Absolutism: The Reign Of King Louis XIV

Louis XIV ruled with boldness and passion, his belief in the divine right of kings drove him to unify France in a way like no other. “Law, therefore, was the will of the sovereign king, so long as it conformed to the higher law which was the will of God.” (Palmer 175). France taught and cultivated the idea of absolutism, in a period of brokenness this helped France immensely to unify under one central government. The economy in France was also helped by Louis XIV, he was the first monarch to ever directly tax the aristocratic elements of the population and this helped promote equality under the law as well as a sound public finance. A major landmark in religion under Louis XIV’s rule was the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. This also brought …show more content…
The Hapsburgs fought France in numerous wars that left France in need of a strong political ruler. Louis XIV came into power at that perfect time and had no hesitation to step up to the throne and take charge. “. . . monarchs were asserting their authority over competing groups with ever-greater effectiveness” (AAPARTS Document 1). Absolute monarchy asserted by King Louis XIV was needed for the French people to succeed. The title of absolutism might sound somewhat like a dictatorship but Louis XIV effectively used parliament and the nobility throughout his rule, making him still a fair and just ruler. The only difference in Louis XIV from other rulers was he never let anyone or anything restrict him, in the end he had the final say. “A ruler was absolute because he was not legally bound by any other persons or institutions in the country” (Palmer 175). Louis XIV never drastically abused his divine right or absolutism but always used it to unify France, this effectively worked to help France control the people and …show more content…
All kinds of people contributed ideas and teachings to shape the Frenchmen. “They carried over the versatility of the Italy of the Renaissance” (Palmer 170). Nicholas Poussin and Claude Lorrain were what Italians would call Renaissance men, they produced a school of painters, architecture, and engineering that sparked ideas in human life. Socially the talk of the town consisted of the latest stories being written by people like Molière and La Fontaine. The French language and ideas swept the continent by storm during Louis XIV’s rule, not just his armies. In France, salons became a new social hangout. “Meanwhile, other centers of intellectual life emerged outside the royal academies in the new salons of Paris” (Palmer 171). Salons were gathering places where anyone and everyone came to discuss culture and all things important in France. With Louis XIV’s rule French social customs and ideas spread throughout