Examples Of Absolutism Under Louis Xiv

This period is referred to as the birth of absolutism because with each ruler came a more unified France. It was a gradual process, but once the throne was under Louis XIV, absolutism was at its peak. As the failures of Henry arose, Louis XIII weakened the Edict of Nantes and slowly deviated from its orders. Finally, Louis XIV reversed everything that Henry IV did by overturning the Edict of Nantes and giving way for a new order in France. This is one of the first gestures of absolutism under Louis XIV’s supremacy. He no longer abides by religious tolerance, he wants uniformity of religions, a mantra of absolutism. By doing away with such a historical infamous document, Louis showed that he was no longer a child and was ready to lead with an iron fist; such extreme measures demonstrate that Louis was ready to claim his empire By revoking the document he caused a large Huguenot

Previous rulers failed to create religious tolerance effectively, so the only method left to create a sense of order in the kingdom was unification. The West acclaims, “ His reputation as the most powerful ruler of the seventeenth century derives from the image conveyed as from the policies he pursued.” If Louis XIV had not set Catholicism as the majority religion in France, France would potentially be waged in more religious wars. In a time of uncertainty, Louis XIV provided clarity for the people of France by declaring one religion and showing the strength and loyalty of his army. Louis grew up living a rather middle class lifestyle due to his father’s death, which led to his despise of the nobility and siding with the bourgeoisie; the definitive goal was seize any rivaled power. Absolutism is defined as the principle or the exercise of complete and unrestricted power in government. Louis XIV embodiment of absolutism limited to power of the nobility ultimately making France a strong