Louis XVI
When Louis XVI became King of France in 1774, he was only 20 years old. As the years passed, he learned how to rule better. Then he began to make changes. He abolished the age old practice of feudalism. The calling of the Estates-General was another change in the
French government which he introduced. When the monarchy was abolished, he saw it as something that would help his country. All of Louis actions were attempts to achieve one goal. Louis XVI tried to please the French people and prevent the French Revolution.
For many centuries, a feudal system had been in use in France. The peasants and serfs were at the bottom of this system. They made up 75% of the population. The National
Assembly (formerly the
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Having the ideas of the French people in the French government would make the government closer to the people. A system with representatives from all the provinces of
France would accomplish that deed. Louis XVI achieved this by calling the
Estates-General into the government in May 1789. This was a group of peers and deputies from towns and provinces across France. They had not been used in the government since
1614. They were originally put on an equal level with the King. The King had to approve all the laws that were to be passed. The commoners had one of the three votes in the
Estates-General, so they had their say. Laws were passed by the Estates-General and
National Assembly, including removing the nobles rights over the serfs and peasants.
Another law reduced the power of the church by not allowing the church to own farming land. The National Assembly was the name they used when the third estate broke away and gave themselves power, but that is a different story. By giving the Estates-General power, Louis XVI got the peopleÕs ideas into the French government.
One of the wants of the insurgents in France was the removal of the monarchy altogether.
To satisfy the wants of the revolutionaries, Louis XVI stepped down from the throne. He actually did this because of a measure taken by the National Assembly on August 10,
1792, which
In this letter, he disapproved of the reduction of his royal powers and personal wealth, which affected his lifestyle and authority. He denounced the Revolution, National Assembly, and its constitution. Copies of the letter circulated in public and revealed to people that “Louis had lied to the French” when he swore an oath “before God and the nation to uphold the constitution” (102). Not only did he leave behind his people but his flight would have led to a civil war between revolutionaries and loyalists aided by foreigners. On top of that, deputies of the National Assembly dealt with the aftermath of a missing king: paranoid Parisians suspecting a conspiracy, people storming the palace, and palace servants being accused of treason. This added to the “profound sense of desertion and betrayal” by a king that people saw as a “good father” (222). Out of disgust, they denounced Louis: calling him all sorts of names, took down portraits of him, and covered “in black the word royal” on signs, buildings, and other public places (110). The “myth of the kingship had been shattered” because nobody knew what to do with Louis at this time (104, 108). Some wanted exile or imprisonment whereas others suggested reinstating him as only a figurehead, and some thought about a “republic without a king” (108). Either way, they no longer
The feudal system began to decline after the Black Death struck Europe in the late 1340’s. The feudal system joined politics and grouped together the social classes of that period. It began with the “relationship between two freemen (men who are not serfs), a lord and his vassal. Vassal derived from a Celtic word for servant, but in feudal terms vassal meant a free person who put himself under the protection of a lord and for whom he rendered loyal military aid.” This relationship was mutually beneficial at first, but throughout the development of the system, great restrictions were endured.
• Began with a General Court, then to a colonial legislature, consisting of a governor and a two-house legislature. Property owning, adult male, church members were the only ones who could vote.
exempted from taxes and tariffs. Even more outlandish, even though these people represented only four percent of the population, they made up approximately sixty percent of the government.
During the middle ages the lack of protection and a stable government after the Fall of Rome created the need for a new political system. Feudalism was the political system that emerged and shaped the lives of people socially and politically. Manors were small communities that were made up of a castle, church, village, and land for farming. The structured society provided a place and responsibility for everyone. The feudal obligations showed that in exchange for one thing they would be provided with something else. Serfs and peasants would work and produce goods for the rest of the manor and in return had their land and promised protection. The vassals would need to obtain land from the Lord and in return would provide the Lord with military service, loyalty, and ransom if asked for (Doc. 4). To make clear the vassal’s specific allegiance to their lord whom they owed in for exchange for their fief they would take the Homage Oath (Doc. 2). This interdependent system required everyone to do their part and it created social classes that they were born into. Their daily lives were centered on the manor and that was how it stayed until towns began to
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.
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
I believe Louis is to blame for the nature of the Revolution in the sense of his indecisiveness people drew themselves away from him and his reputation began to diminish by that. I don’t think it was the revolutionary’s intent to overthrow the monarchy, but when public opinion began to grow that Louis isn’t fit to be king the idea spread. When the king did turn up missing I think it’s fair to say that it was the first time in which the 3rd estate showed feelings publicly how they resented a king and aristocrats. I think that originally revolutionaries planned on keeping a monarchy intact but they wanted equal rights and to limit the kings some. It wasn’t until he and the queen fled where they idea of getting rid of a monarchy altogether came into play.
Louis XIV 's France was an absolute monarchy, meaning the king had the power, control, finances and the nation in his hands more then ever before. In the 17th century, France was the strongest and wealthiest nation in Europe, and the head of the state, the king, was the most influential person of the time. In the ideas of the scientific revolution and the soon-coming changes of the enlightenment the country was developing. For a few decades France was not involved in any major wars or battles and the peace helped the population grow fast.
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.
He reigned in France for 72 years, and during 54 of them he personally controlled the French government. The 17th century is labeled as the age of Louis XIV. Since then his rule has been hailed as the supreme example of absolutism government. He epitomized the ideal of kingship. During his reign France stabilized and became one of the strongest powers in Europe.
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.
After being ruled by a prime minister for so long, France needed some changes. That is exactly what Louis the XIV would bring to France. In an age of separation, Louis wanted to start a unification process. He started this by giving himself sole power and also only having one religion for the country. The king is always the center of attention good or bad. Louis was prepared to take the good with the bad, and handled it well. He emphasized the king as the center of attention. While some see him as egotistical and greedy, Louis was one king who knew how to make improvements.
“Louis IX was born April 25, 1214 and died August 25, 1270.” (Biography., 2004)”He was also known as King of France. He was the son of King Louis VIII and Queen Blanche of Castile.” (Biography., 2004) “Louis was the fourth child but they all died in the early stages of their life so he was the only surviving child” (Snell, King Louis IX of France, 2015). “When Louis IX was born his
When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 C.E., chaos fell upon Western Europe for many centuries. Obviously the people who lived there needed some system to live by. This is where feudalism developed; this system covered everything but religion. The king ruled over all of this, he was in control over everything. This king owned a big amount of land and had it trusted to men, who were called vassals.