Louis XIV

(Louis XIV of France)

1638–1715

LOUIS XIV

Louis XIV, known by his people as the Sun King, was ruler of both France and Navarre. Believing himself to be divinely appointed, he held fast to the reigns of government from the time he assumed power until his death at age 76. He engaged in several wars throughout his rule, which increased both the size and prestige of France. He made many changes to the way France was governed that tended to consolidate power in the hands of the monarch.

Louis became king following the death of his father, but Cardinal Mazarin, appointed by his mother, was the real leader of France until his death nineteen years later. After taking over as sole ruler, Louis pushed for administrative and economic reforms and appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances. He reduced the national debt and planned to improve French trade. Religiously, he was a staunch Catholic, but he still strived to increase the power of the monarchy while lowering papal authority, granting him control over the actions of French priests and bishops. In an unpopular turn, he created a decree that sanctioned slavery, but he won back support by revoking the Edict of Nantes, a promise of religious toleration that had long been unpopular in Catholic France. Louis was known for his wealth and splendor, and he commissioned the building of Versailles, one of the most luxurious palaces in Europe, where he stayed with his Court so that he might keep an eye on their goings-on.

It was Louis XIV’s many wars that eventually brought on France’s economic downfall. He kept France at war for thirty-three years of his reign, the most famous confrontation being the War of the Spanish Succession. After the death of Charles II of Spain, Louis’s grandson, Philip of Anjou, was appointed King of Spain, but Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I fought to claim the throne for the Habsburg dynasty. Battling against England, the Habsburg monarchy, the Netherlands, and several German states, France was battered by defeat and mounting debts as well as two massive famines. After 1709, however, the war turned in favor of the French; Leopold I and his son passed away, leaving the Austrian claim to the Archduke Charles, whose acquisition of Spanish land would upset the balance of power almost as much as Philip’s. After the war’s end, Louis’s grandson retained Spain on the understanding that the French and Spanish crowns would never be united. Louis died of gangrene in 1715, one year after the final peace settlements were made.

Key events during the life of Louis XIV:

Year	Event
1638	Born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
1642	Became king but was too young to rule
1648	Start of the first Fronde, a French Civil War
1660	Married Maria Theresa of Spain
1661	Began to personally govern France following the death of his prime minister
1665	Engaged in War of Devolution against the Habsburg Empire
1681	Assembly of the Clergy granted Louis power greater than the Pope's
1683	Death of Maria Theresa, Louis married Madame de Maintenon
1685	Revoked the Edict of Nantes
1701	War of the Spanish Succession
1713	Treaty of Utrecht retained balance of world powers
1715	Died of gangrene

Book Links
Louis XIV  by  John S. C. Abbott

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Charcoal Man and the King  in	Fifty Famous People  by  James Baldwin
Man in the Iron Mask  in	Thirty More Famous Stories Retold  by  James Baldwin
The Man with the Iron Mask  in	Old Time Tales  by  Lawton B. Evans
House of Bourbon (cont2)  in	France: Peeps at History  by  John Finnemore
Louis XIV  in	Famous Men of Modern Times  by  John H. Haaren
Diligent King  in	The Story of France  by  Mary Macgregor
Martyr to his Profession  in	Historical Tales: French  by  Charles Morris
Man with the Iron Mask  in	Historical Tales: French  by  Charles Morris
Greatness of France  in	The Awakening of Europe  by  M. B. Synge

Image Links
Louis XIV at breakfast, surrounded by his courtiers.  in Louis XIV	Louis XIV directing the siege  in Louis XIV	Announcement of the Death of Louis XIV  in Louis XIV
Louis XIV and the charcoal man  in Fifty Famous People	Louis of Bourbon, the Boy-King of France  in Historic Boys	The Bed of Justice: On a broad dias, topped with a canapy of crimson and gold, five great cushions were arranged  in Historic Boys
The death-bed of Louis XIV.: 'My child, you are about to become a great king; do not imitate me.'  in Historic Boys	Louis XIV. and Mademoiselle de la Valliere  in The Story of Old France	Louis XIV. and Madame de Maintenon receiving at court  in The Story of Old France
Louis XIV and Moliere  in The Story of Old France	Reception of Turenne by Louis XIV at Versailles.  in Famous Men of Modern Times	Louis XIV. Louis XIV.  in Back Matter
Moliere at Breakfast with Louis XIV. Moliere at Breakfast with Louis XIV.  in Back Matter	Louis XIV of France  in Builders of Our Country: Book I	Prince Eugene before King Louis the Fourteenth.  in  Prince Eugene, the Noble Knight

Contemporary	Short Biography
Eugene of Savoy	One of the Greatest generals of the Hapsburg Empire. Led Austria during the War of Spanish Succession.
Prince of Conde	Renowned Marshal of France during the age of Louis XVI. Fought in numerous wars including Fronde, thirty years, and Franco-Dutch.
Colbert	As minister of Finance, improved France's economy under the extravagant Louis XIV.
Rene La Salle	Dauntless adventurer who followed the Mississippi to its mouth, and claimed all for France.
Pere Marquette	French Missionary who explored the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes.