The historian Frederick William Maitland was fond of reminding the scholars of his generation to "think the thoughts of medieval men as they thought them" . To assess the achievements of Louis IX we must try to think his thoughts. We cannot make assessments based on what we perceive to be achievements in this age, as this will invariably lead us to false conclusions. From a detached perspective Louis was a golden king. His administration was second to none. His reputation internationally was unexcelled both in his role as arbiter for other countries, peacemaker in his own and, as William Chester Jordan remarked on his securing of the Languedoc "his rapid assimilation of this region must be accounted as one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in medieval history" . There can be no doubt that if Louis' aim was to be a just and pious ruler and create a harmonious and prosperous France, which would be an example to the rest of the world, his French contemporaries and their forthcoming generations, he seemed to achieve his aim. In the mindset of a medieval man however this was all mere discipline and preparation for the ultimate test of the quality of rulership-the purification of Holy War. To the mind of a medieval ruler, especially one so admired for his piety and called `most Christian', this was the penultimate test and one that Louis failed. One has only to read one of his multitude of worshippers to realise he was a ruler who was hugely respected but does the fact that he failed to achieve his one aim in life taint his other achievements as they were in preparation for something that was ultimately a failure? It seems excessive to dismiss what he worked for so ruthlessly but if we follow Maitland's principle we ...
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...he Holy Land and constantly strive for what was out of reach, but could have channelled those efforts into making Jerusalem in his own kingdom. For Louis IX, the crusades, instead of being a worthy pursuit, became the only barrier to creating a perfectly functioning kingdom at home. Was this why God did not appear to smile on his first crusade...because he saw that Louis' missionary zeal was really needed before his very eyes at home?
*Word Count: 2,298.
Maitland, Frederick William,
Chester Jordan,William, Louis IX and the Challenge of the Crusade.(Princeton,1979) p.219
ibid. (p.182)
Georges Duby, France in the Middle Ages 987-1460 (Oxford, 1991).
Gibbon, The decline and fall of the Roman Empire, Ch.3, Pg.82.
Plato's Republic, Everyman edition, Par.581c.
Joinville. ibid (p.p
See Speigel, "Cult of Saint-Denis" pp.62-65
Louis XIV is considered the “perfect absolutist” and he has been said to have been one of the greatest rulers in France’s history. He came up with several different strategic plans to gain absolute
He moved his court because he did not feel safe in Paris and could watch over his court officials due to living so close to one another. This piece certainly provides evidence of what Louis himself valued, but perhaps these attributes are needed to effectively rule with absolutism. Throughout this entire document, the author is implying how great Louis is as a person and an effective ruler. He even goes to list his issues: “All his faults were produced by his surroundings...soon found out his weak point, namely, his love of hearing his own praises” (Saint-Simon). Louis cared deeply regarding his personal image and these weaknesses do not seem that drastic, but according to him, “It was this love of praise which made it easy for Louvois to engage him in serious wars” (Saint-Simon). The text gives historians information about Louis’ love-affair with Mademoiselle de la Valliere, compelling his courtiers to spend more than they earned creating a dependency, and other interesting details regarding his life that are excluded in textbooks. Overall, this document provides a deeper insight to King Louis XIV personality and justifications for why he chose the actions he did. Duc de Saint-Simon, someone that resided at the Palace of Versailles, can provide information about a man that ruled with an iron fist over his
(Lecture 9 notes) Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II vowed to lead a Crusade in 1215, however, due to domestic political reasons postponed his departure. Under pressure from Pope Gregory IX, Frederick and his army finally sailed from Italy, but returned to port within a few days because Frederick had fallen ill. ( A&A 72-74) The pope, angered at this delay excommunicated the emperor. In 1228 Fredrick tried to seize the Holy Land, the unconventional Crusade was led by diplomatic negotiations with the Egyptian sultan. From these negotiations a peace treaty was produced. A couple years later Louis IX, Saint Louis of France, decided that his obligations as a son of the Church outweighed those of his throne, and he left his kingdom for a six-year adventure. Since the base of Muslim power had shifted to Egypt, Louis did not even march on the Holy Land. His plan continued by plotting an attack on Cairo in the spring, which turned into a catastrophe. This was because the Crusaders did not guard their flanks and allowed the enemy to retain control over the water reservoirs, in which the enemy was able to flood the Crusaders out and trap the whole army. Louis was forced to surrender in April
The reading depicted the surprising visit of King Louis XIV, together with six hundred nobles and thousands of court servants at Chantilly in 1671. The host Prince de Condé and his most trusted headwaiter Francois Vatel was given fifteen days to be prepared for the arrival of the gigantic royal party. A spontaneous event of mis-arrangements during the preparation has gradually built up the stresses on Vatel which ultimately broke down his stress threshold and led to his tragic ending. Madame de Sévigné who was a talented letter writer in 17th century decided wrote down the tragic story of a courtier in her letter, even though she was never there to see it in person.
However, because King Louis XIV was more interested in the creative activities of the state, France was weakened by several extensive wars, that and his
Politically, Louis was corrupt because of his greed. He fought costly wars--in the high numbers of casualties and monetary encouragement--at the drop of a hat. His country was the most powerful, and was very populous. His armies were large in size at peacetime, and even larger in wartime. Their strength, though, was no match for the failure Louis faced in wars. His wars left France almost bankrupt. He wanted larger borders, went to any extent to get them, but lost all of the three times he tried.
O: Rage and revolt can describe the country of France at the time of the Revolution faced because of turmoil and struggle they faced. Different estates were formed based on what you did and your class in society. The people of society wanted more say in the government and decisions that King Louis XVI made. The public didn't approve with much of what King Louis did. His lack of ability to be a strong king and leader affected his reputation to the public eye. King Louis was tried for committing treason to the country of France. Treason is the attempt to kill a sovereign and overthrow the government. Some of the reasons were his attempt to flee to Varennes, living in Versailles which was not in Paris, and reforms he passed as a ruler. These actions performed by King Louis isn’t what a King does, but that doesn’t prove any
The French Code Noir, also known as The Black Code, was a decree originally passed by King Louis XIV of France in 1685. The decree was a document that established the main points for slavery policies, including not only the treatment of the slaves but the life, death, purchase, and religion of the slaves. These policies were to be followed by the masters of the slaves in all French Colonies. Slavery was a huge issue and has shaped history in a way that nothing else has. Slavery has brought many social, political, and ethical issues to the world.
There is just something about Paris, France that draws in millions of visitors every year. Maybe it is the cobbled streets, or the picturesque cafes down small alleys, or perhaps it is the “love in the air”. In the City of Lights, there is just so much to do and explore. Millions of tourists flock to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower every year, but only a few miles away lies another jewel, a palace so magnificent the gods wept at its beauty. The Palace of Versailles is a stunning structure built by Louis XIV to glorify France during the 16th century, and it exudes French sophistication and extravagance. Louis spent years transforming a mediocre hunting lodge into a grandiose palace, perfecting every last detail. This opulent palace however, had its own secret agenda to lure the government out of Paris and into the Versailles under Louis’ watch. The beautiful 16th century Palace of Versailles alludes to the powerful rule of Louis XIV but it also serves as a gilded cage to his court, all while exemplifying French Baroque architecture and elegance.
Power- something so potent, yet so easy to misuse. Not everyone can obtain power, however those who possess it often acquire arrogance. Louis XIV held total control of France, abusing his dominance. Louis called himself ‘the Sun King’, believing that everything revolved around him. His pompousness led him to making foolish decisions, as he considered himself to be superior. If you don’t use your brain, you will ultimately lose it, as Louis was beheaded by the determined citizens of France. Likewise, in Antigone, King Creon is the ruler of Thebes. Creon makes an arbitrary ruling, swearing the ‘disloyal’ Polyneices should never be buried. When Antigone goes against this, Creon is infuriated. Creon lets his arrogance take over, and continuously makes unwise decisions. Power simply creates narcissism, as Creon’s pride causes him to commit foolish actions.
...s was from a military stand point, which was rare for him. In 1667, Louis attacked a portion of the Netherlands that was owned by the Spanish. This resulted in the gaining of 12 towns, which encouraged Louis to attack the Dutch Netherlands, which did gain him a few wealthy port towns, before ending in disaster. Louis’ last great success was the building of the Palace of Versailles, which as described earlier was a feat never before matched by a ruler.
... move, defunding any revolts they might plan, and preoccupying their time with petty social matters instead of matters of the state. If Louis’ reign was not supported by the enabling qualities of the Palace of Versailles, his reign would certainly not be as absolute as it was.
For the first portion of his quote, “one king”, Louis consolidated his power in many ways. France, as well as many other countries throughout the middle ages and early renaissance, had their power balanced between the nobles and the dynastic ruling class, where nobles controlled their individual provinces and the king would have to rely on his nobles to spread his royal decrees. This was highly demonstrated throughout the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th and parts of the 17th century, where the polygot of cultures, religions, and languages lead Charles V to have to rely on the nobles, confederacy, and a decentralization of government to rule. Because of these sacrifices, Charles V never really ruled his country, nor did he achieve any of his goals. He died a white haired old man, giving his domains to his son and brother. Louis XIV actually achieved his goal in a very different way, by defeating the power of the noble class, while strenghening the middle class, or the bourgeois. Louis built an internal beauracracy within France, and believed that a countries power came from it’s unification and military prowess. These beliefs were largely based on the early years of his rule. Louis XIV became king when he was only 5 years old, so his mother. Anne of Austria, and Cardinal Mazarin, rumored to be her lover, ruled in his place as a child. Mazarin was the ideological heir to Richelieu, w...
In the seventeenth century there were different types of leaders in Europe. The classic monarchial rule was giving way to absolutist rule. Absolute kings claimed to be ruling directly from God, therefore having divine rule that could not be interfered with. In 1643 Louis XIV began his reign over France as an absolute king.