King Louis XIV, during his reign, had stated that the monarch should be equal to the task given to him and that any deficiencies in ability would be supplemented by the divinity of the office of King. Unfortunately, King Louis XV was unequal to his task and King Louis XVI, even more so . King Louis XVI, a man who was not quick to emotion, was skilled nonetheless, as a locksmith and loved to eat and to hunt .However, according to John Harman, Louis before 1787 was a clear‐headed, intelligent and politically savvy man. He was able to understand the difficulties and dilemmas of his day to day tenure, but could not deal with them effectively . Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI’s wife, made the journey from Vienna to Versailles at fifteen years of age, was stripped of her Austrian heritage and instead became a French princess . …show more content…
The National Guard was formed to try and repress the subsequent threat of pillage . The association of an aristocratic plot responsible for the break-down of the whole system in France, with nameless brigands, set a pattern over and over for what was to be a terrible revolution. It must also be noted that the Revolution was not an uprising of the beggars and poor, it was craftsmen and shopkeepers in the towns and peasant proprietors in the countryside . There were other factors involved too in bringing about the French Revolution which lasted almost 10 years from 1789 to the late 1790’s. The extravagant spending of King Louis XVI and his predecessor, France’s costly involvement in the American Revolution, poor cereal harvests for nearly two decades, drought, cattle disease and as already stated, sky rocketing bread prices . On July 14, 1789, rioter stormed the Bastille fortress in an attempt to obtain weaponry. The wave of revolutionary fervour and widespread hysteria quickly swept the countryside. ‘Revolting against years of exploitation, peasants looted and burned the homes of tax collectors,
The French Revolution was a drastic time for the people of France. In 1789, the majority of people were living in poverty and dealing with terrible conditions. People were split into three estates: the first, second, and third, the first being the wealthiest. Political, economic, and social situations were what contributed to people’s desire for change. The three main, or biggest causes of the French Revolution, were taxes, inequality, and lack of reform.
Louis XIV was worshiped and admired by some people however he was far from being critical or balanced. Some of his decisions like prejudge or finding somebody guilty were based on the rumors and denunciations. Duc de Saint-Simon wrote, “Many a man in all ranks of life was ruined by these methods [rumors and denunciations], often very unjustly…” 2. What specific personality
In 1666 Louis wrote a memo to his son describing the functions and behaviors of a king, and he advised his son about how to be a successful king and how his hard work was a way of making him under the spotlight which he always wanted. According to King Louis, “Without any doubt, two things were absolutely necessary for ruling: very hard work on my part, and a wise choice of persons who were capable of carrying out my work” (King Louis, 2017, week 1 reading 2) for King Louis a king must keep on doing the hard work without giving up, and also a king must be chosen wisely and carefully. He thinks that working for a few hours a day and learning new techniques will lead a king to his glories and wining or succeeding once or twice is quite pleasurable. According to him order was obtained when you keep eyes open and study every other person, nation, or enemy’s moves. As he mentions, “My son, the work of a king is agreeable.
The French Revolution is an uprising in France against the monarchy from 1789 to 1799 which resulted in the establishment of France as a republic. An example of the French Revolution is the storming of the Bastille by the French citizens. It caused havoc in France for many years. The government separated the classes by money and state of living. According to Travels in France by Arthur Young, the peasants were mistreated badly.
Louis also had very good military ambitions. King Louis brought the french monarchy to its peak. Before louis became king of france its culture and economy was very bad. Before Louis the XIV became king his grandfather, (henry
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.
The French Revolution was one of the most significant wars that changed France’s history. The Revolution started in 1789 and ended in 1799 and was mainly initiated by the conditions affecting the Third Estate. Louis XVI was predominately the king during this time period but little did he know that an uprising among the peasants was happening. The French Revolution was caused by the Enlightenment ideas because of the American Revolution, the knowledge of rights, and the questioning of France’s government. The American Revolution was basically the “fire” that ignited the change the Third Estate wanted to see in their country.
Louis XIV was a very conceited person. He thought that everything and everyone should revolve around him. Louis XIV led an absolute monarchy in France. He called himself “Sun King” because he thought that everyone and everything should revolve around him. He made sure that he had absolute power over everyone and no one else had a say in what happened.
The debt of King Louis XIV was very troublesome. It caused his once powerful and rich kingdom, to plummet. The article Memoir of the Reign of Louis XIV, by the Duke of Saint – Simon: Louis de Rouvry, states, “He wished to reign by himself. His jealousy on this point unceasingly became weakness . . . He liked nobody to be in any way superior to him.”
Do the ends justify the mean? If you were an American soldier ready to be deployed for a massive land invasion of Japan, the atomic bombs saved your life. World War II ended when the United States dropped the atomic bombs and saved thousands of American lives. The French Revolution faced a similar dilemma. The rallying cry for the revolution was equality, liberty, and fraternity, bringing the first democracy to France.
Louis understood the consequences of his actions – his Finance Ministers Turgot, Necker, Callone and Brienne informed him of the need for budgetary reform (History Shots,2017). Callone, made this crystal clear in a letter to Louis in 1778, “May one banish forever the false and murderous idea that the state can be helped by bankruptcy. . . . it would always be not only unjust, barbarous and dishonourable but ruinous rather than beneficial.” (Beherens, 1967). Louis was not ignorant of the consequences of his
He imposed huge taxes upon his citizens to create the Palace of Versallias that was used to satisfy his own needs. The main purpose of the palace was to protect Louis from a revolt. However he took it a step too far when he took advantage of his authority and used it to show his own wealth and power. Tsar Peter I never abused his power to satisfy his own needs to the extent of Louis, he solely used his power to benefit Russia and his subjects. Therefore, Louis XIV exerted a larger degree of power even though it was in an oppressive way.
French society was defined by the the “Ancien Regime” the system of three estates (Clergy, Nobility, and Peasantry). The clergy and nobility were respected and had a higher position in society and the peasants were left to carry the country, by working farms, generating the wealth, and paying a large majority of taxes. This largely contributed to the tensions arising in 1780’s France. Meanwhile, France was engaged in the Age of Enlightenment people were demanding that church and state be separate, the King resigns and a new logic based system of government is to be established.
Was the French Revolution preventable? This is a question that is fascinating to think about. What could have been done differently to prevent this revolution that cost countless people their lives? Why were others willing to give their lives, for what cause? Why was life so turbulent?
In the French Revolution the storming of the Bastille was one of the key events that revolved around political issues. On 14 July 1789, furious revolutionaries had stormed the Bastille. In fact, it was not only a source to make a statement in opposition to the Monarchy, but also the mob gained weapons that were stored in the prison. The mob, including a few of the King 's soldiers, stormed the Bastille. After a while, prisoners were set free.