Louis XIV served as King of France from 1643 to 1715. He brought the French monarchy to its peak of absolute power and forged France into the dominant power of continental Europe. His reign also ushered in France's greatest age of cultural and artistic prowess. The purpose of this research is to discuss the significance of the reign of King Louis XIV of France, both in terms of both foreign policy and domestic development.
The reign of Louis XIV was often cited as a gift from God. This image was in no small part inspired by the king's very birth. It was an event that fell just short of being miraculous. King Louis XIII had married Anne of Austria, daughter of the King of Spain, in 1615 when both were only 14 years old. As the years passed, it became obvious that the king cared little for his Spanish bride. Most of France never expected the royal couple to give birth, meaning that the king's brother, Gaston d'Orleans, would inherit the throne. But on September 5, 1638, Queen Anne gave birth amid immense national rejoicing (though not Gaston's). The son was hailed as le Dieudonne, "the God-given" (Bernier, 1987:3).
On May 16, 1643, King Louis XIII died of tuberculosis. The son was only 4 at the time, so the country was technically ruled by his mother as regent. In fact, however, Cardinal Mazarin, whom Anne loved, made the decisions of state. A series of rebellions known as the "Fronde" soon followed, but royal authority remained intact. The boy king developed a strong distaste for popular rebellions and a resentment of Paris, where the Fronde originated. When Mazarin died on March 9, 1661, the 23-year old Louis XIV announced that he would direct the government himself. The government remained under his control for the next 54 years.
By the time Louis XIV had assumed the throne, much of the groundwork had been laid for an absolute monarchy. France had built a great army under the direction of King L...