Changes

[[Image:LouisXIV.jpg|thumb|300px|right|King Louis XIV of France and Navarre by Hyacinthe Rigaud]]

[[Image:LouisXIV.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud showing off the king's dancing legs]]

'''Louis XIV''' (1638-1715) sometimes called "The Sun King" ((''Roi soleil''),, was the king of [[France]] from childhood to old age, 1643 to 1715.  He ruled France as an absolute monarch--"l'état, c'est moi" ("I am the state."). He was famous for his lavish entertainments at the [[Palace of Versailles]] near [[Paris]]. He ruled the most powerful and grandiose nation in Europe. His 72-year reign, the longest in French history, was superficially splendid but basically disastrous for France because of expensive foreign wars. His France dominated European cultural and political affairs. Louis typified the absolute monarchy of the Neoclassical age, established a sumptuous court at [[Versailles]], and fought most of Europe in four wars. Louis XIV dominated French culture by gaining international recognition of French arts, literature, and science, drastically transformed medieval France and introduced a more refined, sophisticated style of life.  

'''Louis XIV''' (1638-1715), the "The Sun King" ((''Roi soleil''),, was the king of [[France]] from childhood to old age, 1643 to 1715.  He ruled France as an absolute monarch--"l'état, c'est moi" ("I am the state."). He was famous for his lavish entertainments at the [[Palace of Versailles]] near [[Paris]]. He ruled the most powerful and grandiose nation in Europe. His 72-year reign, the longest in French history, was superficially splendid but basically disastrous for France because of expensive foreign wars. His France dominated European cultural and political affairs. Louis typified the absolute monarchy of the Neoclassical age, established a sumptuous court at [[Versailles]], and fought most of Europe in four wars. Louis XIV dominated French culture by gaining international recognition of French arts, literature, and science, drastically transformed medieval France and introduced a more refined, sophisticated style of life.  

==Early Life==

==Early Life==

Louis XIV was born to [[Louis XIII]] and [[Anne of Austria]] at the royal Château Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5, 1638 and was christened Louis Dieudonné ("gift of God"}, as his parents had been childless for twenty-two years. Even so, he was a neglected child and was kept under the care of servants. He succeeded his father on the throne at the age of four on May, 14 1643. His mother served as a regent, ruling France in in his place with the assistance of Italian-born Cardinal [[Mazarin]], who had been chief minister and tutor of five-year-old Louis. In 1648, the [[Thirty Years' War]] was brought to a successful conclusion in the [[Peace of Westphalia]] by Mazarin. The treaty ensured Dutch independence from [[Spain]] and the independence of German princes in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. But France gained the most out of the treaty. All [[Habsburg]] claims in Alsace were ceded to France, as well as German states under Habsburg rule. The Peace of Westphalia severely weakened both the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. In the closing years of the Thirty Years' War, the [[Fronde]] (1648-53) broke out, in which the aristocrats of Paris launched a major revolt in reaction the policies of centralization pursued by [[Cardinal Richelieu]] and Mazarin. The royal court was twice driven out of the kingdom. Louis, nine-years-old at the time, faced hunger, poverty, fear, and misfortune during the revolts. The revolts caused the young king to develop a fear of rebellion that he would keep for the rest of his life. He also would never forgive Paris and the nobles and would live in the royal palace of Versailles outside of Paris for much of his reign.  

Louis XIV was born to [[Louis XIII]] and [[Anne of Austria]] at the royal Château Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5, 1638 and was christened Louis Dieudonné ("gift of God"}, as his parents had been childless for twenty-two years. Even so, he was a neglected child and was kept under the care of servants. He succeeded his father on the throne at the age of four on May, 14 1643. His mother served as a regent, ruling France in in his place with the assistance of Italian-born Cardinal [[Mazarin]], who had been chief minister and tutor of five-year-old Louis. In 1648, the [[Thirty Years' War]] was brought to a successful conclusion in the [[Peace of Westphalia]] by Mazarin. The treaty ensured Dutch independence from [[Spain]] and the independence of German princes in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. But France gained the most out of the treaty. All [[Habsburg]] claims in Alsace were ceded to France, as well as German states under Habsburg rule. The Peace of Westphalia severely weakened both the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. In the closing years of the Thirty Years' War, the [[Fronde]] (1648-53) broke out, in which the aristocrats of Paris launched a major revolt in reaction the policies of centralization pursued by [[Cardinal Richelieu]] and Mazarin. The royal court was twice driven out of the kingdom. Louis, nine-years-old at the time, faced hunger, poverty, fear, and misfortune during the revolts. The revolts caused the young king to develop a fear of rebellion that he would keep for the rest of his life. He also would never forgive Paris and the nobles and would live in the royal palace of Versailles outside of Paris for much of his reign.  

Mazarin, having been victorious over the rebels in 1653, sought to teach the young king his knowledge of foreign policies and diplomatic relations. The [[Thirty Years' War]] had ended for the most part, except for the war between France and Spain, whose outcome would transfer hegemony from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons. In 1658, Louis had fallen in love with Mazarin's niece, Marie Mancini. But he instead married for diplomatic reasons, marrying [[Marie-Thérèse]], daughter of the king of Spain, in 1660 in order to bring peace to the two warring countries and conclude the [[Treaty of the Pyrenees]].<ref>John Wolf, ''Louis XIV'' (1968) p 117-8 </ref>  

Mazarin, having been victorious over the rebels in 1653, sought to teach the young king his knowledge of foreign policies and diplomatic relations. The [[Thirty Years' War]] had ended for the most part, except for the war between France and Spain, whose outcome would transfer hegemony from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons. In 1658, Louis had fallen in love with Mazarin's niece, Marie Mancini. But he instead married for diplomatic reasons, marrying Marie-Thérèse, daughter of the king of Spain, in 1660 in order to bring peace to the two warring countries and conclude the [[Treaty of the Pyrenees]].<ref>John Wolf, ''Louis XIV'' (1968) p 117-8 </ref>  

==Absolute Monarchy==

==Absolute Monarchy==

By the time Mazarin died in early 1661, Louis had become an astute military commander. He prided himself as an excellent horseman, a great dancer, and a lively conversationalist. Yet the king possessed little skill in governing and it was expected for Mazarin to most likely be succeeded by minister [[Michel Le Tellier]]. But Louis did what nobody had anticipated and declared that he would rule France without a chief minister and would rule as an absolute monarch. His reign represented the  

By the time [[Mazarin]] died in early 1661, Louis had become an astute military commander. He prided himself as an excellent horseman, a great dancer, and a lively conversationalist. Yet the king possessed little skill in governing and it was expected for Mazarin to most likely be succeeded by minister Michel Le Tellier. But Louis did what nobody had anticipated and declared that he would rule France without a chief minister and would rule as an absolute monarch. His reign represented the  

apogee of centralized monarchical government; all his ministers paled in comparison with the regal figure of the king, who summed it up in the statement, "I am the state" ("L'Etat c'est moi").<ref> Louis probably never said it; his enemies claimed he did.</ref> State power under Louis achieved new stage of control over three critical administrative functions: use of armed force, formulation and execution of laws, and collection and expenditure of revenue.  

apogee of centralized monarchical government; all his ministers paled in comparison with the regal figure of the king, who summed it up in the statement, "I am the state" ("L'Etat c'est moi").<ref> Louis probably never said it; his enemies claimed he did.</ref> State power under Louis achieved new stage of control over three critical administrative functions: use of armed force, formulation and execution of laws, and collection and expenditure of revenue.  

Louis wielded unlimited authority and made all key decisions. Even the greatest of ministers were controlled by the king. His key ministers included [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] for home affairs, the [[Marquis de Louvois]] for war, and [[Hugues de Lionne]] for diplomacy.<ref>John Wolf, ''Louis XIV'' (1968) pp 133-43 </ref>   

Louis wielded unlimited authority and made all key decisions. Even the greatest of ministers were controlled by the king. His key ministers included [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] for home affairs, the Marquis de Louvois for war, and Hugues de Lionne for diplomacy.<ref>John Wolf, ''Louis XIV'' (1968) pp 133-43 </ref>   

Louis created a system of secret police to promote his popularity and hunt down subversives. He created a thicker network of surveillance and repression than his predecessors or any other contemporary ruler, when, in 1667, he created a lieutenant-general of police in Paris. (Previously the Parlement of Paris controlled the police.)  By 1699 Louis had established the same system in all major cities, with the police reporting directly to him and not to local officials. In rural France he mounted a national police constabulary, the maréchaussée. At the least sign of revolt, Louis sent his police or his army. Thus the 1670 peasant uprisings in the Boulonnais and Languedoc were swiftly crushed. Thereafter no serious revolts threatened, even though the country periodically suffered devastating famines in the final two decades of his reign.<ref>W. Scott Haine and Frank W. Thackeray, ''The History of France''(2000) p. 57.</ref>  

Louis created a system of secret police to promote his popularity and hunt down subversives. He created a thicker network of surveillance and repression than his predecessors or any other contemporary ruler, when, in 1667, he created a lieutenant-general of police in Paris. (Previously the Parlement of Paris controlled the police.)  By 1699 Louis had established the same system in all major cities, with the police reporting directly to him and not to local officials. In rural France he mounted a national police constabulary, the maréchaussée. At the least sign of revolt, Louis sent his police or his army. Thus the 1670 peasant uprisings in the Boulonnais and Languedoc were swiftly crushed. Thereafter no serious revolts threatened, even though the country periodically suffered devastating famines in the final two decades of his reign.<ref>W. Scott Haine and Frank W. Thackeray, ''The History of France''(2000) p. 57.</ref>  

Everyone understood that the king made all the decisions; his generals understood this too well. While never opposing the king's ideas, from 1675 through the 1690s they subtly selected what information to present and how to present it, so that the king and his advisers would be manipulated to follow the thinking of the generals.

Everyone understood that the king made all the decisions; his generals understood this too well. While never opposing the king's ideas, from 1675 through the 1690s they subtly selected what information to present and how to present it, so that the king and his advisers would be manipulated to follow the thinking of the generals.

Beik (2005) examines differing historical theories concerning the limits of power of Louis XIV as an absolute monarch. In the 1970s, the dominant historiography concluded Louis' government was a form of collaboration between the king and various groups. One view of collaboration stressed the common interests of the state and other groups in society. Another perceived the collaboration as arising from the necessity of the state to cooperate with local authorities due to a lack of general interest on the part of the king. However, a minority of historians since the late 1980s have challenged the consensus and argued that there was little collaboration between the king and other powerful entities. These historians<ref> Including John J. Hurt, ''Louis XIV and the Parlements: The Assertion of Royal Authority'' (2004)</ref> argue that the majority of the decisions affecting the country were made by either the king or one of his appointed agents. Although this alternative interpretation sheds new light on the working of the French state, Beik concludes it fails to consider the substantial evidence of collaboration.<ref> William Beik, "The Absolutism of Louis XIX as Social Collaboration." ''Past & Present'' 2005 (188): 195-224. Issn: 0031-2746 Fulltext online at [[OUP]]</ref>  For example, much more money was urgently needed because of the War of the Spanish Succession. The king obtained it by selling judicial offices. This alarmed the parlementaires, who feared a loss in value of their own holdings. The complex negotiations between the king and these nobles reveal that the practice of absolutism in the king's late reign was neither all collaboration nor all coercion.<ref> Darryl Dee, "Judicial Politics, War Finance and Absolutism: the Parlement of Besancon and Venality of Office, 1699-1705." ''French History'' 2005 19(4): 440-462. Issn: 0269-1191 Fulltext: in [[OUP]]</ref>

Beik (2005) examines differing historical theories concerning the limits of power of Louis XIV as an absolute monarch. In the 1970s, the dominant historiography concluded Louis' government was a form of collaboration between the king and various groups. One view of collaboration stressed the common interests of the state and other groups in society. Another perceived the collaboration as arising from the necessity of the state to cooperate with local authorities due to a lack of general interest on the part of the king. However, a minority of historians since the late 1980s have challenged the consensus and argued that there was little collaboration between the king and other powerful entities. These historians<ref> Including John J. Hurt, ''Louis XIV and the Parlements: The Assertion of Royal Authority'' (2004)</ref> argue that the majority of the decisions affecting the country were made by either the king or one of his appointed agents. Although this alternative interpretation sheds new light on the working of the French state, Beik concludes it fails to consider the substantial evidence of collaboration.For example, much more money was urgently needed because of the War of the Spanish Succession. The king obtained it by selling judicial offices. This alarmed the parlementaires, who feared a loss in value of their own holdings. The complex negotiations between the king and these nobles reveal that the practice of absolutism in the king's late reign was neither all collaboration nor all coercion.<ref> Darryl Dee, "Judicial Politics, War Finance and Absolutism: the Parlement of Besancon and Venality of Office, 1699-1705." ''French History'' 2005 19(4): 440-462. Issn: 0269-1191 Fulltext: in [[OUP]]</ref>

===Political ideas===

===Political ideas===

* Ashley, Maurice P. ''Louis XIV And The Greatness Of France'' (1965) [http://www.amazon.com/Louis-Greatness-France-Maurice-Ashley/dp/0029010802/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467644&sr=1-22 excerpt and text search]  

* Ashley, Maurice P. ''Louis XIV And The Greatness Of France'' (1965) [http://www.amazon.com/Louis-Greatness-France-Maurice-Ashley/dp/0029010802/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467644&sr=1-22 excerpt and text search]  

* Beik, William. ''Louis XIV and Absolutism: A Brief Study with Documents'' (2000)  [http://www.amazon.com/Louis-XIV-Absolutism-Documents-Bedford/dp/031213309X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467216&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]

* Beik, William. ''Louis XIV and Absolutism: A Brief Study with Documents'' (2000)  [http://www.amazon.com/Louis-XIV-Absolutism-Documents-Bedford/dp/031213309X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467216&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]

* Burke, Peter. ''The Fabrication of Louis XIV'' (1994) [http://www.amazon.com/Fabrication-Louis-XIV-Peter-Burke/dp/0300059434/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467216&sr=1-6 excerpt and text search]

* Burke, Peter. ''The Fabrication of Louis XIV'' (1994) [http://www.amazon.com/Fabrication-Louis-XIV-Peter-Burke/dp/0300059434/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202467216&sr=1-6 excerpt and text search]

* ''Cambridge Modern History: Vol. 5 The Age Of Louis XIV'' (1908), old, solid articles by scholars;  [http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/cmh/cmh.html#cmh1 complete text online]

* ''Cambridge Modern History: Vol. 5 The Age Of Louis XIV'' (1908), old, solid articles by scholars;  [http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/cmh/cmh.html#cmh1 complete text online]