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The Sun God: King Louis XIV

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Often referred to himself as “The Sun God,” King Louis XIV was one of the most memorable absolute monarchs; known for the unique ways he had conveyed his personal belief in divine right, himself, and the way he saw best fit for the government and people of France. Exerting his control to all of France, he decided to move his court and government to Versailles, the palace that he lived in during his reign as King of France. With that and fear in mind, he then invited very wealthy nobles into Versailles in order to prevent them from developing their own regional power, and revolt., The King would require ceremonies, and rituals to be conducted in order to show his strength and power to everyone living in Versailles with him, and strongly believed …show more content…

By centralizing the seat of government and the members of his court away from the centers of power in Paris, Louis was able to weaken the nobility and increase his control over state and government affairs. According to the article, Louis XIV and Versailles, The Palace of Versailles, “as symbol of France's new prominence as a European super-power, Louis XIV officially installed his government at Versailles.” The reason and intentions behind moving the government to Versailles, reflects how he believes in absolute monarchism because his decisions relied on no one else ,but him.King Louis XIV himself had said, “I am the State. It is legal because I wish it.” This quote also demonstrates his belief of absolutism by being able to make laws legal just by commanding them to happen. King Louis XIV decided to invite Nobles of a certain rank to live at Versailles for a portion of every year. King Louis XIV hoped this would deter the noble class “from developing their own regional power,” according to the article, The Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV truly believed that for the government of France to stay in good hands, he would need to have absolute control, and by keeping rich nobles close to him in Versailles, nothing would be treating his control, and to King Louis, that translates to him doing a good job as

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The nobles over time felt they needed to please Louis in return for letting them live in the Palace of Versailles (Doc 5). Louis attempted to control Protestants in France by making them convert to Catholicism. In addition he would not allow them to leave the country and he took down their churches (Doc 6). Louis taking this action

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Locke’s ideas have given Frenchmen the courage to fight against the strict government. During the reign of Louis XIV, nobles’ power was strictly limited. By making the nobles live in Versailles, Louis could easily watch over his nobles. Later, Louis XVI took over the throne. He raised taxes then spent the money in whatever way he pleased (Doc 5).

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His ideas were dominant over other philosophers' about how a government should be run during the beginning of the French Revolution. “Democratic and Aristocratic states are not in their own nature free. Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power. But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to use it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.”

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Absolute monarchies had all the power in Europe. Their kingdoms were powerful and accomplished. Although absolute monarchies empowered and enriched their kingdoms, they were still largely detrimental because of King Louis XIV of France, debt, Frederick the Great’s seizure of Silesia, and the city of St. Petersburg. King Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch.

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He had many wars that he fought in order to increase his land. He grew the country the France with these wars. By growing the land that France owned he increased his power by increasing the amount of people he ruled over, and also gained the respect of the people making it easier for him to be an absolute

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The role that King Louis XIV plays in Tartuffe, although not a character himself, affects the whole outcome of the play. King Louis XIV was an absolute monarch and was responsible for restoring order in society. The age of reason, 1660-1805, was a time to restore order while finding humor in those who stray away from order. King Louis was responsible for ensuring the safety and order of the country, and we come to learn that his power spreads much further than suspected. By divine right and being an offstage presence, King Louis XIV has the ability to control and assist everyone, whether it is warranted or not.

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How revolutionary was the French Revolution? Did the Revolution simply replace the old ruling elite with a new bourgeois one? What were the major effects on different groups of people, including nobles, priests, peasants, urban workers, slaves, and women? This essay will address the French Revolution and the degree to which it can be aptly described as “revolutionary.” How revolutionary was the French Revolution? Was the storming of the Bastille, the destruction of feudalism, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of a fundamental and radical and revolutionary nature, or, alternatively, simply a series of historical events that results in the supplanting of one authoritarian regime for another and at great cost in

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Annually, millions of people travel to northern France to view the grand and pompous Baroque style of the Palace of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors. Built in 1698 during the reign of Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles stood for over 100 years as “the primary residence of the kings of France and the seat of the government,” and in 1979, the Palace of Versailles and its gardens were decreed a World Heritage site by the UNESCO. An examination of the Palace’s Hall of Mirrors will reveal a dramatic use of light, symmetry, large-scale frescoes, a shell for painting, sculpture, and stucco, and an opulent use of rich color and accessories common to a French Baroque-style interior. Louis XII (r. 1610 - 1643) used the initial residence as a hunting lodge and retreat for his family, and in 1624, he commissioned Jacques Lemercier to build a chateau on the site, which remains as “the exterior façade overlooking the Marble Court.” From 1661 to 1710, Louis XIV oversaw the residential transformation of the majestic complex surrounded by gardens.

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Since Louis XIV inherited his monarchy at the mere age of five years old, his nation was run by Cardinal Mazarin until his death in 1642. After the cardinal’s death, Louis began to reform France through his absolute rule which is apparent in the words he uttered the day he came into power: “Messieurs, I have come to my Parliament to tell you that, following the law of the land, I intend to take over the government myself; and I hope with the goodness of God it will be with piety and justice” (Horne 107). Even when he just began to rule, Louis XIV had full intent to take over France absolutely for the betterment of the country. The main principle of his absolute monarchy was weakening his nobility so that they had little to no control over the state. This was quite simple when he forced his nobility to live in the Palace of Versailles, planning various parties and banquets in order to keep the nobles preoccupied so that he could truly rule France.

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