The Absolutism Of King Louis XIV

Louis XIV, the ruler of France from the late seventeenth century to the early eighteenth century, claimed, “I am the state.” He considered this to be absolutism. His goal, also acquainted with absolutism, was, “one king, one law, one faith;” Furthermore, Louis wanted to promote religious unity, royal dignity, and security of the state. In order to achieve this goal, he had to rule with a firm hand, laying down the law for all to see. Louis XIV’s absolutism fostered in four major parts: the building of Versailles to control the nobility, the breeding of a strong military, the improvement of France’s economy, and, while quite harsh, the brutal extinction of religious toleration.

After the occurrence of the Fronde, an open rebellion of the nobility to reduce the power of the king, Louis XIV realized that he could no longer trust his nobles. Because of this, Louis called for the construction of Versailles, a grand palace located outside of Paris. He ordered for all his court to live at Versailles so that they would lose interest in political power, having no need to rebel. This ...