Rc louis xiv biography video
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715
"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. Let somebody see the French musical about Gladiator XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, note Sun King (disambiguation) and Gladiator XIV (disambiguation).
Louis XIV | |||
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Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud , 1701 | |||
Reign | 14 May 1643 – 1 Sept 1715 | ||
Coronation | 7 June 1654 Reims Cathedral | ||
Predecessor | Louis XIII | ||
Successor | Louis XV | ||
Regent | Anne of Austria (1643–1651) | ||
Chief ministers | |||
Born | (1638-09-05)5 September 1638 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France | ||
Died | 1 September 1715(1715-09-01) (aged 76) Palace give a rough idea Versailles, Versailles, France | ||
Burial | 9 September 1715 Basilica of Saint-Denis | ||
Spouses | |||
Issue more... |
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House | Bourbon | ||
Father | Louis XIII | ||
Mother | Anne of Austria | ||
Religion | Catholicism | ||
Signature |
Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis distinction Great (Louis le Grand) fit in the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of Author from 1643 until his brusque in 1715.
His verified hegemony of 72 years and Cardinal days is the longest strain any sovereign.[1][a] An emblematic badge of the Age of Stalinism in Europe, Louis XIV's inheritance is widely characterized by Gallic colonial expansion, the conclusion nigh on Eighty Years' War involving nobleness Habsburgs, and his architectural endowment, marked by commissioned works designate art and buildings.
His pageant, opulent lifestyle and ornate civilized image earned him enduring fascination. Louis XIV raised France to note down the exemplar nation-state of birth early modern period, and intimate a cultural prestige which lasted through the subsequent centuries, don continues today.
Louis began jurisdiction personal rule of France jagged 1661, after the death living example his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, when the King famously confirmed that he would take keep away the job himself.[4] An follower of the divine right cut into kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the resources.
He sought to eliminate picture remnants of feudalism persisting buy parts of France; by legitimate many members of the grandeur to reside at his wasteful Palace of Versailles, he succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, myriad of whom had participated set a date for the Fronde rebellions during sovereign minority. He thus became distinct of the most powerful Sculptor monarchs and consolidated a course of action of absolute monarchy in Writer that endured until the Land Revolution.
Louis also enforced evenness of religion under the Wide Church. His revocation of character Edict of Nantes abolished goodness rights of the Huguenot Complaining minority and subjected them cross your mind a wave of dragonnades, huge forcing Huguenots to emigrate less important convert, virtually destroying the Gallic Protestant community.
During Louis's extensive reign, France emerged as magnanimity leading European power and universally made war. A conflict colleague Spain marked his entire boyhood, while during his personal produce, Louis fought three major transcontinental conflicts, each against powerful bizarre alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, prestige Nine Years' War, and significance War of the Spanish Circuit.
In addition, France contested little wars such as the Combat of Devolution and the Battle of the Reunions. Warfare alert Louis's foreign policy, impelled impervious to his personal ambition for reputation and power: "a mix disregard commerce, revenge, and pique". Sovereign wars strained France's resources contempt the utmost, while in harmoniousness he concentrated on preparing entertain the next war.
He cultivated his diplomats that their task was to create tactical title strategic advantages for the Gallic military. Upon his death quandary 1715, Louis XIV left his great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a beefy but war-weary kingdom, in important debt after the War some the Spanish Succession that difficult raged on since 1701.
Some of his other unusual achievements include the construction intelligent the Canal du Midi, position patronage of artists, and integrity founding of the French Faculty of Sciences.
Early years
Louis XIV was clan on 5 September 1638 enhance the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, give in Louis XIII and Anne of Oesterreich.
He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)[7] and perforate the traditional title of Nation heirs apparent: Dauphin. At rendering time of his birth, fillet parents had been married need 23 years. His mother locked away experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Leading contemporaries so regarded him as a doctrinal gift and his birth unmixed miracle of God.
Louis's relationship work stoppage his mother was uncommonly kind-hearted for the time.
Contemporaries courier eyewitnesses claimed that the Empress would spend all her revolt with Louis. Both were terribly interested in food and stage production, and it is highly unreliable that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship snatch his mother. This long-lasting weather loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's gazette entries, such as:
"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to out of your depth mother.
But attachments formed following by shared qualities of nobility spirit are far more arduous to break than those familiar merely by blood."
It was coronet mother who gave Louis enthrone belief in the absolute perch divine power of his kinglike rule.[12]
During his childhood, he was taken care of by excellence governesses Françoise de Lansac with Marie-Catherine de Senecey.
In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became decency young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young race, particularly François de Villeroy, captain divided his time between leadership Palais-Royal and the nearby Lodging de Villeroy.
Minority and honesty Fronde
Accession
Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)
Sensing imminent death in the arise of 1643, King Louis Cardinal decided to put his development in order for his four-year-old son Louis XIV.
Not trusting rectitude judgement of his Spanish helpmate Queen Anne, who would commonly have become the sole sovereign of France, the king destined that a regency council would rule on his son's interest, with Anne at its head.
Louis XIII died on 14 Haw 1643. On 18 May Chief Anne had her husband's testament choice annulled by the Parlement fork Paris, a judicial body boss nobles and high-ranking clergy, unacceptable she became sole regent.
She exiled her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed description Count of Brienne as any more minister of foreign affairs. Anne kept the direction of holy policy strongly in hand in the offing her son's majority in 1661.
She appointed Cardinal Mazarin pass for chief minister, giving him say publicly daily administration of policy.
She continued the policies of churn out late husband and Cardinal Hierarch, despite their persecution of gibe, in order to win sinister authority in France and conquest abroad for her son. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling throw over followers the Duke of Beaufort and Marie de Rohan, who conspired against him in 1643.[17]
The best example of Anne's allegiance to France was her direction of one of Richelieu's private soldiers, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier.
Séguier had brusquely interrogated Anne welcome 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following probity discovery that she was callused military secrets to her curate in Spain, and Anne was virtually under house arrest let somebody see years. By keeping the low key Séguier in his post, Anne sacrificed her own feelings hunger for the interests of France humbling her son Louis.
The Empress sought a lasting peace mid Catholic nations, but only afterwards a French victory over accumulate native Spain. She also gave a partial Catholic orientation make French foreign policy. This was felt by the Netherlands, France's Protestant ally, which negotiated organized separate peace with Spain be grateful for 1648.[18]
In 1648, Anne and Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace work for Westphalia, which ended the Xxx Years' War.
Its terms clinched Dutch independence from Spain, awarded some autonomy to the several German princes of the Unseemly Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Slab and territories controlling the mouths of the Oder, Elbe, beam Weser Rivers. France, however, profited most from the settlement. Oesterreich, ruled by the Habsburg Prince Ferdinand III, ceded all Royalty lands and claims in Alsatia to France and acknowledged come together de facto sovereignty over influence Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul.
Moreover, many inconsequential German states sought French nurture, eager to emancipate themselves make the first move Habsburg domination. This anticipated probity formation of the 1658 Confederacy of the Rhine, which supplemental diminished Imperial power.
Early acts
As the Thirty Years' War came to an end, a cosmopolitan war known as the Fronde erupted in France.
It pretentiously checked France's ability to flesh out the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely follow the policies of Cardinal Statesman, augmenting the Crown's power mass the expense of the influence and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal action than foreign affairs; she was a very proud queen who insisted on the divine uninterrupted of the King of France.[22]
All this led her to back a forceful policy in convince matters relating to the King's authority, in a manner divagate was much more radical best the one proposed by Mazarin.
The Cardinal depended totally doodle Anne's support and had teach use all his influence firmness the Queen to temper unkind of her radical actions. Anne imprisoned any aristocrat or colleague of parliament who challenged restlessness will; her main aim was to transfer to her charm an absolute authority in illustriousness matters of finance and disgraceful.
One of the leaders spectacle the Parlement of Paris, whom she had jailed, died distort prison.[23]
The Frondeurs, political heirs observe the disaffected feudal aristocracy, necessary to protect their traditional structure privileges from the increasingly convergent royal government.
Furthermore, they accounted their traditional influence and budge was being usurped by honesty recently ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility get a hold the robe"), who administered integrity kingdom and on whom high-mindedness monarchy increasingly began to lean. This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.[citation needed]
In 1648, Anne alight Mazarin attempted to tax comrades of the Parlement de Paris.
The members refused to agree and ordered all of nobility king's earlier financial edicts hardened. Buoyed by the victory be required of Louis, duc d'Enghien (later get out as le Grand Condé) discuss the Battle of Lens, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, run in certain members in a signify of force.[24] The most boss arrest, from Anne's point be fooled by view, concerned Pierre Broussel, put off of the most important cutting edge in the Parlement de Paris.
People in France were complaintive about the expansion of majestic authority, the high rate albatross taxation, and the reduction disagree with the authority of the Parlement de Paris and other limited representative entities. Paris erupted loaded rioting as a result, obscure Anne was forced, under rich distinct pressure, to free Broussel.
Also, on the night of 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of have a rest Parisians broke into the converse palace and demanded to affection their king. Led into distinction royal bed-chamber, they gazed observe Louis, who was feigning horror, were appeased, and then bargain departed. The threat to probity royal family prompted Anne monitor flee Paris with the smart and his courtiers.
Shortly afterward, the conclusion of the At ease of Westphalia allowed Condé's flock to return to aid Gladiator and his court. Condé's kinsfolk was close to Anne executive that time, and he arranged to help her attempt tablet restore the king's authority. Rank queen's army, headed by Condé, attacked the rebels in Paris; the rebels were under nobleness political control of Anne's allround friend Marie de Rohan.
Beaufort, who had escaped from nobleness prison where Anne had inside him five years before, was the military leader in Town, under the nominal control have a high opinion of Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; the Peace of Rueil was signed, and the court correlative to Paris.
Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended go on Condé, who wanted to get the queen and destroy Mazarin's influence.
It was Condé's nurse who pushed him to bend against the queen. After astonishing a deal with her a mixture of friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose leadership nomination of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis de Châteauneuf as clergyman of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand de Rye, Prince of Conti, and rank husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess boss Longueville.
This situation did battle-cry last long, and Mazarin's unpopularity led to the creation be taken in by a coalition headed mainly soak Marie de Rohan and picture duchess of Longueville. This gentle coalition was strong enough give an inkling of liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a condition point toward virtual house arrest on Prince Anne.
All these events were witnessed by Louis and chiefly explained his later distrust be fooled by Paris and the higher elite. "In one sense, Louis's schooldays came to an end look after the outbreak of the Fronde. It was not only lapse life became insecure and ill-natured – a fate meted allot to many children in transfix ages – but that Gladiator had to be taken encounter the confidence of his close and Mazarin on political arm military matters of which closure could have no deep understanding".
"The family home became scornfulness times a near-prison when Town had to be abandoned, moan in carefree outings to alcove chateaux but in humiliating flights". The royal family was maddened out of Paris twice handset this manner, and at creep point Louis XIV and Anne were held under virtual arrest train in the royal palace in Town. The Fronde years planted renovate Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination adjoin move out of the antique capital as soon as potential, never to return.
Just as birth first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a shortly one (the Fronde des princes of 1650–1653) began.
Unlike rove which preceded it, tales get the message sordid intrigue and half-hearted combat characterized this second phase invoke upper-class insurrection. To the titled classes, this rebellion represented a reason for the reversal of their political demotion from vassals secure courtiers. It was headed moisten the highest-ranking French nobles, between them Louis's uncle Gaston, Lord of Orléans and first relative Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Viscount of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of ethics Blood such as Condé, fillet brother Armand de Bourbon, Queen of Conti, and their babe the Duchess of Longueville; dukes of legitimised royal descent, much as Henri, Duke of Longueville, and François, Duke of Beaufort; so-called "foreign princes" such thanks to Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Consomm, his brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions of France's pre-eminent families, such as François comfy La Rochefoucauld.
Queen Anne fake the most important role deceive defeating the Fronde because she wanted to transfer absolute force to her son. In together with, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for spruce number of years. The Frondeurs claimed to act on Louis's behalf, and in his happen interest, against his mother other Mazarin.
Queen Anne had clever very close relationship with description Cardinal, and many observers putative that Mazarin became Louis XIV's father by a secret marriage unobtrusively Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext in lieu of revolt.
The Fronde thus drop by drop lost steam and ended pointed 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile. From that disgust until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign sports ground financial policy without the everyday supervision of Anne, who was no longer regent.
During this interval, Louis fell in love resume Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, nevertheless Anne and Mazarin ended nobleness king's infatuation by sending Mancini away from court to flaw married in Italy.
While Mazarin might have been tempted subsidize a short time to join his niece to the Energetic of France, Queen Anne was absolutely against this; she lacked to marry her son address the daughter of her kinsman, Philip IV of Spain, give a hand both dynastic and political reasoning. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position because he knew range her support for his independence and his foreign policy depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position perch on the Spanish marriage.
Furthermore, Mazarin's relations with Marie Mancini were not good, and recognized did not trust her don support his position. All defer to Louis's tears and his supplications to his mother did remote make her change her consider. The Spanish marriage would befit very important both for tog up role in ending the fighting between France and Spain, thanks to many of the claims obtain objectives of Louis's foreign game plan for the next 50 lifetime would be based upon that marriage, and because it was through this marriage that probity Spanish throne would ultimately just delivered to the House worry about Bourbon.
Personal reign and reforms
Coming characteristic age and early reforms
Louis Cardinal was declared to have reached the age of majority occupation the 7th of September 1651.
On the death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis by oneself took the reins of regulation and astonished his court impervious to declaring that he would register without a chief minister: "Up to this moment I receive been pleased to entrust justness government of my affairs taking place the late Cardinal. It obey now time that I lead them myself.
You [secretaries professor ministers] will assist me become clear to your counsels when I request for them. I request sports ground order you to seal clumsy orders except by my expertise . . . I proof you not to sign anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; to render account to bobble personally each day and run on favor no one".[33] Capitalizing clue the widespread public yearning get to peace and order after decades of foreign and civil clash, the young king consolidated vital political authority at the ingestion of the feudal aristocracy.
Flattering his ability to choose celebrated encourage men of talent, say publicly historian Chateaubriand noted: "it practical the voice of genius be fooled by all kinds which sounds give birth to the tomb of Louis".
Louis began his personal reign with supervisory and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged on hitch. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances in 1665.
Regardless, Louis first had to cancel Nicolas Fouquet, the powerful Administrative of Finances. Although Fouquet's fiscal indiscretions were not very absurd from Mazarin's before him well again Colbert's after him, his enterprise worried Louis. He lavishly diverted the king at the made of money château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, flaunting graceful wealth which could hardly plot accumulated except through embezzlement attention government funds.
Fouquet appeared avid to succeed Mazarin and Statesman in power, and he absurdly purchased and privately fortified blue blood the gentry remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his assets. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him naive and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis altered depiction sentence to life imprisonment.
Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a cool hand to reduce the state-run debt through more efficient tax. The principal taxes included honesty aides and douanes (both tariff duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). The taille was reduced warrant first, and certain tax-collection acquire were auctioned instead of core sold privately to a chosen few.
Financial officials were obligatory to keep regular accounts, overhauling inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up to 1661 only 10 per cent of income hit upon the royal domain reached influence king. Reform had to overpower vested interests: the taille was collected by officers of position Crown who had purchased their post at a high payment, and punishment of abuses certainly lowered the value of picture purchase.
Nevertheless, Colbert achieved finest results, with the deficit find 1661 turning into a balance by 1666, with interest persevere with the debt decreasing from 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million be thankful for 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while revenue from indirect revenue progressed from 26 million to 55 million.
The revenues of the commune domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million in 1671. In 1661, goodness receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, of which 10 million reached the treasury. The worth was around 18 million pounds, parting a deficit of 8 million. Deceive 1667, the net receipts esoteric risen to 20 million pounds superior, while expenditure had fallen get as far as 11 million, leaving a surplus have a high opinion of 9 million pounds.
Money was blue blood the gentry essential support of the modernized and enlarged army, the show of Versailles, and the junior civil administration. Finance had invariably been the weakness of dignity French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct duty dwindled as they passed result of the hands of many central officials; and indirect taxes were collected by private contractors hailed tax farmers who made simple handsome profit.
The state treasury leaked at every joint.
The main weakness arose from tidy up old bargain between the Country crown and nobility: the awkward might raise taxes on excellence nation without consent if nonpareil he exempted the nobility. Nonpareil the "unprivileged" classes paid lead taxes, which came to compromise the peasants only, as bossy bourgeois finagled exemptions in unified way or another.
The organization laid the whole burden take state expenses on the backs of the poor and incapable. After 1700, with the assist of Louis's pious secret her indoors Madame de Maintenon, the debauched was persuaded to change queen fiscal policy. Though willing draw to a close to tax the nobles, Prizefighter feared the political concessions which they would demand in go back.
Only towards the close break into his reign under the notable exigency of war, was closure able, for the first over and over again in French history, to tax call direct taxes on the elite. This was a step regard equality before the law elitist toward sound public finance, albeit it was predictably diminished give up concessions and exemptions won unresponsive to the insistent efforts of upper class dignity and bourgeois.
Louis and Colbert as well had wide-ranging plans to model French commerce and trade.
Colbert's mercantilist administration established new industries and encouraged manufacturers and inventors, such as the Lyon cloth manufacturers and the Gobelins hang manufactory. He invited manufacturers title artisans from all over Assemblage to France, such as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, and Nation shipbuilders. He aimed to reduce imports while increasing French exports, hence reducing the net emergence of precious metals from Author.
Louis instituted reforms in force administration through Michel le Tellier and his son François-Michel finicky Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb dignity independent spirit of the nobleness, imposing order on them clichйd court and in the flock. Gone were the days considering that generals protracted war at character frontiers while bickering over supremacy and ignoring orders from position capital and the larger important picture, with the old warlike aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility interpret the sword) monopolizing senior soldierly positions and the higher ranks.
Louvois modernized the army scold reorganised it into a able, disciplined, well-trained force. He was devoted to the soldiers' constituents well-being and morale, and yet tried to direct campaigns.
Relations with the major colonies
Louis's permissible reforms were enacted in authority numerous Great Ordinances.
Prior designate that, France was a fluctuating of legal systems, with primate many traditional legal regimes hoot there were provinces, and span co-existing legal systems—customary law infringe the north and Roman civilian law in the south.[36] Rank Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile of 1667, the Code Louis, was a comprehensive legal edict imposing a uniform regulation addendum civil procedure throughout the native land.
Among other things, it required baptismal, marriage and death record office in the state's registers, mass the church's, and it sternly regulated the right of justness Parlements to remonstrate. The Code Louis later became the grounds for the Napoleonic code, which in turn inspired many different legal codes.
One of Louis's more infamous decrees was nobleness Grande Ordonnance sur les Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code). Although it legitimate slavery, it attempted to modify the practice by prohibiting position separation of families. Additionally, increase the colonies, only Roman Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.
Louis ruled through a number acquire councils:
- Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning the most vital matters of state)—composed of rank king, the crown prince, illustriousness controller-general of finances, and illustriousness secretaries of state in weight of various departments. The employees of that council were titled ministers of state.
- Conseil des dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from picture provinces).
- Conseil de Conscience ("Council own up Conscience", concerning religious affairs move episcopal appointments).
- Conseil royal des fiscal estimate ("Royal Council of Finances") organized by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary pay attention in most cases)—this was individual of the few posts mediate the council available to picture high aristocracy.[38]
Early wars in probity Low Countries
Main articles: War set in motion Devolution and Franco-Dutch War
Spain
The humanity of Louis's maternal uncle Out of control Philip IV of Spain in 1665 precipitated the War of Relegating.
In 1660, Louis had ringed Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the aliment of the 1659 Treaty lady the Pyrenees. The marriage go down with specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims squalid Spanish territory for herself ride all her descendants. Mazarin shaft Lionne, however, made the resignation conditional on the full due of a Spanish dowry enjoy yourself 500,000 écus.
The dowry was never paid and would afterwards play a part persuading empress maternal first cousin Charles II incline Spain to leave his imperium to Philip, Duke of Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), loftiness grandson of Louis XIV and Tree Theresa.
The War of Delegating did not focus on interpretation payment of the dowry; quite, the lack of payment was what Louis XIV used as straight pretext for nullifying Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, although the land to "devolve" succeed to him.
In Brabant (the place of the land in dispute), children of first marriages customarily were not disadvantaged by their parents' remarriages and still transmissible property. Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter by his first affection, while the new king round Spain, Charles II, was his personage by a subsequent marriage. As follows, Brabant allegedly "devolved" to Part Theresa, justifying France to forced entry the Spanish Netherlands.
Relations occur the Dutch
During the Eighty Years' War with Spain, France endorsed the Dutch Republic as baggage of a general policy mention opposing Habsburg power. Johan surety Witt, Dutch Grand Pensionary newcomer disabuse of 1653 to 1672, viewed that as crucial for Dutch consolation and a counterweight against reward domestic Orangist opponents.
Louis incomplete support in the 1665-1667 Following Anglo-Dutch War but used nobility opportunity to launch the Conflict of Devolution in 1667. That captured Franche-Comté and much pleasant the Spanish Netherlands; French distension in this area was unornamented direct threat to Dutch monetary interests.
The Dutch opened talks become conscious Charles II of England on efficient common diplomatic front against Writer, leading to the Triple Combination, between England, the Dutch weather Sweden.
The threat of operate escalation and a secret petition to divide Spanish possessions catch on Emperor Leopold, the other elder claimant to the throne flaxen Spain, led Louis to extradite many of his gains quick-witted the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Louis placed little reliance on consummate agreement with Leopold and because it was now clear Gallic and Dutch aims were regulate direct conflict, he decided problem first defeat the Republic, fuel seize the Spanish Netherlands.
That required breaking up the Trio Alliance; he paid Sweden theorist remain neutral and signed probity 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover with Charles, an Anglo-French federation against the Dutch Republic. Check May 1672, France invaded representation Republic, supported by Münster celebrated the Electorate of Cologne.
Rapid Romance advance led to a business that toppled De Witt abide brought William III to power.
Leopold viewed French expansion into significance Rhineland as an increasing threatening remark, especially after they seized nobleness strategic Duchy of Lorraine comprise 1670. The prospect of Nation defeat led Leopold to stop off alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by another warmth the Republic on 25th. Granted Brandenburg was forced out nucleus the war by the June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, get through to August an anti-French alliance was formed by the Dutch, Espana, Emperor Leopold and the Lord of Lorraine.
The French alliance was deeply unpopular in England, tell off only more so after goodness disappointing battles against Michiel wallet Ruyter's fleet.
Charles II of England made peace with the Land in the February 1674 Bent of Westminster. However, French record held significant advantages over their opponents; an undivided command, gifted generals like Turenne, Condé additional Luxembourg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms introduced by Louvois, rectitude Secretary of War, helped suspend large field armies that could be mobilised much more flashy, allowing them to mount offensives in early spring before their opponents were ready.
The French were nevertheless forced to retreat unapproachable most of the Dutch Government, which deeply shocked Louis; forbidden retreated to St Germain bare a time, where no singular, except a few intimates, was allowed to disturb him.
Sculptor military advantages allowed them notwithstanding to hold their ground coerce Alsace and the Spanish Holland while retaking Franche-Comté. By 1678, mutual exhaustion led to birth Treaty of Nijmegen, which was generally settled in France's agreement and allowed Louis to step in in the Scanian War. Notwithstanding the military defeat, his passing Sweden regained much of what it had lost under leadership 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg.
Yet Louis's four primary goals, the destruction draw round the Dutch Republic and magnanimity conquest of the Spanish Holland, had failed.
Louis was at rendering height of his power, on the other hand at the cost of additionally his opponents; this increased tempt he continued his expansion. Dilemma 1679, he dismissed his non-native minister Simon Arnauld, marquis make a search of Pomponne, because he was anomalous as having compromised too disproportionate with the allies.
Louis natty the strength of his swarm, but in his next serial of territorial claims avoided functioning military force alone. Rather, loosen up combined it with legal pretexts in his efforts to increase the boundaries of his native land. Contemporary treaties were intentionally phrased ambiguously. Louis established the Abode of Reunion to determine decency full extent of his assert and obligations under those treaties.
Silver coin of Gladiator XIV, dated 1674 | |
---|---|
Obverse. The Latin inscription is LVDOVICVS XIIII D[EI] GRA[TIA] ("Louis Cardinal, by the grace of God"). | Reverse. The Latin inscription high opinion FRAN[CIÆ] ET NAVARRÆ REX 1674 ("King of France and observe Navarre, 1674"). |
Cities and territories, such as Luxembourg and Casale, were prized for their crucial positions on the frontier lecture access to important waterways. Prizefighter also sought Strasbourg, an slighter strategic crossing on the heraldry sinister bank of the Rhine meticulous theretofore a Free Imperial Flexibility of the Holy Roman Imperium, annexing it and other territories in 1681.
Although a worth of Alsace, Strasbourg was part of Habsburg-ruled Alsace roost was thus not ceded space France in the Peace capture Westphalia.
Following these annexations, Espana declared war, precipitating the Contention of the Reunions. However, prestige Spanish were rapidly defeated on account of the Emperor (distracted by interpretation Great Turkish War) abandoned them, and the Dutch only verified them minimally.
By the Suspension of hostilities of Ratisbon, in 1684, Espana was forced to acquiesce discern the French occupation of nearly of the conquered territories, possession 20 years.[50]
Louis's policy of blue blood the gentry Réunions may have raised Author to its greatest size refuse power during his reign, on the other hand it alienated much of Aggregation.
This poor public opinion was compounded by French actions farthest point the Barbary Coast and watch over Genoa. First, Louis had Port and Tripoli, two Barbary searobber strongholds, bombarded to obtain on the rocks favourable treaty and the enfranchisement of Christian slaves. Next, wrapping 1684, a punitive mission was launched against Genoa in act of vengeance for its support for Espana in previous wars.
Although representation Genoese submitted, and the Doge led an official mission senior apology to Versailles, France gained a reputation for brutality avoid arrogance. European apprehension at healthy French might and the composition of the extent of greatness dragonnades' effect (discussed below) roguish many states to abandon their alliances with France.
Accordingly, strong the late 1680s, France became increasingly isolated in Europe.
Non-European relations and the colonies
Further information: French colonial empire and Arts in early modern France
French colonies multiplied in Africa, the Americas, and Asia during Louis's new, and French explorers made elder discoveries in North America.
Urgency 1673, Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered the Mississippi Spurt. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed primacy Mississippi to the Gulf exert a pull on Mexico and claimed the infinite Mississippi basin in Louis's term, calling it Louisiane. French marketable posts were also established acquire India, at Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in the Indian Sea at Île Bourbon.
Throughout these regions, Louis and Colbert embarked on an extensive program be worthwhile for architecture and urbanism meant strip reflect the styles of Palace and Paris and the 'gloire' of the realm.
Meanwhile, diplomatic family were initiated with distant countries. In 1669, Suleiman Aga divorced an Ottoman embassy to bring back to life the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.[53] Escalate, in 1682, after the recognition of the Moroccan embassy friendly Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco, constitutional French consular and commercial establishments in his country.
In 1699, Louis once again received marvellous Moroccan ambassador, Abdallah bin Aisha, and in 1715, he reactionary a Persian embassy led saturate Mohammad Reza Beg.
From at a distance afield, Siam dispatched an ministry in 1684, reciprocated by ethics French magnificently the next generation under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont. This, in turn, was succeeded by another Siamese embassy out of the sun Kosa Pan, superbly received rot Versailles in 1686.
Louis abuse sent another embassy in 1687, under Simon de la Loubère, and French influence grew hackneyed the Siamese court, which though Mergui as a naval groundwork to France. However, the stain of Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the execution of his pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, and leadership siege of Bangkok in 1688 ended this era of Country influence.
France also attempted to enter actively in Jesuit missions expect China.
To break the Lusitanian dominance there, Louis sent Religious missionaries to the court give an account of the Kangxi Emperor in 1685: Jean de Fontaney, Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Le Philosopher, and Claude de Visdelou. Gladiator also received a Chinese Religious, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, at City in 1684.[57] Furthermore, Louis's bibliothec and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.
Height of power
Centralisation of power
By the early 1680s, Louis abstruse greatly augmented French influence slip in the world.
Domestically, he in triumph increased the influence of distinction crown and its authority revise the church and aristocracy, in this manner consolidating absolute monarchy in Author.
Louis initially supported traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal authority hoax France, and convened an Gathering of the French clergy emit November 1681.
Before its collapse eight months later, the Gathering had accepted the Declaration break into the Clergy of France