I found to be most memorable is Louis XIV of France and Ivan the terrible of Russia. At 4 years old Louis XIV inherited the crown. After his mentor Cardinal Jules Mazarin, Louis XIV decided to take full authority of the throne.

Louis XIV, the ruler of France from the late seventeenth century to the early eighteenth century, claimed, “I am the state.” He considered this to be absolutism. His goal, also acquainted with absolutism, was, “one king, one law, one faith;” Furthermore, Louis wanted to promote religious unity, royal dignity, and security of the state. In order to achieve this goal, he had to rule with a firm hand, laying down the law for all to see. Louis XIV’s absolutism fostered in four major parts: the building of Versailles to control the nobility, the breeding of a strong military, the improvement of France’s economy, and, while quite harsh, the brutal extinction of religious toleration.

During the 16th century to the 18th century, Monarchs in Europe used absolutism. Monarchs such as King Louis and Peter The Great used absolute tactics because they wanted to consolidate power from the nobility. They wanted to consolidate power from the nobility because they wanted to take the power they lost during the middle ages. King Louis and Peter the Great used all multiple means to reclaim power. They used their power to glorify themselves and their country. The practice of absolutism can be argued to have both positive and negative effects.

Of all the absolute rulers in Europe, by far the best example of one, and the most powerful, was Louis XIV of France. Although Louis had some failures, he also had many successes. He controlled France’s money and had many different ways to get, as well as keep his power, and he knew how to delegate jobs to smart, but loyal people.

They all had similar tactics in taxation, but each had economic policies which resembled one another. Colbert, Louis XIV’s financial manager, promoted mercantilism, a policy of maintaining a favorable balance of trade in order to accumulate wealth. These mercantilist policies massively boosted France’s economy. The French people were to produce everything they needed, exports were increased, and immigration by talented peoples was encouraged. Positively, this approach allowed France to become a competitor in trade.

Louis XIV, also known an The Sun God, was the King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. 1His reign as ruler lasted for more than 72 years and even today it is considered as the longest reign of any monarch in European history. During his tenure as ruler, King Louie XIV established France as the most powerful country in Europe, as he maintained a very strong economy and played a significant role in influencing the politics of other European countries. Besides its usage in worldwide diplomacy, he also helped establish the French language in becoming the most widely used language in many subjects such as science and literature. The Sun God was known to be a very popular arts enthusiast and under his patronage, he commissioned and funded many artists whose works went on to become very famous and influential. One example includes his commissioning of the legendary Palace of Versailles located in Paris. Due to the contributions made by Louis XIV, people in the 17th century viewed France as the same way people all around the world today view the United States, a major superpower. After his death, Louis XIV was succeeded by his great-grandson Louis XV, who was just 5 years old at the time.

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.

Although Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great, brought death and destruction through his wars, there are many positive aspects of his reign, such as the creation of Versailles and the building of France’s national army. He did what had never been done before. He changed the lifestyle and the attitude of France by creating one of the most powerful monarchies ever to be built and at the same time, reassured all the nobility and other wealthy groups of their political and social standings. He made it clear that he was the final decision maker yet he still needed the help of the nobility and other authorities.

Louis XIV, France’s Sun King, had the longest reign in European history (1643-1715). During this time he brought absolute monarchy to its height, established a glittering court at Versailles, and fought most of the other European countries in four wars. Although his reign had some negative aspects; on balance, Louis’ reign was primarily a benefit to France.

The first social science that Louis the XIV benefitted was the economy. According to the reading “France Under Louis the XIV”, “Louis’s brilliant finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colber, imposed mercantilist policies to bolster the economy.” Basically what the reading explains is that the economy was bolstered by the finance minister that Louis the XIV appointed. Since Louis the XIV appointed a strong finance minister it can be assumed that he placed a large focus on economics. This positively impacted the country of France as a whole. A strong economy within the country allowed for international trade to increase as well as `

Louis XIV was charitable. He did open a veterans’ hospital in 1670 to house ex-soldiers. He opened academies for dance, inscriptions, sciences, architecture and music. These academies set standards for taste. He annexed valuable land such as Flanders and Franche-Comte. Louis’ decision to suppress the Protestant religion can be seen as a political move to join France under one religion and to build national unity.

During the late 1400s and 1500s, many rulers took great measures to centralize political power and place it in their own hands. This lead to the occurrence of absolute monarchies, some of which I thought were overall very effective. In absolute monarchies, theoretically the monarch is all-powerful, with no legal limitations to his or her authority. Absolutism in Europe was characteristically justified by the doctrine of divine right, according to which the monarch reigns all-powerfully by the will of God. The intention of absolute monarchs is to utilize his or her power in an effective, better-organized way, despite its weaknesses or negative consequences; and from my perspective, I would have to say