Throughout The Sun King’s (Louis) reign he seized and augmented absolutism in France, legitimized his illegitimate children, won several wars, took full responsibility of the population and brought other countries to their knees using the supreme power of France. Louis had many lovers and mistresses of which one was his brothers wife. At age 72 he was having sex with his wife twice a day. He was… The Most Interesting Man In The World. Louis Established France as the Dominant European Power during his reign. Louis had a very powerful military, “Under Louis XIV, the French Royal Army is considered to have been one of the most powerful in the world.” (“French Royal”) The military service entitled jobs and other forms for the french nobility …show more content…
He reigned for 73 years, the highest out of any monarch during the 17th and 18th century. Through Louis’s absolutism he constructed an immense and gorgeous palace called the Palace of Versailles, the Palace of Versailles symbolized Louis’s unique characteristic of the Sun and showed off his supreme power including the French Empire, “he liked to be called the Sun King because of his belief that as sun, all power radiated from him.” (“The Sun.”) The Palace of Versailles also resembled the sun in such a way that it was the sun. Louis invited all the nobles to live there, which also helped in less assassination attempts and would increase his power even more by making the nobility one hundred percent dependant on Louis because they were away from their home. Louis would check the absentees when ever he felt like it, when their names were called out Louis would simply say he does not know them. “These acts show the king’s dedication to having a loyal court and increased his authority” (“The Sun.”) Every time of the day when Louis would eat his meals, he would eat like a thousand kings eating all at once, “he had nearly 500 cooks, waiters and other servants to satisfy his tastes.” (“The Sun.”) When Louis would travel he took the countryside because he loathed the city. While travelling with …show more content…
During Louis’s reign he had created and seen many critical and astounding discoveries such as foods, regions and lakes, “including colonies made in the America's and the far east.” (“Louis Unique.”) Although past French colonization in the west aided in predominance, Louis helped the colonies become apart of France, expanded territory, let business augment and increased growth of population and trade. “Under Louis XIV New France flourished.” (“New France.”) Louis would encourage life in the new colony by sending, “850 young women as brides-to-be.” (“New France.”) The principles of reconstructing the fur network trades and colonization led to rejuvenated exploration of the Great-Lakes and Mississippi areas. Jean Talon started new enterprises, “such as shipbuilding, trade with the West Indies, commercial crops like flax and hemp, fishing industries and a brewery.” (“New France.”) Near the end of Louis’s life, “New France reached its greatest territorial extent at the start of the 18th century.” (“New France.”) Approximately two hundred fifty people were living in increments of twelve settlements in NewFoundLand and approximately fifteen hundred people in Acadia. “Several hundred lived around the mouth of the Mississippi and around the Great Lakes.” (“New France.”) Louis’s empire had several trading posts, located at the Saguenay River Basin. A total of twenty thousand people
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
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.
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.
King Louis XIV was born on September 5, 1638, in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and died on September 1, 1715, in Versailles, Yvelines, France at the age of 77. He became King of France at the age of 13, and with it, became the most powerful person in France. During his reign, Louis XIV would enact multiple policies based on his beliefs. He was a very religious and pious king who would persecute the Quietists and Jansenists from France, and threatened them to recant their beliefs or be put in prison or exiled from France (Cole et. al., 408). Louis also took part in a few colonial conquests for France, establishing colonies in the West Indies, Saint-Domingue being one of his most important economic colonies for its production of sugar. He also established colonies in North America and had a somewhat successful fur trade, as well as
Through Louis XIV wars his people groups economy was backing off and getting to be distinctly poor, so that left his kin to not need him any longer. During his time a head he cleared out a positive foundation and a legacy of the French Empire. Lord Louis was known as the most effective leader of his time.
He gained power by having the nobility who wanted to be in his court to either regularly visit Versailles or take up residence in one of the many apartments of Versailles. This would weaken the power of the nobles, who would be unable to take their personal armies with them or their fortunes with them on these trips or while they lived at Versailles. In addition to this, Louis XIV held “....frequent fêtes….”, or social gatherings among the court and royalty. The fêtes “were means on which the king seized in order to distinguish or mortify the courtiers, and thus rendering them more assiduous in pleasing him” (Doc 3).
Louis XIV was deserving of his name, “Le Roi Soleil”, which means the Sun King, due to
The nature of the French absolutist state was such that it did not limit the king by laws or rules dictated by the parlement or any of its representative bodies. It’s based on a belief of the divine right of kings, and Louis XIV takes this to heart in adopting the name the Sun King. The king did everything within his capabilities to exude power and control, by commissioning massive elegant portraits of himself, as well as constructing
Louis XIV had a passion for glory and used it to fight four wars because he was motivated by personal and dynastic considerations.
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.
King Louis XIV held absolute power over France. It was believed that the King was chosen divinely by God to rule, giving him absolute power. Another extent of the power he held is shown when he took away the traditional powers of the nobility, making him France’s sole and supreme ruler. Having absolute power over France ensured that Louis XIV held lots of power. However, Louis’s supreme power did in fact, bring positive change to France. Louis enjoyed the arts, and frequently surrounded himself with artists, musicians, and writers. He frequently had himself painted as a conquering, and heroic figure. He had high expectations for these paintings, this ensured France leadership in arts and science, making it the dominant power in Europe, and the place to be for the wealthy. Louis used his supreme power to build a palace from which he ruled, and nobles resided. This palace, which was located at Versailles, became a symbol of royal wealth and power. Document 2 depicts a performance at Versailles, the stage is
King Louis XIV was born in the year of 1638 and his reign lasted for 72 years. He was also known as the Sun King for his wealth. Louis was made king at 4 and a half years old yet his mother served his role because of how young he was. She had chief minister Cardinal Jules Mazarin help assist her. After Mazarin’s death in 1661 Louis decided that he would rule without a chief minister and have all the power to himself which surprised the whole court. He told the court that he was a direct representative of God. This gave him the right to use absolute monarchy in France. This is why he chose the sun to resemble him and his power. King Louis XIV devoted all his time into rebuilding France and to tighten his control. He organized the army and made
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.
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.
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.