LOUIS XIV

LOUIS XIV

• Born on September 5, 1638
• Died on September 1, 1715
• Longest monarch reign in European History
• From the House of Bourbon
• Coronation 1654

POLICIES

• Wanted to remove medieval feudalism in France
• Consolidated system of absolute monarchial rule
• Wanted to secure international borders

WARS

WAR OF DEVOLUTION

• Louis supported alleged right of his wife to inherit the Spanish Netherlands
• Began in 1667
• Louis' armies invader Flanders and the Franche- Comte
• Armies repulsed by the Triple Alliance of England, Sweden, and the Northern Netherlands
• Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle gave him control of select towns on the border of the Spanish Netherlands

INVASION OF THE NETHERLANDS

• Invaded the Netherlands again in 1672
• Fought against an alliance of William of Orange, the HRE, Spain, Lorraine, and Bradenburg
• Ended inconclusively with Peace of Nijmwegen
• Peace of Nijmwegen gave France territory, including the Franche- Comte

NINE YEARS' WAR

• League of Augsburg: England, Spain, United Provinces, German states
• 1689-1697
• Louis' armies attacked the German city of Stratsburg
• The League repulsed Louis' advances into Germany
• Peace of Rsywick- Secured Holland's borders

WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION

• King Charles II of Spain died, left inheritance to Louis' grandson Philip of Anjou
• 1701-1714
• England, Holland, & HRE formed Grand Alliance
• Philip V remained King of Spain, England got land, Louis recognized the House of Hanover the English Throne

VERSAILLES

• Displayed Louis XIV's power
• Built between 1676 and 1708 on the outskirts of Paris
• Became Louis' permanent residence after 1682
• Housed servants and nobles, who had to pay to stay there
• Gave the king more control over the nobility

RELIGION

• State religion was Roman Catholicism
• Forced by the pope to persecute Jansenists
• Persecuted Huguenots
• Revoked Edict of Nantes in 1685
• Led to many skilled workers and artisans leaving France

SOCIAL

• Supported social structure & social privileges of nobility
• The public liked him because he took action on what they wanted
• Consulted local representative groups called "parlements"
• Well liked by nobles because he worked around them

ECONOMY

• Louis spent a lot of money on his appearance and propaganda
• Relied on Jean Baptiste Colbert
• A debt of 60 million livres turned into 10 million livres
• Mercantilism- aimed at filling the state treasury
• Efficient taxes, improved roads and canals, import tariffs, plantation economy in colonies