The Sun King: Louis XIV of France

France Under Louis XIV

France dominated Europe during Louix XIV’s reign (1643- 1715) because of its large population which still tripled that of England’s, its favorable agricultural settings, organized army, and thriving culture. France flourished in the arts with talented painters, writers, mathematicians, and scientists such as Poussin, Moliere, La Fontaine, Descartes, and Pascal. Louis XIV himself was a great benefactor of the arts and created official academies. Other centers of intellectual and artistic life appeared with salons, or frequent meeting places usually held by wealthy upper-class women. At such salons, particularly in Paris, people would discuss philosophy, artwork, literature and other aspects of French society. They also often invited foreign visitors who carried over the French ideas of fashion, language, and manners to other parts of Europe.

Louis XIV and the Modern State

Louis XIV of France developed the state in its modern form by centralizing power directly to him. He worked to eliminate feudal practices and institute a sovereign state, where the ruler would have a monopoly over the lawmaking process and the armed forces of his kingdom. The modern state was created by a need for peace at home and war abroad. Louis XIV managed to keep order and security within France while supporting and controlling armies to use against other states. Louis XIV was one of the closest examples of the term “absolute monarch” in European history. His motto, “L’etat, c’est moi” literally means, “The state is myself,” or “I am the state,” which reflects the idea of a sovereign state, with him having control of it all.

Military Reform

Before Louis XIV, armies were almost like private enterprises – bands of fighters worked for governments they chose, either for money or for their own political reasons. They were hard to control since they fought for their own interests regardless of state issues of peace. For instance, in the Thirty Years’ War and the Fronde, many of these hired or independent soldiers continued to fight, ravaging peasants and civilians. Thus, in military, Louis XIV wanted to assure himself the control of the army in order to maintain peace and security within France, as well as to strengthen French forces against neighboring states. He saw to it that all armed forces in France fought for him alone, and had them uniformed, well-equipped, and disciplined to march in step. Since the French government provided all this – the clothing, food, weaponry, and housing, the troops relied on it and became more controllable. Additionally, Louis XIV had civilians, who would be the first ministers of war, to monitor the troops, eventually raising the French army to include 400,000 well-trained soldiers.

Government Administration

Louis XIV had several tactics to keep the French nobles in line. For instance, he built the extravagant palace at Versailles, which he used partly for government offices. By encouraging the nobles to live there, he was able to keep them under careful surveillance and distracted them from exercising any power of their own will by imposing ridiculous rules of etiquette. Moreover, he chose newly ennobled men for most government positions, since unlike hereditary nobles, they could not have no prior political influence of their own. During his reign, Louis XIV never called the Estates General and temporarily quashed the independence of parlements. Furthermore, he developed councils of state and had “intendants” who oversaw France under him report to the councils, which he attended in person. Therefore, bureaucrats were constantly instructed by and referred back to him at Versailles. In order to support the improved army, the costly palace of Versailles, and growing civil administration, Louis XIV needed income. Finance had long since been the weak spot of French monarchy, mostly due to the inability to tax the nobility. Louis XIV, like the kings before him, tried to increase revenues by raising tax rates – which fell heavily on the poor, debasing currency, and selling government offices, patents of nobility, judgeships, and commissions in the military. He even annulled town charters and sold them back for a price with reduced rights. In economic policies, his chief financial minister, Colbert, managed to dissolve some of the regional, or internal, customs within France by creating the Five Great Farms, a tariff union. Colbert also created a Commercial Code and worked to expand manufacture of silk, tapestries, glassware, and woolens. Additionally, he helped to found overseas colonies, built up the navy, and established the French East India Company.

Religious Policies

In religious policies, Louis XIV repressed Jansenism, a sort of Calvinism within the Catholic Church and Protestantism. In the early years of his reign, France had been more tolerant than the other major powers of Europe. However, with advice from some of his counselors, Louis XIV cancelled the Edict of Nantes in 1685, causing some thousands of Huguenots to flee to Germany, Holland, acies, Louis XIV was a patron of the arts, knowing that a flourishing culture greatly enhanced a country’s reputation. He had an interest in classicism and established royal academies where art and literature were taught, emphasizing order, harmony, and antiquity – things that he valued. He also gave generous financial support to his favorite writers and artists, particularly those who produced works for his palace at Versailles. With its affluent culture, French thought and language swept through Europe with high regard which other monarchs tried to mimic.

References

R. Palmer R., Joel Colton, and Lloyd Kramer. span class="auto-style1">A History of the Modern World. New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 2007.