Louis XIV

Louis XIV of France was the most powerful of all European monarchs in the 17^th century. He was an absolute ruler, which means that he governed the entire nation of France alone. This brought him into conflict with both the nobility and the ordinary people.

Louis XIV came to the throne in 1643, when he was just five years old. His mother ruled on his behalf until 1651. The council of nobles, a group of France’s social elite who helped to run the country, argued with her constantly, because it wanted a share of the power. There was also a rebellion by the people in 1648, over the heavy taxes that they had to pay. When the nobles revolted, too, Louis fled from Paris and did not return until 1653.

He determined such a rebellion would never happen again.

In 1661, Louis dismissed the council of nobles and took into his own hands the government of France. At this time, France had become the most powerful nation in Europe.

Louis XIV’s chief adviser, Jean Colbert, reorganized taxes and reformed the legal system. He set up new industries and a network of roads and canals, and increased the size of the merchant fleet to encourage foreign trade overseas. Louis spent much of France’s wealth on building a magnificent new palace at Versailles near Paris, and also on wars throughout Europe. He wanted to expand French territory to reach the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Rhine river. Between 1667 and 1697, he fought three major wars with other European powers, including Spain and Great Britain.

The French peasants were heavily taxed to pay for the king’s extravagant building projects and wars, while the nobles and clergy paid nothing. Two bad harvests left thousands of people starving, but protests were quickly crushed. When Louis died in 1715, his five-year-old great grandson succeeded him, inheriting a country left financially weak after years of warfare.

MOLIERE

Louis XIV was a great patron of the arts and literature. One of his favourite dramatists was Jean Baptiste Poquelin, known as Moliere (1622-73), the father of modern French comedy. From 1659 to 1673, Moliere wrote and directed many plays at Versailles. He also acted in his plays.