Louis xiv biography video of gary anderson

King of France from 1643 halt 1715

"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. For the French melodic about Louis XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, give onto Sun King (disambiguation) and Louis Cardinal (disambiguation).

Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 Sep 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known restructuring Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France cause the collapse of 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 majority and 110 days is the highest of any sovereign.^[1][a] An emblematic sixth sense of the Age of Absolutism rejoinder Europe, Louis XIV's legacy is to a large characterized by French colonial expansion, picture conclusion of Eighty Years' War on every side the Habsburgs, and his architectural devise, marked by commissioned works of adroit and buildings. His pageantry, opulent elegance and ornate cultivated image earned him enduring admiration. Louis XIV raised France appraise be the exemplar nation-state of representation early modern period, and established clean cultural prestige which lasted through birth subsequent centuries, and continues today.

Louis began his personal rule of Writer in 1661, after the death befit his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, just as the King famously declared that recognized would take over the job himself.^[4] An adherent of the divine genuine of kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralised renovate governed from the capital. He hunted to eliminate the remnants of structure persisting in parts of France; chunk compelling many members of the glory to reside at his lavish Manor house of Versailles, he succeeded in obeisant the aristocracy, many of whom abstruse participated in the Fronde rebellions lasting his minority. He thus became skirt of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of immediate monarchy in France that endured till such time as the French Revolution. Louis also de rigueur uniformity of religion under the Extensive Church. His revocation of the Decree of Nantes abolished the rights countless the Huguenot Protestant minority and subjected them to a wave of dragonnades, effectively forcing Huguenots to emigrate junior convert, virtually destroying the French Dissenter community.

During Louis's long reign, Author emerged as the leading European brutality and regularly made war. A denial with Spain marked his entire minority, while during his personal rule, Gladiator fought three major continental conflicts, talking to against powerful foreign alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, significant the War of the Spanish Handing down. In addition, France contested shorter wars such as the War of Process and the War of the Reunions. Warfare defined Louis's foreign policy, driven by his personal ambition for municipal and power: "a mix of ocupation, revenge, and pique". His wars apprehensive France's resources to the utmost, behaviour in peacetime he concentrated on preparation for the next war. He ormed his diplomats that their job was to create tactical and strategic parsimonious for the French military. Upon tiara death in 1715, Louis XIV left sovereignty great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a beefy but war-weary kingdom, in major culpability after the War of the Country Succession that had raged on on account of 1701.

Some of his blot notable achievements include the construction promote to the Canal du Midi, the agency of artists, and the founding flaxen the French Academy of Sciences.

Early years

Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, realize Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Flair was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis dignity God-given)^[7] and bore the traditional inscription of French heirs apparent: Dauphin. Even the time of his birth, monarch parents had been married for 23 years. His mother had experienced unite stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Primary contemporaries thus regarded him as undiluted divine gift and his birth top-hole miracle of God.

Louis's relationship with rule mother was uncommonly affectionate for interpretation time. Contemporaries and eyewitnesses claimed become absent-minded the Queen would spend all become public time with Louis. Both were exceedingly interested in food and theatre, become calm it is highly likely that Gladiator developed these interests through his finale relationship with his mother. This longevous and loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's journal entries, such as:

"Nature was responsible tend the first knots which tied get paid to my mother. But attachments familiar later by shared qualities of depiction spirit are far more difficult treaty break than those formed merely shy blood."

It was his mother who gave Louis his belief in the point in the right direction and divine power of his imperial rule.^[12]

During his childhood, he was charmed care of by the governesses Françoise de Lansac and Marie-Catherine de Senecey. In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became the young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young children, distinctively François de Villeroy, and divided reward time between the Palais-Royal and nobility nearby Hotel de Villeroy.

Minority leading the Fronde

Accession

Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)

Sensing imminent death in the spring run through 1643, King Louis XIII decided get through to put his affairs in order cargo space his four-year-old son Louis XIV. Not confident the judgement of his Spanish mate Queen Anne, who would normally take become the sole regent of Author, the king decreed that a rule council would rule on his son's behalf, with Anne at its head.

Louis XIII died on 14 May 1643. On 18 May Queen Anne locked away her husband's will annulled by nobility Parlement de Paris, a judicial target of nobles and high-ranking clergy, ahead she became sole regent. She displaced her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed the Count of Brienne as her minister of foreign relations. Anne kept the direction of devout policy strongly in hand until breather son's majority in 1661.

She prescribed Cardinal Mazarin as chief minister, big him the daily administration of approach. She continued the policies of coffee break late husband and Cardinal Richelieu, teeth of their persecution of her, in anathema to win absolute authority in Writer and victory abroad for her fix. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling shepherd followers the Duke of Beaufort survive Marie de Rohan, who conspired admit him in 1643.^[17]

The best example presumption Anne's loyalty to France was be a foil for treatment of one of Richelieu's rank and file, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier. Séguier difficult to understand brusquely interrogated Anne in 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following the discovery that she was giving military secrets to her curate in Spain, and Anne was scarcely under house arrest for years. Bypass keeping the effective Séguier in authority post, Anne sacrificed her own spirit for the interests of France opinion her son Louis.

The Queen sought after a lasting peace between Catholic goodwill, but only after a French acquirement over her native Spain. She as well gave a partial Catholic orientation join French foreign policy. This was change by the Netherlands, France's Protestant apologist, which negotiated a separate peace explore Spain in 1648.^[18]

In 1648, Anne lecture Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace look up to Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Its terms ensured Dutch self-determination from Spain, awarded some autonomy concerning the various German princes of class Holy Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Diet duct territories controlling the mouths of honourableness Oder, Elbe, and Weser Rivers. Writer, however, profited most from the post. Austria, ruled by the Habsburg Saturniid Ferdinand III, ceded all Habsburg domain and claims in Alsace to Writer and acknowledged her de facto home rule over the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul. Moreover, many paltry German states sought French protection, zealous to emancipate themselves from Habsburg paramountcy. This anticipated the formation of nobleness 1658 League of the Rhine, which further diminished Imperial power.

Early acts

As the Thirty Years' War came stop at an end, a civil war disclose as the Fronde erupted in Writer. It effectively checked France's ability stamp out exploit the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely pursued rendering policies of Cardinal Richelieu, augmenting high-mindedness Crown's power at the expense provision the nobility and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal approach than foreign affairs; she was on the rocks very proud queen who insisted specialization the divine rights of the Deportment of France.^[22]

All this led her denomination advocate a forceful policy in cessation matters relating to the King's stir, in a manner that was such more radical than the one so-called by Mazarin. The Cardinal depended perfectly on Anne's support and had put your name down use all his influence on rendering Queen to temper some of cast-off radical actions. Anne imprisoned any marquess or member of parliament who challenged her will; her main aim was to transfer to her son contain absolute authority in the matters oust finance and justice. One of righteousness leaders of the Parlement of Town, whom she had jailed, died export prison.^[23]

The Frondeurs, political heirs of distinction disaffected feudal aristocracy, sought to guard their traditional feudal privileges from integrity increasingly centralized royal government. Furthermore, they believed their traditional influence and influence was being usurped by the fresh ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility of the robe"), who administered the kingdom and on whom the monarchy increasingly began to reckon. This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.^{[citation needed]}

In 1648, Anne and Mazarin attempted to tax members of the Parlement de Paris. The members refused collect comply and ordered all of leadership king's earlier financial edicts burned. Buoyed by the victory of Louis, duc d'Enghien (later known as le Illustrious Condé) at the Battle of Mirror, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, take into custody certain members in a show prime force.^[24] The most important arrest, distance from Anne's point of view, concerned Pierre Broussel, one of the most be relevant leaders in the Parlement de Paris.

People in France were complaining induce the expansion of royal authority, nobleness high rate of taxation, and significance reduction of the authority of high-mindedness Parlement de Paris and other community representative entities. Paris erupted in insurrection as a result, and Anne was forced, under intense pressure, to graceful Broussel. Moreover, on the night near 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of angry Parisians broke into the royal palace additional demanded to see their king. Roguish into the royal bed-chamber, they gazed upon Louis, who was feigning drowse, were appeased, and then quietly expired. The threat to the royal lineage prompted Anne to flee Paris added the king and his courtiers.

Shortly thereafter, the conclusion of the Without interruption of Westphalia allowed Condé's army go to see return to aid Louis and her highness court. Condé's family was close statement of intent Anne at that time, and of course agreed to help her attempt call by restore the king's authority. The queen's army, headed by Condé, attacked magnanimity rebels in Paris; the rebels were under the political control of Anne's old friend Marie de Rohan. Beaufort, who had escaped from the also gaol where Anne had incarcerated him fin years before, was the military superior in Paris, under the nominal grab hold of of Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; primacy Peace of Rueil was signed, essential the court returned to Paris.

Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended on Condé, who wanted to dominate the queen and destroy Mazarin's affect. It was Condé's sister who goad him to turn against the queen consort. After striking a deal with give someone the boot old friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose the appointment of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis offshoot Châteauneuf as minister of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand offer Bourbon, Prince of Conti, and birth husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess of Longueville. That situation did not last long, spreadsheet Mazarin's unpopularity led to the beginning of a coalition headed mainly inured to Marie de Rohan and the peek of Longueville. This aristocratic coalition was strong enough to liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a action of virtual house arrest on Ruler Anne.

All these events were attestanted by Louis and largely explained consummate later distrust of Paris and rendering higher aristocracy. "In one sense, Louis's childhood came to an end catch on the outbreak of the Fronde. View was not only that life became insecure and unpleasant – a predestination care meted out to many children reside in all ages – but that Prizefighter had to be taken into nobility confidence of his mother and Mazarin on political and military matters answer which he could have no abyssal understanding". "The family home became mass times a near-prison when Paris difficult to understand to be abandoned, not in cavorting outings to other chateaux but donation humiliating flights". The royal family was driven out of Paris twice eliminate this manner, and at one center of attention Louis XIV and Anne were held underneath directed by virtual arrest in the royal country estate in Paris. The Fronde years naturalised in Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination to set in motion out of the ancient capital on account of soon as possible, never to return.

Just as the first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a subsequent one (the Fronde des princes contribution 1650–1653) began. Unlike that which preceded it, tales of sordid intrigue soar half-hearted warfare characterized this second point of upper-class insurrection. To the titled classes, this rebellion represented a protest infer the reversal of their political debasement from vassals to courtiers. It was headed by the highest-ranking French upper class dignity, among them Louis's uncle Gaston, Lord of Orléans and first cousin Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of the Blood such as Condé, his brother Armand de Bourbon, Lord of Conti, and their sister class Duchess of Longueville; dukes of legitimised royal descent, such as Henri, Baron of Longueville, and François, Duke short vacation Beaufort; so-called "foreign princes" such orang-utan Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Bouillon, fulfil brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions comprehend France's oldest families, such as François de La Rochefoucauld.

Queen Anne touched the most important role in defeating the Fronde because she wanted sure of yourself transfer absolute authority to her mutually. In addition, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for a release of years. The Frondeurs claimed in close proximity to act on Louis's behalf, and induce his real interest, against his be quiet and Mazarin.

Queen Anne had clever very close relationship with the Essential, and many observers believed that Mazarin became Louis XIV's stepfather by a mysterious marriage to Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext for revolution. The Fronde thus gradually lost haze and ended in 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile. From meander time until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign and economic policy without the daily supervision nigh on Anne, who was no longer regent.

During this period, Louis fell in passion with Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, on the other hand Anne and Mazarin ended the king's infatuation by sending Mancini away evade court to be married in Italia. While Mazarin might have been tempted for a short time to espouse his niece to the King observe France, Queen Anne was absolutely averse this; she wanted to marry in return son to the daughter of scratch brother, Philip IV of Spain, financial assistance both dynastic and political reasons. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position in that he knew that her support defend his power and his foreign line depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position and belt the Spanish marriage. Additionally, Mazarin's associations with Marie Mancini were not skilled, and he did not trust relation to support his position. All show consideration for Louis's tears and his supplications work his mother did not make time out change her mind. The Spanish matrimony would be very important both encouragement its role in ending the bloodshed between France and Spain, because visit of the claims and objectives govern Louis's foreign policy for the subsequent 50 years would be based observe this marriage, and because it was through this marriage that the Romance throne would ultimately be delivered retain the House of Bourbon.

Personal reign have a word with reforms

Coming of age and early reforms

Louis XIV was declared to have reached the age of majority on righteousness 7th of September 1651. On leadership death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis personally took the reins spectacle government and astonished his court strong declaring that he would rule shun a chief minister: "Up to that moment I have been pleased collect entrust the government of my relations to the late Cardinal. It interest now time that I govern them myself. You [secretaries and ministers] wish assist me with your counsels just as I ask for them. I influence and order you to seal clumsy orders except by my command . . . I order you whimper to sign anything, not even straight passport . . . without return to health command; to render account to goal personally each day and to benefit no one".^[33] Capitalizing on the extensive public yearning for peace and disposition after decades of foreign and lay strife, the young king consolidated middle political authority at the expense carry out the feudal aristocracy. Praising his effortlessness to choose and encourage men warrant talent, the historian Chateaubriand noted: "it is the voice of genius become aware of all kinds which sounds from blue blood the gentry tomb of Louis".

Louis began his live reign with administrative and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged culpability bankruptcy. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General search out Finances in 1665. However, Louis regulate had to neutralize Nicolas Fouquet, leadership powerful Superintendent of Finances. Although Fouquet's financial indiscretions were not very formal from Mazarin's before him or Colbert's after him, his ambition worried Gladiator. He lavishly entertained the king velvety the opulent château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, grandiloquent a wealth which could hardly conspiracy accumulated except through embezzlement of polity funds.

Fouquet appeared eager to progress to Mazarin and Richelieu in power, leading he indiscreetly purchased and privately furnished the remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his doom. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him guilty and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis paraphrastic the sentence to life imprisonment.

Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a free focus on to reduce the national debt project more efficient taxation. The principal toll included the aides and douanes (both customs duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). Decency taille was reduced at first, flourishing certain tax-collection contracts were auctioned if not of being sold privately to organized favoured few. Financial officials were fixed to keep regular accounts, revising inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up strengthen 1661 only 10 per cent deadly income from the royal domain reached the king. Reform had to quandary vested interests: the taille was composed by officers of the Crown who had purchased their post at spruce up high price, and punishment of abuses necessarily lowered the value of description purchase. Nevertheless, Colbert achieved excellent prudent, with the deficit of 1661 revolving into a surplus by 1666, get the gist interest on the debt decreasing elude 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million in 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while communication from indirect taxation progressed from 26 million to 55 million. The revenues of greatness royal domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million divert 1671. In 1661, the receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, weekend away which 10 million reached the treasury. Grandeur expenditure was around 18 million pounds, renunciation a deficit of 8 million. In 1667, the net receipts had risen in detail 20 million pounds sterling, while expenditure confidential fallen to 11 million, leaving a remainder of 9 million pounds.

Money was loftiness essential support of the reorganized pointer enlarged army, the panoply of City, and the growing civil administration. Back had always been the weakness classic the French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct taxes dwindled as they passed through the labourers of many intermediate officials; and curved taxes were collected by private contractors called tax farmers who made neat as a pin handsome profit. The state coffers leaked at every joint.

The main frailty arose from an old bargain 'tween the French crown and nobility: picture king might raise taxes on leadership nation without consent if only forbidden exempted the nobility. Only the "unprivileged" classes paid direct taxes, which came to mean the peasants only, chimpanzee most bourgeois finagled exemptions in lone way or another. The system lay the whole burden of state disbursement on the backs of the damaging and powerless. After 1700, with nobleness support of Louis's pious secret bride Madame de Maintenon, the king was persuaded to change his fiscal practice. Though willing enough to tax honourableness nobles, Louis feared the political concessions which they would demand in go back. Only towards the close of coronet reign under the extreme exigency grapple war, was he able, for rank first time in French history, suck up to impose direct taxes on the body of nobles. This was a step toward parity before the law and toward propose public finance, though it was predictably diminished by concessions and exemptions won by the insistent efforts of peerage and bourgeois.

Louis and Colbert also challenging wide-ranging plans to grow French merchandising and trade. Colbert's mercantilist administration accepted new industries and encouraged manufacturers mushroom inventors, such as the Lyon fabric manufacturers and the Gobelins tapestry mill. He invited manufacturers and artisans shun all over Europe to France, much as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, impressive Dutch shipbuilders. He aimed to shorten imports while increasing French exports, therefore reducing the net outflow of dearest metals from France.

Louis instituted reforms in military administration through Michel suitable Tellier and his son François-Michel boxing match Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb the independent sympathy of the nobility, imposing order discharge them at court and in authority army. Gone were the days during the time that generals protracted war at the confines while bickering over precedence and regard for orders from the capital and rendering larger strategic picture, with the pillar military aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility light the sword) monopolizing senior military positions and the higher ranks. Louvois smooth the army and reorganised it overcrowding a professional, disciplined, well-trained force. Perform was devoted to the soldiers' textile well-being and morale, and even try to direct campaigns.

Relations with justness major colonies

Louis's legal reforms were enacted in his numerous Great Ordinances. Anterior to that, France was a alternating of legal systems, with as innumerable traditional legal regimes as there were provinces, and two co-existing legal systems—customary law in the north and Serious civil law in the south.^[36] Illustriousness Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile make stronger 1667, the Code Louis, was spruce comprehensive legal code imposing a firmly regulation of civil procedure throughout description kingdom. Among other things, it required baptismal, marriage and death records distort the state's registers, not the church's, and it strictly regulated the settle of the Parlements to remonstrate. Probity Code Louis later became the reason for the Napoleonic code, which engage turn inspired many modern legal sedateness.

One of Louis's more infamous decrees was the Grande Ordonnance sur remainder Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code). Although it sanctioned bondage, it attempted to humanise the exercise by prohibiting the separation of families. Additionally, in the colonies, only Established Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.

Louis ruled through a number of councils:

• Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning high-mindedness most important matters of state)—composed incessantly the king, the crown prince, integrity controller-general of finances, and the secretaries of state in charge of a number of departments. The members of that parliament were called ministers of state.
• Conseil stilbesterol dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from the provinces).
• Conseil de Conscience ("Council of Conscience", with religious affairs and episcopal appointments).
• Conseil commune des finances ("Royal Council of Finances") headed by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary post outer shell most cases)—this was one of picture few posts in the council share out to the high aristocracy.^[38]

Early wars heritage the Low Countries

Main articles: War promote to Devolution and Franco-Dutch War

Spain

The death hegemony Louis's maternal uncle King Philip IV comprehensive Spain in 1665 precipitated the Contest of Devolution. In 1660, Louis difficult to understand married Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the provisions be a devotee of the 1659 Treaty of the Chain. The marriage treaty specified that Tree Theresa was to renounce all claims to Spanish territory for herself gift all her descendants. Mazarin and Lionne, however, made the renunciation conditional internment the full payment of a Country dowry of 500,000 écus. The subsidy was never paid and would following play a part persuading his fatherly first cousin Charles II of Spain hint at leave his empire to Philip, Marquis of Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), the grandson of Louis XIV and Tree Theresa.

The War of Devolution outspoken not focus on the payment pray to the dowry; rather, the lack announcement payment was what Louis XIV used similarly a pretext for nullifying Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, allowing description land to "devolve" to him. Bland Brabant (the location of the peninsula in dispute), children of first marriages traditionally were not disadvantaged by their parents' remarriages and still inherited paraphernalia. Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter tough his first marriage, while the original king of Spain, Charles II, was sovereignty son by a subsequent marriage. Way, Brabant allegedly "devolved" to Maria Theresa, justifying France to attack the Romance Netherlands.

Relations with the Dutch

During excellence Eighty Years' War with Spain, Writer supported the Dutch Republic as bits and pieces of a general policy of antagonistic Habsburg power. Johan de Witt, Country Grand Pensionary from 1653 to 1672, viewed this as crucial for Land security and a counterweight against her highness domestic Orangist opponents. Louis provided fund in the 1665-1667 Second Anglo-Dutch Fighting but used the opportunity to leave the War of Devolution in 1667. This captured Franche-Comté and much designate the Spanish Netherlands; French expansion induce this area was a direct threatening remark to Dutch economic interests.

The Dutch undo talks with Charles II of England critique a common diplomatic front against Author, leading to the Triple Alliance, mid England, the Dutch and Sweden. Significance threat of an escalation and regular secret treaty to divide Spanish resources with Emperor Leopold, the other elder claimant to the throne of Espana, led Louis to relinquish many pass judgment on his gains in the 1668 Be devoted to of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Louis placed little reliance imperative his agreement with Leopold and thanks to it was now clear French survive Dutch aims were in direct trouble, he decided to first defeat picture Republic, then seize the Spanish Holland. This required breaking up the Trine Alliance; he paid Sweden to last neutral and signed the 1670 Hidden Treaty of Dover with Charles, guidebook Anglo-French alliance against the Dutch Democracy. In May 1672, France invaded authority Republic, supported by Münster and interpretation Electorate of Cologne.

Rapid French advance puzzled to a coup that toppled Holiday Witt and brought William III to sovereign state. Leopold viewed French expansion into significance Rhineland as an increasing threat, specifically after they seized the strategic Domain of Lorraine in 1670. The stance of Dutch defeat led Leopold don an alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by another with loftiness Republic on 25th. Although Brandenburg was forced out of the war contempt the June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, in August an anti-French alliance was formed by the Dutch, Spain, Potentate Leopold and the Duke of Lorraine.

The French alliance was deeply unpopular ploy England, and only more so aft the disappointing battles against Michiel upset Ruyter's fleet. Charles II of England notion peace with the Dutch in leadership February 1674 Treaty of Westminster. Regardless, French armies held significant advantages reinvest their opponents; an undivided command, exalted generals like Turenne, Condé and Luxemburg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms external by Louvois, the Secretary of Warfare, helped maintain large field armies saunter could be mobilised much more voluntarily, allowing them to mount offensives break through early spring before their opponents were ready.

The French were nevertheless forced get to the bottom of retreat from most of the Nation Republic, which deeply shocked Louis; bankruptcy retreated to St Germain for orderly time, where no one, except spruce up few intimates, was allowed to put out him. French military advantages allowed them however to hold their ground hobble Alsace and the Spanish Netherlands determine retaking Franche-Comté. By 1678, mutual enervation led to the Treaty of Metropolis, which was generally settled in France's favour and allowed Louis to intercede in the Scanian War. Despite rendering military defeat, his ally Sweden regained much of what it had left out under the 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg. Yet Louis's two pre-eminent goals, the destruction of the Country Republic and the conquest of say publicly Spanish Netherlands, had failed.

Louis was near the height of his power, nevertheless at the cost of uniting culminate opponents; this increased as he long his expansion. In 1679, he pink-slipped his foreign minister Simon Arnauld, marquess de Pomponne, because he was funny as having compromised too much know the allies. Louis maintained the give artificial respiration to of his army, but in diadem next series of territorial claims detested using military force alone. Rather, agreed combined it with legal pretexts provide his efforts to augment the marchlands of his kingdom. Contemporary treaties were intentionally phrased ambiguously. Louis established representation Chambers of Reunion to determine greatness full extent of his rights focus on obligations under those treaties.

Cities current territories, such as Luxembourg and Casale, were prized for their strategic positions on the frontier and access divulge important waterways. Louis also sought Metropolis, an important strategic crossing on birth left bank of the Rhine stand for theretofore a Free Imperial City pounce on the Holy Roman Empire, annexing be a triumph and other territories in 1681. Though a part of Alsace, Strasbourg was not part of Habsburg-ruled Alsace distinguished was thus not ceded to Writer in the Peace of Westphalia.

Following these annexations, Spain declared war, precipitating the War of the Reunions. In spite of that, the Spanish were rapidly defeated being the Emperor (distracted by the Beneficial Turkish War) abandoned them, and rendering Dutch only supported them minimally. Harsh the Truce of Ratisbon, in 1684, Spain was forced to acquiesce advocate the French occupation of most clutch the conquered territories, for 20 years.^[50]

Louis's policy of the Réunions may accept raised France to its greatest vastness and power during his reign, however it alienated much of Europe. That poor public opinion was compounded impervious to French actions off the Barbary Seashore and at Genoa. First, Louis confidential Algiers and Tripoli, two Barbary privateer strongholds, bombarded to obtain a successful treaty and the liberation of Christianly slaves. Next, in 1684, a correctional mission was launched against Genoa implement retaliation for its support for Espana in previous wars. Although the City submitted, and the Doge led strong official mission of apology to City, France gained a reputation for violence and arrogance. European apprehension at juvenile French might and the realisation loom the extent of the dragonnades' end result (discussed below) led many states set upon abandon their alliances with France. And so, by the late 1680s, France became increasingly isolated in Europe.

Non-European help and the colonies

Further information: French compound empire and Orientalism in early further France

French colonies multiplied in Africa, justness Americas, and Asia during Louis's control, and French explorers made important discoveries in North America. In 1673, Gladiator Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered high-mindedness Mississippi River. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed honourableness Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and claimed the vast Mississippi repository in Louis's name, calling it Louisiane. French trading posts were also mighty in India, at Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in the Indian Ocean dubious Île Bourbon. Throughout these regions, Gladiator and Colbert embarked on an wideranging program of architecture and urbanism deliberate to reflect the styles of Metropolis and Paris and the 'gloire' admire the realm.

Meanwhile, diplomatic relations were initiated with distant countries. In 1669, Suleiman Aga led an Ottoman embassy give somebody the job of revive the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.^[53] Corroboration, in 1682, after the reception footnote the Moroccan embassy of Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan emblematic Morocco, allowed French consular and gaul establishments in his country. In 1699, Louis once again received a Maroc ambassador, Abdallah bin Aisha, and have round 1715, he received a Persian legation led by Mohammad Reza Beg.

From farther afield, Siam dispatched an envoys in 1684, reciprocated by the Gallic magnificently the next year under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont. This, in go around, was succeeded by another Siamese legation under Kosa Pan, superbly received even Versailles in 1686. Louis then suggest another embassy in 1687, under Saint de la Loubère, and French competence grew at the Siamese court, which granted Mergui as a naval pillar to France. However, the death raise Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the function of his pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, and the siege of Bangkok send down 1688 ended this era of Land influence.

France also attempted to participate fast in Jesuit missions to China. Side break the Portuguese dominance there, Gladiator sent Jesuit missionaries to the respect of the Kangxi Emperor in 1685: Jean de Fontaney, Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Le Comte, and Claude de Visdelou. Louis also received expert Chinese Jesuit, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, split Versailles in 1684.^[57] Furthermore, Louis's professional and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.

Height of power

Centralisation of power

By the mistimed 1680s, Louis had greatly augmented Land influence in the world. Domestically, lighten up successfully increased the influence of influence crown and its authority over righteousness church and aristocracy, thus consolidating thorough monarchy in France.

Louis initially founded traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal control in France, and convened an Confluence of the French clergy in Nov 1681. Before its dissolution eight months later, the Assembly had accepted righteousness Declaration of the Clergy of France