louis xiv the sun king. today we will… describe how louis xiv strengthened royal power in france....
TRANSCRIPT
Louis XIVLouis XIVThe Sun KingThe Sun King
Today we will…Today we will…
Describe how Louis XIV strengthened Describe how Louis XIV strengthened royal power in France.royal power in France.
Explain why Louis XIV was afraid of Explain why Louis XIV was afraid of the nobility and how he sought to the nobility and how he sought to control them.control them.
List the successes of Louis XIV.List the successes of Louis XIV. List the failures of Louis XIV.List the failures of Louis XIV.
Louis Early Life…Louis Early Life… He was the great grandson He was the great grandson
of Phillip II of Spain.of Phillip II of Spain. When Louis was five he When Louis was five he
inherited the throne.inherited the throne. He entrusted the He entrusted the
government to his adviser government to his adviser Cardinal Jules Mazarin.Cardinal Jules Mazarin.
While a child, Louis was While a child, Louis was driven from the royal palace driven from the royal palace by a riot called the by a riot called the Fronde.Fronde.
The The Fronde Fronde left Louis left Louis emotionally scarred.emotionally scarred.
The The FrondeFronde was comprised was comprised of nobles, merchants, of nobles, merchants, peasants, and the urban peasants, and the urban poor who were unhappy poor who were unhappy with conditions in France.with conditions in France.
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What do you think Louis XIV What do you think Louis XIV meant when he said, “I am the meant when he said, “I am the State?”State?”
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““I Am the State” or “L’etat, I Am the State” or “L’etat, c’est moi”c’est moi”
Cardinal Mazarin died Cardinal Mazarin died in 1661 and Louis in 1661 and Louis resolved to take over resolved to take over the government.the government.
““I have been pleased I have been pleased to entrust the to entrust the government of my government of my affairs to the late affairs to the late cardinal,” he declaredcardinal,” he declared
““It is now time that I It is now time that I govern them myself.”govern them myself.”
The Sun KingThe Sun King
Louis took the sun as his Louis took the sun as his symbol of royal power.symbol of royal power.
Just as the sun stands at the Just as the sun stands at the center of our solar system, he center of our solar system, he argued, so the Sun King stands argued, so the Sun King stands at the center of our nation.at the center of our nation.
During his reign, Louis did not During his reign, Louis did not call a meeting of the Estates-call a meeting of the Estates-General, the medieval council General, the medieval council made up of representatives of made up of representatives of all French social classes.all French social classes.
In fact, the Estates-General did In fact, the Estates-General did not meet between 1614-1789.not meet between 1614-1789.
The Estates-General played no The Estates-General played no role in checking royal power.role in checking royal power.
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Strengthening Royal Power
Louis spent many hours each day attending to government affairs.
To strengthen the state, he followed the policies of Cardinal Richelieu.
He expanded the bureaucracy and appointed intendants (royal officials)
The office of intendant and other governmental jobs went to wealthy middle-class men.
The intendants recruited soldiers, collected taxes, and carried out government policies.
By using intendants, Louis cemented ties between himself and the middle class.
Louis Strengthens the Army As with all absolute
monarchs, Louis created a permanent standing army.
The French army became the strongest in Europe.
The state paid, fed, trained, and supplied up to 300,000 soldiers.
Louis used this army to enforce his policies at home and abroad.
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Colbert and the Economy (Mercantilism)
Louis had a brilliant minister named Jean Baptiste Colbert.
Colbert followed mercantilist policies to bolster the economy.
His goal was to make France self-sufficient.
A nation’s wealth is determined by how much gold it is able to keep within the country. A favorable balance of trade.
He built up French farming and manufacturing.
He put high tariffs on imported goods.
He encouraged overseas colonies in North America (New France) and regulated trade with the colonies.
Colbert’s Effect on France
Colbert’s policies helped make France the wealthiest state in Europe.
Nonetheless, Louis was often short of cash.
Not even the financial genius of Colbert could produce enough income to support the huge costs of Louis’ courts or pay for his many foreign wars.
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A High-Maintenance King ““No expense is too great.”
Applying this rule certainly helped Louis XIV make sure his every wish was fulfilled.
For Example – As much as 1.5 billion may have
been taken from the French treasury to build his lavish palace Versailles. Tens of thousands of workers spent decades building this project.
One minor item for Versailles was his bathtub, which was carved out of a single piece of priceless Languedoc marble.
Guards were stationed at every fountain in Versailles gardens. The guards job was to turn the fountain on whenever the king approached.
Versailles, Symbol of Royal Power
VersaillesVersailles
Versailles, Symbol of Royal Power
In the countryside near Paris, Louis turned a royal hunting lodge into the immense palace of Versailles.
He spared no expense to make it the most magnificent in Europe.
Its halls and salons displayed the finest paintings, status, glittering chandeliers and mirrors.
In the royal gardens, millions of flowers, trees, and fountains were set out in precise geometric patterns.
The greatest room remains the hall of mirrors.
My Trip To Versailles
My Trip to Versailles
Versailles, Symbol of Royal Power
Versailles became the perfect symbol of the Sun King’s wealth and power.
As both the King’s home and the seat of government, it housed at least 10,000 people, from nobles to servants.
Court life was a mixture of parties, balls, puppet shows, concerts, hunting and hawking expeditions, and a dozen other types of diversions.
Court CeremoniesCourt Ceremonies
With such titles as “The Sun King,” “The Grand Monarch,” and “Louis the Great,” the king drew much attention to his position.
Louis perfected elaborate ceremonies to occupy the nobles of France.
Each day began in the king’s bedroom with a major ritual known as the leve’e or rising. High ranking nobles would compete for the honor of holding the royal wash basin or handing the king his diamond-buckled shoes.
At night the nobles competed for the honor of undressing him called the corve’e.
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Court CeremoniesCourt Ceremonies Rituals such as these served a Rituals such as these served a
serious purpose.serious purpose. French nobles were French nobles were
descendants of feudal lords descendants of feudal lords who held power in medieval who held power in medieval times.times.
Left at their estates, these Left at their estates, these nobles were a threat to the nobles were a threat to the monarchy.monarchy.
By luring the nobles to By luring the nobles to Versailles, Louis subtlety Versailles, Louis subtlety turned them into courtiers turned them into courtiers angling for privileges rather angling for privileges rather than warriors battling for than warriors battling for power.power.
Louis carefully protected their Louis carefully protected their prestige and excused them prestige and excused them from paying taxes. from paying taxes.
Versailles Had its Problems too!
Versailles became the home to thousands of noble men and women.
The odors caused the grounds to smell constantly. Louis ordered hundreds of fragrant orange trees in boxes
to be placed about the grounds to cover up the stench. The palace was also drafty and cold. Water would freeze on the bed stands at night. Meals were served cold because the kitchen was far
away.
Louis’ Control of France Louis was paranoid about having
ultimate control of France. The Fronde left him emotionally
scarred and bitter. In order to take power away from
the nobles, he sold noble titles called peerages.
He also could be ruthless and tyrannical.
By using a power called the letter de cachet, any document which bore the royal seal could send them into exile or imprisonment.
Cultural Flowering The king and his court
supported a “splendid century” of the arts.
Louis sponsored musical entertainments and commissioned plays by the best playwrights.
Louis was particularly fond of ballet. Performing in many during his lifetime.
In painting, music, architecture, and decorative arts, French style became the model for all of Europe.
Successes and Failures
Louis ruled France for 72 years, far longer than any other monarch.
During his reign, French culture, manners, and customs replaced those of Renaissance Italy.
In both foreign and domestic affairs, many of Louis’ policies were costly failures.
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Wars of Louis XIVWars of Louis XIV Louis XIV poured vast Louis XIV poured vast
resources into wars to resources into wars to expand France’s expand France’s borders.borders.
At first, he did gain At first, he did gain some territory.some territory.
His later wars were His later wars were disastrous, though, disastrous, though, because rival rulers because rival rulers joined forces to check joined forces to check French ambitions.French ambitions.
Led by the Dutch or Led by the Dutch or English, these English, these alliances fought to alliances fought to maintain the balance maintain the balance of power in Europe. of power in Europe.
War of the Spanish War of the Spanish SuccessionSuccession
In 1700, Louis’ grandson, Phillip In 1700, Louis’ grandson, Phillip V, inherited the throne of Spain.V, inherited the throne of Spain.
Louis declared that France and Louis declared that France and Spain must regard themselves as Spain must regard themselves as “one.”“one.”
But neighboring powers led by But neighboring powers led by England were determined to England were determined to prevent this union.prevent this union.
The War of the Spanish The War of the Spanish Succession dragged on until Succession dragged on until 1713.1713.
In 1713, an exhausted France In 1713, an exhausted France signed the signed the Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of Utrecht..
Phillip remained the Spanish king Phillip remained the Spanish king but France agreed never to unite but France agreed never to unite the two crowns.the two crowns.
Phillip V
Persecution of the HuguenotsPersecution of the Huguenots Louis saw France’s protestant minority Louis saw France’s protestant minority
as a threat to religious and political as a threat to religious and political unity.unity.
Jansenism ThreatJansenism Threat In 1685, he revoked the Edict of In 1685, he revoked the Edict of
Nantes.Nantes. More than 100,000 Huguenots fled More than 100,000 Huguenots fled
France.France. The persecution of the Huguenots was The persecution of the Huguenots was
perhaps the king’s most costly blunder.perhaps the king’s most costly blunder. The Huguenots had been among the The Huguenots had been among the
most hard-working and prosperous of most hard-working and prosperous of Louis’ subjects.Louis’ subjects.
Their loss was a serious blow to the Their loss was a serious blow to the French economy, just as the expulsion French economy, just as the expulsion of Jews and Muslims had been in Spain. of Jews and Muslims had been in Spain.
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Looking AheadLooking Ahead Louis outlived his sons and Louis outlived his sons and
grandsons.grandsons. When he died in 1715, his five When he died in 1715, his five
year old great grandson year old great grandson inherited the throne as Louis inherited the throne as Louis XV.XV.
The prosperity nurtured by The prosperity nurtured by Colbert evaporated under Colbert evaporated under heavy taxation, poor harvests, heavy taxation, poor harvests, and bad decisions.and bad decisions.
Louis XV was too weak a king to Louis XV was too weak a king to deal with such problems.deal with such problems.
He devoted his days to He devoted his days to pleasure and ignored the pleas pleasure and ignored the pleas for reform.for reform.
He often quoted an old proverb, He often quoted an old proverb, “after us, the deluge.”“after us, the deluge.”
As you will see later on, the As you will see later on, the deluge came during the reign deluge came during the reign of the next king. of the next king.
Louis XV
Random facts about Louis Random facts about Louis XIVXIV
A clock at the palace of King A clock at the palace of King Louis XIV stopped at 7:45am, the Louis XIV stopped at 7:45am, the time of his death. time of his death. The clock has not been fixed The clock has not been fixed
since that day, and to this day since that day, and to this day still reads a quarter to eight. still reads a quarter to eight.
When Louis XVI of France was When Louis XVI of France was a child, an astrologer warned a child, an astrologer warned him to be always on his guard him to be always on his guard on the twenty-first day of on the twenty-first day of every month. every month.
His date of death is January His date of death is January 21st, 1793. Now that's scary.21st, 1793. Now that's scary.
Louisiana was named in honor Louisiana was named in honor of Louis XIVof Louis XIV
In your opinion….In your opinion….
Was Louis XIV a good king or a bad Was Louis XIV a good king or a bad king? Give at least 3 reasons why king? Give at least 3 reasons why you feel this way.you feel this way.
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