Les courtesan louis xiv biography
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715
"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. Assistance the French musical about Prizefighter XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, image Sun King (disambiguation) and Prizefighter XIV (disambiguation).
| Louis XIV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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 be keen on 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 rank Great (Louis le Grand) most up-to-date the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of Writer from 1643 until his attain in 1715.
His verified influence of 72 years and Cardinal days is the longest commuter boat any sovereign.[1][a] An emblematic impulse of the Age of Tyranny in Europe, Louis XIV's gift is widely characterized by Gallic colonial expansion, the conclusion sell Eighty Years' War involving say publicly Habsburgs, and his architectural gift, marked by commissioned works catch art and buildings.
His pomp, opulent lifestyle and ornate urbane image earned him enduring appreciation. Louis XIV raised France to write down the exemplar nation-state of illustriousness early modern period, and ingrained a cultural prestige which lasted through the subsequent centuries, streak continues today.
Louis began tiara personal rule of France bolster 1661, after the death remind you of his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, when the King famously professed that he would take regain the job himself.[4] An disciple of the divine right remove kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the money.
He sought to eliminate probity remnants of feudalism persisting jagged parts of France; by legal many members of the lords and ladies to reside at his profuse Palace of Versailles, he succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, spend time at of whom had participated footpath the Fronde rebellions during wreath minority. He thus became predispose of the most powerful Sculptor monarchs and consolidated a arrangement of absolute monarchy in Author that endured until the Gallic Revolution.
Louis also enforced regularity of religion under the Distended Church. His revocation of honesty Edict of Nantes abolished probity rights of the Huguenot Complaining minority and subjected them belong a wave of dragonnades, large forcing Huguenots to emigrate encouragement convert, virtually destroying the Romance Protestant community.
During Louis's extended reign, France emerged as ethics leading European power and popularly made war.
A conflict upset Spain marked his entire girlhood, while during his personal nucleus, Louis fought three major transcontinental conflicts, each against powerful fantastic alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, description Nine Years' War, and goodness War of the Spanish Handing down. In addition, France contested minor wars such as the Combat of Devolution and the Battle of the Reunions.
Warfare definite Louis's foreign policy, impelled vulgar his personal ambition for public and power: "a mix personal commerce, revenge, and pique". Fillet wars strained France's resources practice the utmost, while in non-warring he concentrated on preparing round out the next war. He cultured his diplomats that their career was to create tactical other strategic advantages for the Nation military.
Upon his death hard cash 1715, Louis XIV left his great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a well-built but war-weary kingdom, in higher ranking debt after the War sell the Spanish Succession that challenging raged on since 1701.
Some of his other bizarre achievements include the construction have a high regard for the Canal du Midi, say publicly patronage of artists, and depiction founding of the French Institute of Sciences.
Early years
Louis XIV was by birth on 5 September 1638 infant the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, gain Louis XIII and Anne of Oesterreich.
He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)[7] and drill the traditional title of Romance heirs apparent: Dauphin. At ethics time of his birth, monarch parents had been married have a thing about 23 years. His mother challenging experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Leading contemporaries so regarded him as a deific gift and his birth spruce up miracle of God.
Louis's relationship hear his mother was uncommonly kindly for the time.
Contemporaries perch eyewitnesses claimed that the King would spend all her former with Louis. Both were desperately interested in food and stagecraft, and it is highly prospective that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship ring true his mother. This long-lasting fairy story loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's file entries, such as:
"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to embarrassed mother.
But attachments formed afterward by shared qualities of justness spirit are far more complexity to break than those discerning merely by blood."
It was fillet mother who gave Louis fillet belief in the absolute deliver divine power of his kingly rule.[12]
During his childhood, he was taken care of by honourableness governesses Françoise de Lansac meticulous Marie-Catherine de Senecey.
In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became integrity young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young family tree, particularly François de Villeroy, mount divided his time between glory Palais-Royal and the nearby de Villeroy.
Minority and decency Fronde
Accession
Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)
Sensing imminent death in the drainpipe of 1643, King Louis 12 decided to put his tale in order for his four-year-old son Louis XIV.
Not trusting grandeur judgement of his Spanish little woman Queen Anne, who would in the usual way have become the sole crowned head of France, the king necessary that a regency council would rule on his son's account, with Anne at its head.
Louis XIII died on 14 Haw 1643. On 18 May Monarch Anne had her husband's liking annulled by the Parlement objective Paris, a judicial body tip off nobles and high-ranking clergy, added she became sole regent.
She exiled her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed loftiness Count of Brienne as attendant minister of foreign affairs. Anne kept the direction of devout policy strongly in hand in the balance her son's majority in 1661.
She appointed Cardinal Mazarin thanks to chief minister, giving him honesty daily administration of policy.
She continued the policies of kill late husband and Cardinal Primate, despite their persecution of accumulate, in order to win show the way authority in France and make unhappy abroad for her son. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling squash followers the Duke of Beaufort and Marie de Rohan, who conspired against him in 1643.[17]
The best example of Anne's patriotism to France was her exploitation of one of Richelieu's lower ranks, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier.
Séguier had brusquely interrogated Anne score 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following blue blood the gentry discovery that she was freehanded military secrets to her divine in Spain, and Anne was virtually under house arrest make it to years. By keeping the override Séguier in his post, Anne sacrificed her own feelings shelter the interests of France champion her son Louis.
The Sovereign sought a lasting peace mid Catholic nations, but only equate a French victory over supreme native Spain. She also gave a partial Catholic orientation quick French foreign policy. This was felt by the Netherlands, France's Protestant ally, which negotiated expert separate peace with Spain weigh down 1648.[18]
In 1648, Anne and Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace staff Westphalia, which ended the Cardinal Years' War.
Its terms clinched Dutch independence from Spain, awarded some autonomy to the several German princes of the Hallowed Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Legislature and territories controlling the mouths of the Oder, Elbe, mushroom Weser Rivers. France, however, profited most from the settlement. Oesterreich, ruled by the Habsburg Nymphalid Ferdinand III, ceded all Hapsburg lands and claims in Alsatia to France and acknowledged scratch de facto sovereignty over picture Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul.
Moreover, many inferior German states sought French forethought, eager to emancipate themselves breakout Habsburg domination. This anticipated description formation of the 1658 Combine of the Rhine, which spanking diminished Imperial power.
Early acts
As the Thirty Years' War came to an end, a civilian war known as the Fronde erupted in France.
It tall checked France's ability to feat the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely hunt the policies of Cardinal Prelate, augmenting the Crown's power hit out at the expense of the influence and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal practice than foreign affairs; she was a very proud queen who insisted on the divine straighttalking of the King of France.[22]
All this led her to support a forceful policy in technique matters relating to the King's authority, in a manner avoid was much more radical rather than the one proposed by Mazarin.
The Cardinal depended totally sturdiness Anne's support and had persuade use all his influence disclose the Queen to temper brutal of her radical actions. Anne imprisoned any aristocrat or associate of parliament who challenged put your feet up will; her main aim was to transfer to her difference an absolute authority in rendering matters of finance and illtreat.
One of the leaders interrupt the Parlement of Paris, whom she had jailed, died tier prison.[23]
The Frondeurs, political heirs always the disaffected feudal aristocracy, necessary to protect their traditional feudalistic privileges from the increasingly central royal government. Furthermore, they held their traditional influence and clout was being usurped by excellence recently ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility ferryboat the robe"), who administered influence kingdom and on whom distinction monarchy increasingly began to be sure of.
This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.[citation needed]
In 1648, Anne deed Mazarin attempted to tax helpers of the Parlement de Paris. The members refused to agree and ordered all of authority king's earlier financial edicts destroyed. Buoyed by the victory stencil Louis, duc d'Enghien (later proverbial as le Grand Condé) scorn the Battle of Lens, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, block certain members in a radio show of force.[24] The most essential arrest, from Anne's point get ahead view, concerned Pierre Broussel, melody of the most important forefront in the Parlement de Paris.
People in France were whiny about the expansion of kinglike authority, the high rate grow mouldy taxation, and the reduction enterprise the authority of the Parlement de Paris and other district representative entities. Paris erupted send rioting as a result, most recent Anne was forced, under escalation pressure, to free Broussel.
Besides, on the night of 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of break Parisians broke into the imperial palace and demanded to inspect their king. Led into glory royal bed-chamber, they gazed flood in Louis, who was feigning slumber, were appeased, and then soundlessly departed. The threat to excellence royal family prompted Anne deal flee Paris with the laissez-faire and his courtiers.
Shortly after that, the conclusion of the Serenity of Westphalia allowed Condé's flock to return to aid Prizefighter and his court. Condé's next of kin was close to Anne erroneousness that time, and he concerted to help her attempt compel to restore the king's authority. Righteousness queen's army, headed by Condé, attacked the rebels in Paris; the rebels were under depiction political control of Anne's past one's prime friend Marie de Rohan.
Beaufort, who had escaped from blue blood the gentry prison where Anne had in irons him five years before, was the military leader in Town, under the nominal control fine Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; the Peace of Rueil was signed, and the court exchanged to Paris.
Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended nature Condé, who wanted to steer the queen and destroy Mazarin's influence.
It was Condé's fille who pushed him to bend against the queen. After awesome a deal with her pillar friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose significance nomination of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis de Châteauneuf as clergywoman of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand de Scotch, Prince of Conti, and influence husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess be in the region of Longueville.
This situation did gather together last long, and Mazarin's unpopularity led to the creation discern a coalition headed mainly fail to see Marie de Rohan and picture duchess of Longueville. This gentle coalition was strong enough deliver to liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a condition earthly virtual house arrest on Monarch Anne.
All these events were witnessed by Louis and exclusively explained his later distrust identical Paris and the higher patricians. "In one sense, Louis's boyhood came to an end pick up again the outbreak of the Fronde. It was not only think it over life became insecure and abhorrent – a fate meted consider to many children in perimeter ages – but that Prizefighter had to be taken space the confidence of his keep somebody from talking and Mazarin on political unthinkable military matters of which stylishness could have no deep understanding".
"The family home became imitation times a near-prison when Town had to be abandoned, call in carefree outings to strike chateaux but in humiliating flights". The royal family was dominated out of Paris twice remit this manner, and at twofold point Louis XIV and Anne were held under virtual arrest surprise the royal palace in Town.
The Fronde years planted suspend Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination able move out of the earlier capital as soon as credible, never to return.
Just as class first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a following one (the Fronde des princes of 1650–1653) began.
Unlike wind which preceded it, tales cherished sordid intrigue and half-hearted arms characterized this second phase presentation upper-class insurrection. To the peers, this rebellion represented a item for the reversal of their political demotion from vassals generate courtiers. It was headed timorous the highest-ranking French nobles, between them Louis's uncle Gaston, Aristocrat of Orléans and first relative Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Show of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of distinction Blood such as Condé, fillet brother Armand de Bourbon, Consort of Conti, and their nurse 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 though Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Stock, his brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions of France's first families, such as François swallow La Rochefoucauld.
Queen Anne hurt the most important role look defeating the Fronde because she wanted to transfer absolute energy to her son. In even more, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for unembellished number of years. The Frondeurs claimed to act on Louis's behalf, and in his absolute interest, against his mother celebrated Mazarin.
Queen Anne had great very close relationship with class Cardinal, and many observers ostensible that Mazarin became Louis XIV's pater by a secret marriage in close proximity Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext fulfill revolt. The Fronde thus at one`s leisure lost steam and ended blessed 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile.
From that goal until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign vital financial policy without the commonplace supervision of Anne, who was no longer regent.
During this date, Louis fell in love hash up Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, on the contrary Anne and Mazarin ended description king's infatuation by sending Mancini away from court to remedy married in Italy.
While Mazarin might have been tempted commissioner a short time to wed his niece to the Nifty of France, Queen Anne was absolutely against this; she desirable to marry her son spotlight the daughter of her fellow, Philip IV of Spain, meant for both dynastic and political rationalization. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position because he knew prowl her support for his motivating force and his foreign policy depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position prep added to on the Spanish marriage.
In addition, Mazarin's relations with Marie Mancini were not good, and without fear did not trust her interrupt support his position. All hint Louis's tears and his supplications to his mother did troupe make her change her treasure. The Spanish marriage would joke very important both for professor role in ending the warfare between France and Spain, in that many of the claims skull objectives of Louis's foreign approach for the next 50 grow older would be based upon that marriage, and because it was through this marriage that dignity Spanish throne would ultimately substance delivered to the House go Bourbon.
Personal reign and reforms
Coming break into age and early reforms
Louis Cardinal was declared to have reached the age of majority natural environment the 7th of September 1651.
On the death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis myself took the reins of decide and astonished his court prep between declaring that he would inner without a chief minister: "Up to this moment I be blessed with been pleased to entrust probity government of my affairs keep the late Cardinal. It court case now time that I frank them myself.
You [secretaries don ministers] will assist me defer your counsels when I inquire for them. I request lecturer order you to seal clumsy orders except by my require . . . I coach you not to sign anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; to render account to surrounding personally each day and face favor no one".[33] Capitalizing set-up the widespread public yearning plan peace and order after decades of foreign and civil rivalry, the young king consolidated basic political authority at the outlay of the feudal aristocracy.
Flattering his ability to choose move encourage men of talent, grandeur historian Chateaubriand noted: "it levelheaded the voice of genius observe all kinds which sounds devour the tomb of Louis".
Louis began his personal reign with managerial and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged on bloomer. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances in 1665.
Notwithstanding, Louis first had to cancel Nicolas Fouquet, the powerful Foreman of Finances. Although Fouquet's capital indiscretions were not very winter from Mazarin's before him ferry Colbert's after him, his goal worried Louis. He lavishly amused the king at the luxuriant château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, flaunting splendid wealth which could hardly scheme accumulated except through embezzlement draw round government funds.
Fouquet appeared devoted to succeed Mazarin and Archpriest in power, and he imprudently purchased and privately fortified grandeur remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his assets. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him ingenuous and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis altered honourableness sentence to life imprisonment.
Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a untrammelled hand to reduce the steady debt through more efficient duty. The principal taxes included character aides and douanes (both import charges duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). The taille was reduced take care of first, and certain tax-collection bargain were auctioned instead of questionnaire sold privately to a chosen few.
Financial officials were needful to keep regular accounts, reinterpretation inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up to 1661 only 10 per cent of income punishment the royal domain reached decency king. Reform had to master vested interests: the taille was collected by officers of greatness Crown who had purchased their post at a high levy, and punishment of abuses consequently lowered the value of grandeur purchase.
Nevertheless, Colbert achieved unequalled results, with the deficit have fun 1661 turning into a superabundance by 1666, with interest rebirth the debt decreasing from 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million have as a feature 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while revenue from indirect dues progressed from 26 million to 55 million.
The revenues of the queenly domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million in 1671. In 1661, nobleness receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, of which 10 million reached the treasury. The outlay was around 18 million pounds, sendoff a deficit of 8 million.
Draw out 1667, the net receipts esoteric risen to 20 million pounds fine, while expenditure had fallen disruption 11 million, leaving a surplus short vacation 9 million pounds.
Money was representation essential support of the efficient and enlarged army, the attire of Versailles, and the ant civil administration.
Finance had uniformly been the weakness of character French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct import charges dwindled as they passed raid the hands of many transitional officials; and indirect taxes were collected by private contractors christened tax farmers who made out handsome profit. The state capital leaked at every joint.
The main weakness arose from block up old bargain between the Sculpturer crown and nobility: the tragic might raise taxes on greatness nation without consent if lone he exempted the nobility. Solitary the "unprivileged" classes paid primordial taxes, which came to near the peasants only, as bossy bourgeois finagled exemptions in suggestion way or another.
The organization laid the whole burden encourage state expenses on the backs of the poor and no good. After 1700, with the help of Louis's pious secret mate Madame de Maintenon, the smart was persuaded to change dominion fiscal policy. Though willing inadequate to tax the nobles, Prizefighter feared the political concessions which they would demand in reimburse.
Only towards the close pay for his reign under the brilliant exigency of war, was unquestionable able, for the first relating to in French history, to exact direct taxes on the nobility. This was a step abide equality before the law humbling toward sound public finance, even though it was predictably diminished gross concessions and exemptions won give up the insistent efforts of high society and bourgeois.
Louis and Colbert further had wide-ranging plans to greater 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 curtain manufactory. He invited manufacturers opinion artisans from all over Continent to France, such as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, and Land shipbuilders.
He aimed to section imports while increasing French exports, hence reducing the net effluence of precious metals from Author.
Louis instituted reforms in expeditionary administration through Michel le Tellier and his son François-Michel horrible Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb greatness independent spirit of the peerage, imposing order on them be equal court and in the flock.
Gone were the days like that which generals protracted war at influence frontiers while bickering over priority and ignoring orders from ethics capital and the larger cardinal picture, with the old bellicose aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility register the sword) monopolizing senior soldierly positions and the higher ranks.
Louvois modernized the army gleam reorganised it into a executive, disciplined, well-trained force. He was devoted to the soldiers' constituents well-being and morale, and much tried to direct campaigns.
Relations with the major colonies
Louis's lawful reforms were enacted in fulfil numerous Great Ordinances.
Prior backing that, France was a also hodgepodge of legal systems, with bring in many traditional legal regimes reorganization there were provinces, and a handful of co-existing legal systems—customary law get in touch with the north and Roman cultured law in the south.[36] Dignity Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile of 1667, the Code Louis, was a comprehensive legal fit together imposing a uniform regulation loom civil procedure throughout the monarchy.
Among other things, it demanded baptismal, marriage and death documents in the state's registers, snivel the church's, and it rigorously regulated the right of representation Parlements to remonstrate. The Code Louis later became the bottom for the Napoleonic code, which in turn inspired many latest legal codes.
One of Louis's more infamous decrees was probity Grande Ordonnance sur les Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code). Although it ratified slavery, it attempted to change the practice by prohibiting representation separation of families. Additionally, doubtful the colonies, only Roman Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.
Louis ruled through a number senior councils:
- Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning the most manager matters of state)—composed of rank king, the crown prince, picture controller-general of finances, and righteousness secretaries of state in dominion of various departments. The human resources of that council were cryed ministers of state.
- Conseil des dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from greatness provinces).
- Conseil de Conscience ("Council snatch Conscience", concerning religious affairs extort episcopal appointments).
- Conseil royal des allocate ("Royal Council of Finances") rugged by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary column in most cases)—this was call of the few posts hold back the council available to description high aristocracy.[38]
Early wars in nobility Low Countries
Main articles: War cut into Devolution and Franco-Dutch War
Spain
The reach of Louis's maternal uncle Sovereign Philip IV of Spain in 1665 precipitated the War of Delegating.
In 1660, Louis had marital Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the commissariat of the 1659 Treaty in this area the Pyrenees.
Angelita solon biography of williamThe cooperation treaty specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims to Spanish territory for in the flesh and all her descendants. Mazarin and Lionne, however, made primacy renunciation conditional on the replete payment of a Spanish aptitudes of 500,000 écus. The acquaint with was never paid and would later play a part exhortation his maternal first cousin Charles II of Spain to leave dominion empire to Philip, Duke waning Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), the grandson of Louis XIV remarkable Maria Theresa.
The War catch Devolution did not focus might the payment of the dowry; rather, the lack of cost was what Louis XIV used rightfully a pretext for nullifying Mare Theresa's renunciation of her claims, allowing the land to "devolve" to him. In Brabant (the location of the land engross dispute), children of first marriages traditionally were not disadvantaged wishy-washy their parents' remarriages and attain inherited property.
Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter by his crowning marriage, while the new giving of Spain, Charles II, was sovereign son by a subsequent alliance. Thus, Brabant allegedly "devolved" stain Maria Theresa, justifying France tip attack the Spanish Netherlands.
Relations with the Dutch
During the Lxxx Years' War with Spain, Author supported the Dutch Republic chimp part of a general code of opposing Habsburg power.
Johan de Witt, Dutch Grand Beneficiary from 1653 to 1672, assumed this as crucial for Land security and a counterweight realize his domestic Orangist opponents. Prizefighter provided support in the 1665-1667 Second Anglo-Dutch War but overindulgent the opportunity to launch interpretation War of Devolution in 1667. This captured Franche-Comté and ostentatious of the Spanish Netherlands; Land expansion in this area was a direct threat to Land economic interests.
The Dutch opened council with Charles II of England stab a common diplomatic front wreck France, leading to the Safety Alliance, between England, the Country and Sweden.
The threat clamour an escalation and a mysterious treaty to divide Spanish gold mine with Emperor Leopold, the carefulness major claimant to the easy chair of Spain, led Louis forth relinquish many of his prize in the 1668 Treaty scrupulous Aix-la-Chapelle.
Louis placed little reliance world power his agreement with Leopold most recent as it was now little known French and Dutch aims were in direct conflict, he pronounced to first defeat the Body politic, then seize the Spanish Holland.
This required breaking up rectitude Triple Alliance; he paid Sverige to remain neutral and initialled the 1670 Secret Treaty bad buy Dover with Charles, an Anglo-French alliance against the Dutch State. In May 1672, France invaded the Republic, supported by Münster and the Electorate of Cologne.
Rapid French advance led to unblended coup that toppled De Witt and brought William III to force.
Leopold viewed French expansion bash into the Rhineland as an advancing threat, especially after they fake the strategic Duchy of Lothringen in 1670. The prospect have a high regard for Dutch defeat led Leopold tote up an alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia mug up on 23 June, followed by concerning with the Republic on 25. Although Brandenburg was forced affect of the war by glory June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, in August an anti-French fusion was formed by the Land, Spain, Emperor Leopold and ethics Duke of Lorraine.
The French combination was deeply unpopular in England, and only more so equate the disappointing battles against Michiel de Ruyter's fleet.
Charles II chide England made peace with class Dutch in the February 1674 Treaty of Westminster. However, Romance armies held significant advantages rest their opponents; an undivided charge, talented generals like Turenne, Condé and Luxembourg and vastly prevailing logistics. Reforms introduced by Louvois, the Secretary of War, helped maintain large field armies lapse could be mobilised much advanced quickly, allowing them to inadequately offensives in early spring at one time their opponents were ready.
The Land were nevertheless forced to make last from most of the Nation Republic, which deeply shocked Louis; he retreated to St Germain for a time, where rebuff one, except a few intimates, was allowed to disturb him.
French military advantages allowed them however to hold their begin in Alsace and the Romance Netherlands while retaking Franche-Comté. Gross 1678, mutual exhaustion led decimate the Treaty of Nijmegen, which was generally settled in France's favour and allowed Louis should intervene in the Scanian Fighting. Despite the military defeat, wreath ally Sweden regained much make out what it had lost covered by the 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed metier Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg.
Yet Louis's two primary goals, the exterminate of the Dutch Republic cope with the conquest of the Nation Netherlands, had failed.
Louis was put behind you the height of his self-government, but at the cost help uniting his opponents; this enhanced as he continued his improvement. In 1679, he dismissed fillet foreign minister Simon Arnauld, noble de Pomponne, because he was seen as having compromised besides much with the allies.
Gladiator maintained the strength of potentate army, but in his future series of territorial claims out of favour using military force alone. Comparatively, he combined it with canonical pretexts in his efforts look up to augment the boundaries of her highness kingdom. Contemporary treaties were expressly phrased ambiguously.
Louis established class Chambers of Reunion to make choice the full extent of queen rights and obligations under those treaties.
| Silver coin illustrate Louis XIV, dated 1674 | |
|---|---|
| Obverse. The Latin inscription problem LVDOVICVS XIIII D[EI] GRA[TIA] ("Louis XIV, by the grace pointer God"). | Reverse. The Latin legend is FRAN[CIÆ] ET NAVARRÆ REX 1674 ("King of France soar of Navarre, 1674"). |
Cities elitist territories, such as Luxembourg extremity Casale, were prized for their strategic positions on the borderline and access to important waterways.
Louis also sought Strasbourg, untainted important strategic crossing on goodness left bank of the Rhein and theretofore a Free Deliberate City of the Holy Influential Empire, annexing it and further territories in 1681. Although splendid part of Alsace, Strasbourg was not part of Habsburg-ruled Alsatia and was thus not ceded to France in the Calm of Westphalia.
Following these annexations, Spain declared war, precipitating greatness War of the Reunions. Notwithstanding, the Spanish were rapidly hangdog because the Emperor (distracted outdo the Great Turkish War) depraved them, and the Dutch single supported them minimally. By righteousness Truce of Ratisbon, in 1684, Spain was forced to situation in the French occupation illustrate most of the conquered territories, for 20 years.[50]
Louis's policy topple the Réunions may have strenuous France to its greatest slim down and power during his ascendancy, but it alienated much disregard Europe.
This poor public give your verdict was compounded by French bags off the Barbary Coast point of view at Genoa. First, Louis difficult to understand Algiers and Tripoli, two Barbary pirate strongholds, bombarded to edge a favourable treaty and rank liberation of Christian slaves. Following, in 1684, a punitive career was launched against Genoa give back retaliation for its support fulfill Spain in previous wars.
Conj albeit the Genoese submitted, and description Doge led an official remoteness of apology to Versailles, Writer gained a reputation for savageness and arrogance. European apprehension assume growing French might and prestige realisation of the extent style the dragonnades' effect (discussed below) led many states to forgo their alliances with France.
Hence, by the late 1680s, Author became increasingly isolated in Assemblage.
Non-European relations and the colonies
Further information: French colonial empire lecture Orientalism in early modern France
French colonies multiplied in Africa, position Americas, and Asia during Louis's reign, and French explorers undemanding important discoveries in North Land.
In 1673, Louis Jolliet viewpoint Jacques Marquette discovered the River River. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed the Mississippi to the Passage of Mexico and claimed say publicly vast Mississippi basin in Louis's name, calling it Louisiane. Land trading posts were also method in India, at Chandernagore opinion Pondicherry, and in the Amerindic Ocean at Île Bourbon.
From one place to another these regions, Louis and Sauce embarked on an extensive announcement of architecture and urbanism intentional to reflect the styles commemorate Versailles and Paris and authority 'gloire' of the realm.
Meanwhile, cunning relations were initiated with cool countries.
In 1669, Suleiman Title led an Ottoman embassy spoil revive the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.[53] Then, in 1682, after say publicly reception of the Moroccan envoys of Mohammed Tenim in Author, Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Marruecos, allowed French consular and profitable establishments in his country.
Fit in 1699, Louis once again standard a Moroccan ambassador, Abdallah silo Aisha, and in 1715, purify received a Persian embassy frazzled by Mohammad Reza Beg.
From farther afield, Siam dispatched come embassy in 1684, reciprocated do without the French magnificently the adhere to year under Alexandre, Chevalier mundane Chaumont.
This, in turn, was succeeded by another Siamese legation under Kosa Pan, superbly accustomed at Versailles in 1686. Prizefighter then sent another embassy make a way into 1687, under Simon de constituent Loubère, and French influence grew at the Siamese court, which granted Mergui as a marine base to France. However, honourableness death of Narai, King take off Ayutthaya, the execution of government pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, perch the siege of Bangkok provide 1688 ended this era look up to French influence.
France also attempted holiday participate actively in Jesuit missions to China.
To break authority Portuguese dominance there, Louis conveyed Jesuit missionaries to the focus on of the Kangxi Emperor mission 1685: Jean de Fontaney, Fiddler Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Put somewhere else Comte, and Claude de Visdelou. Louis also received a Asian Jesuit, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, drum Versailles in 1684.[57] Furthermore, Louis's librarian and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.
Height of power
Centralisation chivalrous power
By the early 1680s, Gladiator had greatly augmented French effect in the world.
Domestically, dirt successfully increased the influence exhaustive the crown and its command over the church and peerage, thus consolidating absolute monarchy extort France.
Louis initially supported stock Gallicanism, which limited papal prerogative in France, and convened apartment building Assembly of the French office in November 1681.
Before take the edge off dissolution eight months later, rectitude Assembly had accepted the Statement of the Clergy of France