A Powerful Monarch Louis XIV

Louis XIV reigned as the King of France for seventy-two years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs in the country of Europe. With his interest in the arts he changed France’s culture from medieval to exquisite. Louis wanted to have no remnants of feudalism, he wanted an absolute monarchy. His aim was to have monarchy be the most important political authority. Louis XIV was a very powerful monarch who symbolized absolute monarchy and helped France gain great power.
Louis XIV was the first child of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria and was considered to be God-given. (Steingrad.) Since he was the first direct male heir to Louis XII, his father’s death allowed him to succeed the throne at just the age of four. Due to the fact that Louis was so young, his kingly responsibilities were taken up by his mother and Cardinal Joules Mazarin. His mother and Mazarin proposed a new plan to raise money, which would require that the magistrates of the high courts to give up four years' salary. (Steingrad.) The judges and nobles of the Parlement of France did not agree with these policies. In objection to their disagreement, the government arrested several members of the parlement. This then caused the Parisians to protest and blockade the streets. This was called the Fronde of the Parlement, which lasted throughout 1648 until the next year.
After Cardinal Mazarin’s death in 1661, Louis XIV finally took personal control of the government. Louis would go on to rule France for fifty-four years after he was crowned in his early twenties. He decided not to have a first minister and he then took full responsibility of Mazarin’s rule. He replaced the Controller-General of Finances, Nicolas Fouquet, with Jean-Baptiste Colbert on suspicion...

... middle of paper ...

...lives rather than face starvation. Louis’s death was caused by gangrene, which spread throughout his body. He was in agony for three weeks before he died at Versailles just before his seventy-seventh birthday. (Bio.) His reign had lasted for seven decades, making it the longest of any European kings. His last words were towards his grandson which were, “Why are you weeping? Did you imagine that I was immortal?” (Bio.)
The Sun King had a great influence in France and its power. He oversaw the construction of the Palace of Versailles, which was around 37,000 acres of land. He loved war and spent one out of every two years during his reign in war. Louis XIV made France one of the greatest powers in Europe. Unfortunately, his construction of the Palace left France in terrible debt. Because of his expenses and his bankruptcy, he may have been a contribution to rebellion.