King Louis Xvi Research Paper

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.

It is often debated whether or not the reign of King Louis XIV had a positive or negative effect on France. Although there were improvements during his reign in transportation, culture, and national defense, there were far more negative aspects. He depleted the national treasury with his liberal spending on personal luxuries and massive monuments. His extreme fear of the loss of power led to poor decision making, which caused the court to be of lower quality. King Louis XIV’s disastrous rule brought about a series of effects that influenced the French Revolution in the following century.

Louis XIV turned France around from an unorganized feuding country to one of the most organized, powerful, innovative monarchies in Europe. In addition, he managed to advance civil equality among the people by turning all the people into his loyal subjects (Norton, p.175). How did he do all this? The armed forces that had formerly been a private enterprise who had been fighting against each other or had hired themselves out for payment, was taken over and consolidated into one entity fighting, by the king for the king. He made war an activity of the state which produced peace and order in France while strengthening the fighting power of France against other states (Norton, p.175). In addition, he put soldiers in uniform, taught them how to march in step and housed them in barracks which assisted them in becoming more susceptible to discipline and control (Norton, p.175). There was now a hierarchy in place and was able to get a greater degree of government control that put him on the top as the commander in chief of the army due to his power and the creation of the first large civilian administration (Norton, p.176). This was the first time that ministers of war consisted of civilians and this grew the armies power exponentially. Louis XIV also overhauled the grandeur of France when he took an old village Versailles and turned it into the palace of Versailles that became known as one of the most splendid marvels in Europe so much so, that it became the envy of lessor kings.

During 1789 and decades prior, peasants toil in the fields and reap the diminishing wheat stalks. Bound by the law set by the king, they suffered paying the nobility’s and clergy’s expenses with whatever income they had. When not in desperate poverty, the Third Estate would muster any energy to exert disdain to their king, indifferent behind palace walls. With Voltaire's and Rousseau's conceptions, commoners imagined a government where the nation was in potency, not the monarch. Yet, King Louis XVI taunts this bubbling tension by claiming these privileges were well-deserved, insinuating that his people were literal breadwinners, obligated to pay tribute. With high tax rates, a radical government where the people were free of ridicule circulated

For my source I chose a note written by King louis XVI. This Source is commonly called “the kings note on fleeing Paris”. King Louis the sixteenth was a very well-known king from the mid to late 1700’s and was the king of France. He was able to complete several huge accomplishments such as establishing equal rights amongst religion for those who did not personally consider themselves to be a member of the catholic faith, supporting American revolutionary efforts, and even refusing to raise taxes which, as a king, directly affected how much he earned from his time with the crown. However, because of these things like funding other countries revolutions, he sent France into a depressed financial state that hurt the middle and lower classes of

Louis XIV was a French king known for his extension of absolute royal power and aggressive foreign policy, but the documents reveal another side to him. Louis wanted his son to represent all that was good of France. One significant piece of advice he gave to his son was to keep absolute authority instead of forfeiting any amount of power to a prime minister; another was to divide orders and responsibilities among his courtiers based on talent, rather than giving all the power and responsibility to one person (Doc 5). This suggests that Louis was a good father, because he wanted his son to be an effective ruler and keep the royal dynasty alive. Besides his fondness for keeping absolute power, Louis also held a particular regard of art and sculpture.

In 1775 Louis took the throne after his grandfather Louis XV as king of France. He reigned from 1775-1792. He was married to Marie Antoinette who became France’s queen. He had good intentions but this pairing soon caused many problems for France.

Louis XIV had the longest reign in European history, ruling from 1643 to 1715 for a total of 72 years. He was born on September 5th, 1638, succeeding his father on the throne at the age of four. Because he was too young to rule France himself, his mother, Anne of Austria, became regent and ruled in his place. During his mother’s rule, the noble and judges of the parliament of Paris launched a civil war revolt known as the Fronde

King Louis XIV inherited the throne when he was only five years old. King Louis XIV of France, the absolute monarch, changed France's military and government. Hebuilt the Palace of Versailles, enhanced France's military, and involved most of Europe in war.

Louis XIV was born on September 5, 1638, and ruled as King of France and of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death at the age of 76. He took over the throne a few months before his fifth birthday, but didn't actually assume actual control of the government until his First Minister, Jules Cardinal Mazarin, died in 1661. He was to become King of France after his father, Louis XIII, died of tuberculosis. He achieved the role of king by ways of hereditary monarchy, which is one of the ways to become a ruler, as stated by Machiavelli. Louis XIV is known as the 'The Sun King' and also known as 'Louis the Great.' He ruled over France for seventy-two years, which is the longest reign of any French or any other major European ruler and

8/23/1754, King Louis was born. He came up in full fitness but he was very shy. French noblemen taught him, and he also studied religion, morality, and humanities. Louis loved physical activities like hunting and wrestling, at an early age he took delight in locksmithing that became a life-long hobby. Louis parents gave little notice to him, because their attention was on his 9 year older brother that passed away. So on December 20, 1765, Louis farther died from tuberculosis, afterwards at the age of 11 Louis became Dauphin. Louis mother never came around from the family loses and also was taken by 3/13/1767 from tuberculosis.

In 1643 Louis XIII died. Louis XIII’s wife and Louis XIV’s mother, Anne of Austria, aided by her minister, Cardinal Mazarin, ruled France as regent. Kindly but mediocre tutors gave him a feeble education, while his mother formed his rules of conscience, teaching him a simple kind of Roman Catholicism. Mazarin instructed him in court ceremony,

King Louis XIV was born in 1638. He became king at age four, and received only a mediocre education. He was taught nothing beyond pious works and decorous behavior at religious observances. He came into full power of France in 1661. Louis married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1659. When Mazarin died in 1661, Louis decided he didn’t want a powerful advisor and then started to change history. Louis had the longest reign in European history of 73 years.

When Louis XVI became King of France in 1774, he was only 20 years old. As the years

the 10th Louis was now named Louis XVI, because of his grandfather’s death. A great and honorable king was what Louis wanted to become. But his tutors kind of knew that he was childish and didn’t have enough confidence that he needed to be a great king. During Louis reign his interest was more on religious and policies. But when it comes to serious problems and crisis Louis Augusta wasn’t man enough to handle it. Self-sufficient power of his character and decisions to gain the influence with court factions or given support with reforms and their efforts to make France’s government better. Louis Augusta early policy achievement was able to support with the American colonies fight for independence. Louie’s reign