Who is louis xiv and what did he do

At intervals throughout his reign Louis mounted a campaign against the Jansenists, a rigorist sect within the Catholic Church. He became so bitter toward them that he ended by reversing his antipapal policy in the hope of enlisting the Pope's support.

This was forthcoming, and the Jansenists were condemned by the bull Unigenitus in ; but this interference outraged French national feeling, and the Jansenist cause gained considerably in popularity as a result. Neither the government of France by a group of overlapping councils nor the administration of the provinces by intendants royal agents equipped with full powers in every field originated with Louis, but he took over these systems, making them more comprehensive and efficient, and extending the system of intendants for the first time to the whole of France.

Government became much more efficient in his day, but much of this efficiency was lost after his death. It also became more bureaucratic, and this change was permanent. Increasingly, the affairs of provincial France came to be decided by the council, and local initiative was discouraged. Remembering the Fronde, Louis no doubt believed that anything was better than the semianarchy of the old days; but it can be argued that he carried the spirit of regimentation a good deal too far.

Governmental overcentralization is a source of endless friction in France to this day. Louis neither initiated this centralization nor carried it to its final completion, but he certainly accelerated it. The basic factor in the Fronde had been noble anarchy, and Louis was determined to keep the nobility in line. All through his reign he did his best to undercut the independent position of the nobles and turn them, particularly the richer and more powerful of them, into courtiers.

In this he was largely successful. Versailles, which became the seat of government in although the palace was still far from completion , became the magnet to which the nobility were attracted. No nobleman could hope for appointment to any important position without paying assiduous court at Versailles. The cult of monarchy, which Louis deliberately strengthened to the utmost of his ability, made them in any case flock to Versailles of their own free will; exclusion from the charmed circle of the court came to be regarded as social death.

Louis has been criticized by some historians for turning the French nobility into gilded parasites, but it may be doubted, as the Fronde demonstrated, whether they were fit to play any more constructive role. Although he preferred to select his generals, his bishops, and contrary to legend his ministers from the nobility, Louis did not make the mistake of his successors and exclude the Third Estate from all the best positions. He made some of his appointments from the bourgeoisie.

In fact, this age began under Richelieu and was clearly over some years before Louis died. Nor did he do very much to help it. In the s he indulged in some patronage of writers, but his benevolence was capriciously bestowed, frequently on secondrate men, and it dried up almost entirely when economic conditions worsened after The King's enthusiasm for building Versailles, Marly, Trianon, and others , while costing the country more than it could afford, certainly furnished artists and architects with valuable commissions, and the King's love of musical spectacles offered a golden opportunity for composers.

The flowering of painting, architecture, music, and landscape gardening in France at this time must be largely credited to Louis. He married her reluctantly he was in love with Mazarin's own niece at the time and made no pretense of being faithful to her; but he was fond of her after his fashion, and at her death observed, "This is the first sorrow she has ever caused me.

In later life he became very puritanical, and Madame de Maintenon has sometimes been blamed for this, but it seems likely that the change was inherent in Louis's own nature. Louis's reign was marked by aggressive French foreign policies. After the death of his father-in-law, Louis claimed part of the Spanish Netherlands and launched the War of Dutch Devolution In the Second Dutch War, he failed to crush the Dutch, led by William of Orange, but made significant territorial gains. Around , Huguenots, many of them skilled craftsmen, fled to Holland and England.

The last three decades of Louis's reign were marked by almost constant warfare. France was now the dominant power on the continent and other European nations felt threatened by this supremacy. The War of the League of Augsburg , followed by the War of the Spanish Succession severely strained French resources.

He also conveniently declared members of nobility exempt from paying taxes, causing them to become even more fiscally dependent on the crown. In implementing administrative reforms toward a more orderly and stable French government, Louis XIV forced provincial nobles to relinquish their former political influence.

In so doing, he constructed a more centralized administration with the bourgeoisie, or middle class, as its foundation. Along with his changes to the government, Louis XIV created a number of programs and institutes to infuse more of the arts into French culture.

Louis XIV is notorious for his overbearing approach to foreign policy. In , he launched the invasion of the Spanish Netherlands, deeming it his wife's rightful inheritance. The War of Devolution, as the conflict was named, lasted a year and ended when the French surrendered and gave the land back to Spain.

France's only conquest was to occupy a few towns in Flanders. The victory promoted France to the status of a dominant power. This status, coupled with Louis XIV's campaigns to continually expand territorial claims through the use of military force, positioned France as a threat to other European nations. Near the end of the s, those nations, including Spain, England and the Holy Roman Empire, responded by banding together to form the Grand Alliance.

A war between France and the Grand Alliance broke out in and waged on for nearly a decade, leading to its becoming known as the Nine Years' War. By the s, Louis XIV had begun to generate public hostility, due, in part, to his efforts to establish religious uniformity throughout France. The previous policy of religious tolerance was abandoned with the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in Protestants were forced to convert, and over two hundred thousand fled the country.

From his base in Versailles, Louis XIV ruled over a centralised, absolutist state which revolved entirely around him. The King lived in the main wing of the palace, on the first floor, in a suite of three apartments reserved for his use. He applied a strict etiquette at court, a set of rules and protocols by which his noble courtiers were obliged to abide.

With the help of Colbert , he oversaw the administrative and financial reorganisation of his realm, and also set up manufactures and worked to boost trade. With Louvois he reformed the army and enjoyed a string of military victories. Revise your French history with help from the artworks of the Palace of Versailles! Through our new partnership with the French American Cultural Foundation, American citizens can easily support the Palace of Versailles. During these difficult times, the Palace needs your support more than ever.

Discover more on this Foundation. Discover the history of the Palace of Versailles and its characters in this illustrated video for young and old alike! Take part in the history of the palace of Versailles by supporting a project that suits you: adopt a linden tree, contribute to the missions of the Palace or participate in the refurnishing of the royal apartments. The app includes the audioguide tour of the Palace and an interactive map of the Estate. It can be used without an Internet connection.

King of France and Navarre —