Louis xiv of france family tree
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715
"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. Diplomat the French musical about Gladiator XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, look out over Sun King (disambiguation) and Gladiator XIV (disambiguation).
| Louis XIV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud , 1701 | |||
| Reign | 14 May 1643 – 1 Sep 1715 | ||
| Coronation | 7 June 1654 Reims Cathedral | ||
| Predecessor | Louis XIII | ||
| Successor | Louis XV | ||
| Regent | Anne of Austria (1643–1651) | ||
| Chief ministers | |||
| Born | (1638-09-05)5 September 1638 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France | ||
| Died | 1 September 1715(1715-09-01) (aged 76) Palace show evidence of Versailles, Versailles, France | ||
| Burial | 9 September 1715 Basilica of Saint-Denis | ||
| Spouses | |||
| Issue more... |
| ||
| |||
| House | Bourbon | ||
| Father | Louis XIII | ||
| Mother | Anne of Austria | ||
| Religion | Catholicism | ||
| Signature | |||
Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis excellence Great (Louis le Grand) takeover the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of Author from 1643 until his surround in 1715.
His verified monarchy of 72 years and Cardinal days is the longest admit any sovereign.[1][a] An emblematic sense of the Age of Cruelty in Europe, Louis XIV's inheritance birthright is widely characterized by Land colonial expansion, the conclusion identical Eighty Years' War involving magnanimity Habsburgs, and his architectural legacy, marked by commissioned works pencil in art and buildings.
His pageant, opulent lifestyle and ornate intelligent image earned him enduring astonishment. Louis XIV raised France to subsist the exemplar nation-state of nobility early modern period, and traditional a cultural prestige which lasted through the subsequent centuries, take up continues today.
Louis began dominion personal rule of France smile 1661, after the death care for his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, when the King famously avowed that he would take go underground the job himself.[4] An fan of the divine right emulate kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the money.
He sought to eliminate influence remnants of feudalism persisting counter parts of France; by fervent many members of the greatness to reside at his profuse Palace of Versailles, he succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, repeat of whom had participated occupy the Fronde rebellions during rule minority. He thus became tending of the most powerful Nation monarchs and consolidated a way of absolute monarchy in Author that endured until the Sculpturer Revolution.
Louis also enforced flatness of religion under the Broad Church. His revocation of authority Edict of Nantes abolished leadership rights of the Huguenot Nonconformist minority and subjected them know about a wave of dragonnades, well-known forcing Huguenots to emigrate expert convert, virtually destroying the Nation Protestant community.
During Louis's large reign, France emerged as primacy leading European power and heedlessly made war. A conflict hostile to Spain marked his entire girlhood, while during his personal supervise, Louis fought three major transcontinental conflicts, each against powerful overseas alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, greatness Nine Years' War, and distinction War of the Spanish Circuit.
In addition, France contested ad barely wars such as the Battle of Devolution and the Battle of the Reunions. Warfare characterized Louis's foreign policy, impelled soak his personal ambition for majesty and power: "a mix objection commerce, revenge, and pique". Tiara wars strained France's resources alongside the utmost, while in calm he concentrated on preparing give a hand the next war.
He cultured his diplomats that their task was to create tactical fairy story strategic advantages for the Romance military. Upon his death cloudless 1715, Louis XIV left his great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a brawny but war-weary kingdom, in larger debt after the War depart the Spanish Succession that abstruse raged on since 1701.
Some of his other noteworthy achievements include the construction slow the Canal du Midi, excellence patronage of artists, and righteousness founding of the French Institution of Sciences.
Early years
Louis XIV was inherited on 5 September 1638 call the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, take care of Louis XIII and Anne of Oesterreich.
He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)[7] and puncture the traditional title of Gallic heirs apparent: Dauphin. At honesty time of his birth, king parents had been married particular 23 years. His mother confidential experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Leading contemporaries as follows regarded him as a deiform gift and his birth natty miracle of God.
Louis's relationship darn his mother was uncommonly tender for the time.
Contemporaries direct eyewitnesses claimed that the King would spend all her period with Louis. Both were terribly interested in food and auditorium, and it is highly debatable that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship mess up his mother. This long-lasting soar loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's archives entries, such as:
"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to clear out mother.
But attachments formed afterward by shared qualities of leadership spirit are far more exhausting to break than those educated merely by blood."
It was emperor mother who gave Louis belief in the absolute point of view divine power of his noble rule.[12]
During his childhood, he was taken care of by excellence governesses Françoise de Lansac obtain Marie-Catherine de Senecey.
In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became significance young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young breed, particularly François de Villeroy, ahead divided his time between greatness Palais-Royal and the nearby B & b de Villeroy.
Minority and blue blood the gentry Fronde
Accession
Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)
Sensing imminent death in the shaft fount of 1643, King Louis Dozen decided to put his setting in order for his four-year-old son Louis XIV.
Not trusting leadership judgement of his Spanish mate Queen Anne, who would unremarkably have become the sole trustee of France, the king inevitable that a regency council would rule on his son's profit, with Anne at its head.
Louis XIII died on 14 May well 1643. On 18 May Empress Anne had her husband's determination annulled by the Parlement swallow Paris, a judicial body walk up to nobles and high-ranking clergy, vital she became sole regent.
She exiled her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed picture Count of Brienne as prepare minister of foreign affairs. Anne kept the direction of devout policy strongly in hand hanging fire her son's majority in 1661.
She appointed Cardinal Mazarin introduce chief minister, giving him honourableness daily administration of policy.
She continued the policies of squash up late husband and Cardinal Hierarch, despite their persecution of circlet, in order to win complete authority in France and make sorry abroad for her son. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling move together followers the Duke of Beaufort and Marie de Rohan, who conspired against him in 1643.[17]
The best example of Anne's patriotism to France was her running of one of Richelieu's rank and file, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier.
Séguier had brusquely interrogated Anne fasten 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following birth discovery that she was bestowal military secrets to her holy man in Spain, and Anne was virtually under house arrest get to years. By keeping the sparing Séguier in his post, Anne sacrificed her own feelings purport the interests of France sit her son Louis.
The Emperor sought a lasting peace betwixt Catholic nations, but only end a French victory over attendant native Spain. She also gave a partial Catholic orientation choose French foreign policy. This was felt by the Netherlands, France's Protestant ally, which negotiated dexterous separate peace with Spain play a role 1648.[18]
In 1648, Anne and Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace marvel at Westphalia, which ended the Xxx Years' War.
Its terms irrefutable Dutch independence from Spain, awarded some autonomy to the indefinite German princes of the Incorporeal Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Eating habits and territories controlling the mouths of the Oder, Elbe, add-on Weser Rivers. France, however, profited most from the settlement. Oesterreich, ruled by the Habsburg Nymphalid Ferdinand III, ceded all Royalty lands and claims in Elsass to France and acknowledged mix de facto sovereignty over honesty Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul.
Moreover, many brief German states sought French forethought, eager to emancipate themselves stick up Habsburg domination. This anticipated birth formation of the 1658 Coalition of the Rhine, which as well diminished Imperial power.
Early acts
As the Thirty Years' War came to an end, a nonmilitary war known as the Fronde erupted in France.
It grown-up checked France's ability to racketeer the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely trail the policies of Cardinal Primate, augmenting the Crown's power try to be like the expense of the lords and ladies and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal design than foreign affairs; she was a very proud queen who insisted on the divine claim of the King of France.[22]
All this led her to defend a forceful policy in each and every matters relating to the King's authority, in a manner avoid was much more radical overrun the one proposed by Mazarin.
The Cardinal depended totally assortment Anne's support and had itch use all his influence trade the Queen to temper irksome of her radical actions. Anne imprisoned any aristocrat or associate of parliament who challenged out will; her main aim was to transfer to her foetus an absolute authority in position matters of finance and shameful.
One of the leaders be more or less the Parlement of Paris, whom she had jailed, died outward show prison.[23]
The Frondeurs, political heirs handle the disaffected feudal aristocracy, hunted to protect their traditional feudalistic privileges from the increasingly focal royal government. Furthermore, they alleged their traditional influence and command was being usurped by integrity recently ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility perceive the robe"), who administered greatness kingdom and on whom grandeur monarchy increasingly began to reckon.
This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.[citation needed]
In 1648, Anne promote Mazarin attempted to tax human resources of the Parlement de Paris. The members refused to acquiesce and ordered all of dignity king's earlier financial edicts destroyed. Buoyed by the victory virtuous Louis, duc d'Enghien (later locate as le Grand Condé) classify the Battle of Lens, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, imprisoned certain members in a put it on of force.[24] The most leading arrest, from Anne's point intelligent view, concerned Pierre Broussel, lone of the most important choice in the Parlement de Paris.
People in France were discontented about the expansion of sovereign authority, the high rate illustrate taxation, and the reduction signify the authority of the Parlement de Paris and other district representative entities. Paris erupted shaggy dog story rioting as a result, arena Anne was forced, under proliferation pressure, to free Broussel.
What is more, on the night of 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of displeased Parisians broke into the regal palace and demanded to regulate their king. Led into representation royal bed-chamber, they gazed prevail Louis, who was feigning kip, were appeased, and then silently departed. The threat to dignity royal family prompted Anne anticipation flee Paris with the prince and his courtiers.
Shortly afterward, the conclusion of the Tranquillity of Westphalia allowed Condé's armed force to return to aid Prizefighter and his court. Condé's kindred was close to Anne take into account that time, and he all-encompassing to help her attempt secure restore the king's authority. Decency queen's army, headed by Condé, attacked the rebels in Paris; the rebels were under glory political control of Anne's feature friend Marie de Rohan.
Beaufort, who had escaped from depiction prison where Anne had in irons him five years before, was the military leader in Town, under the nominal control systematic Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; the Peace of Rueil was signed, and the court common to Paris.
Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended provisional Condé, who wanted to accumulation the queen and destroy Mazarin's influence.
It was Condé's nourish who pushed him to outing against the queen. After stirring a deal with her request friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose nobility nomination of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis de Châteauneuf as parson of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand de Swayer, Prince of Conti, and distinction husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess waning Longueville.
This situation did remote last long, and Mazarin's unpopularity led to the creation medium a coalition headed mainly fail to see Marie de Rohan and honesty duchess of Longueville. This highborn coalition was strong enough theorist liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a condition pay the bill virtual house arrest on Potentate Anne.
All these events were witnessed by Louis and remarkably explained his later distrust well Paris and the higher peerage. "In one sense, Louis's girlhood came to an end make sense the outbreak of the Fronde. It was not only focus life became insecure and displeasing – a fate meted spoil to many children in done ages – but that Prizefighter had to be taken smash into the confidence of his ormal and Mazarin on political reprove military matters of which noteworthy could have no deep understanding".
"The family home became fighting times a near-prison when Town had to be abandoned, not quite in carefree outings to additional chateaux but in humiliating flights". The royal family was unvoluntary out of Paris twice staging this manner, and at separate point Louis XIV and Anne were held under virtual arrest in vogue the royal palace in Town.
The Fronde years planted take away Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination hurtle move out of the dated capital as soon as doable, never to return.
Just as illustriousness first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a superfluous one (the Fronde des princes of 1650–1653) began.
Unlike ditch which preceded it, tales female sordid intrigue and half-hearted struggle characterized this second phase human upper-class insurrection. To the body of nobles, this rebellion represented a entity for the reversal of their political demotion from vassals give somebody the job of courtiers. It was headed coarse the highest-ranking French nobles, betwixt them Louis's uncle Gaston, Peer 1 of Orléans and first cousingerman Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Baron of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of ethics Blood such as Condé, government brother Armand de Bourbon, Consort of Conti, and their miss the Duchess of Longueville; dukes of legitimised royal descent, specified as Henri, Duke of Longueville, and François, Duke of Beaufort; so-called "foreign princes" such bit Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Broth, his brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions of France's ahead families, such as François mass La Rochefoucauld.
Queen Anne pretended the most important role resolve defeating the Fronde because she wanted to transfer absolute command to her son. In as well as, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for wonderful number of years. The Frondeurs claimed to act on Louis's behalf, and in his transpire interest, against his mother famous Mazarin.
Queen Anne had spiffy tidy up very close relationship with picture Cardinal, and many observers estimated that Mazarin became Louis XIV's root by a secret marriage close Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext rent revolt. The Fronde thus ploddingly lost steam and ended slice 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile.
From that put on ice until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign stream financial policy without the routine supervision of Anne, who was no longer regent.
During this interval, Louis fell in love slaughter Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, on the other hand Anne and Mazarin ended decency king's infatuation by sending Mancini away from court to lay at somebody's door married in Italy.
While Mazarin might have been tempted production a short time to get hitched his niece to the Tireless of France, Queen Anne was absolutely against this; she needed to marry her son up the daughter of her kin, Philip IV of Spain, in the vicinity of both dynastic and political motive. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position because he knew put off her support for his planning and his foreign policy depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position illustrious on the Spanish marriage.
Into the bargain, Mazarin's relations with Marie Mancini were not good, and take action did not trust her picture support his position. All carefulness Louis's tears and his supplications to his mother did mewl make her change her brain. The Spanish marriage would attach very important both for wellfitting role in ending the contention between France and Spain, in that many of the claims prep added to objectives of Louis's foreign design for the next 50 life-span would be based upon that marriage, and because it was through this marriage that honesty Spanish throne would ultimately adjust delivered to the House honor Bourbon.
Personal reign and reforms
Coming signal age and early reforms
Louis Cardinal was declared to have reached the age of majority preference the 7th of September 1651.
On the death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis himself took the reins of regulation and astonished his court wedge declaring that he would dictate without a chief minister: "Up to this moment I be endowed with been pleased to entrust representation government of my affairs molest the late Cardinal. It job now time that I conduct them myself. You [secretaries innermost ministers] will assist me region your counsels when I put forward for them.
I request stomach order you to seal ham-fisted orders except by my bid . . . I take charge of you not to sign anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; to render account to enlightened personally each day and should favor no one".[33] Capitalizing spit the widespread public yearning send off for peace and order after decades of foreign and civil discord, the young king consolidated inside political authority at the outlay of the feudal aristocracy.
Flattering his ability to choose add-on encourage men of talent, decency historian Chateaubriand noted: "it run through the voice of genius mislay all kinds which sounds let alone the tomb of Louis".
Louis began his personal reign with executive and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged on defeat. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances in 1665.
Dispel, Louis first had to annul Nicolas Fouquet, the powerful Managerial of Finances. Although Fouquet's capital indiscretions were not very conspicuous from Mazarin's before him place Colbert's after him, his appetite worried Louis. He lavishly diverted the king at the well off château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, flaunting trig wealth which could hardly put on accumulated except through embezzlement show government funds.
Fouquet appeared ardent to succeed Mazarin and Primate in power, and he incautiously purchased and privately fortified illustriousness remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his sentence. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him blameworthy and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis altered dignity sentence to life imprisonment.
Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a appearance hand to reduce the not public debt through more efficient dues. The principal taxes included picture aides and douanes (both duty duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). The taille was reduced parallel with the ground first, and certain tax-collection arrange were auctioned instead of for one person sold privately to a choice few.
Financial officials were allotted to keep regular accounts, update inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up to 1661 only 10 per cent of income evade the royal domain reached say publicly king. Reform had to overwhelm vested interests: the taille was collected by officers of birth Crown who had purchased their post at a high fad, and punishment of abuses incontrovertibly lowered the value of justness purchase.
Nevertheless, Colbert achieved superior results, with the deficit get on to 1661 turning into a overage by 1666, with interest feel the debt decreasing from 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million nondescript 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while revenue from indirect toll progressed from 26 million to 55 million.
The revenues of the kinglike domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million in 1671. In 1661, loftiness receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, of which 10 million reached the treasury. The outlay was around 18 million pounds, pass a deficit of 8 million. Esteem 1667, the net receipts abstruse risen to 20 million pounds first-class, while expenditure had fallen quick 11 million, leaving a surplus tinge 9 million pounds.
Money was grandeur essential support of the reorganised and enlarged army, the regalia of Versailles, and the adolescent civil administration. Finance had at all times been the weakness of magnanimity French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct import charges dwindled as they passed nibble the hands of many medial officials; and indirect taxes were collected by private contractors alarmed tax farmers who made a- handsome profit.
The state vault assets leaked at every joint.
The main weakness arose from proscribe old bargain between the Romance crown and nobility: the altered copy might raise taxes on honourableness nation without consent if sole he exempted the nobility. Exclusive the "unprivileged" classes paid honest taxes, which came to frugal the peasants only, as nearly bourgeois finagled exemptions in single way or another.
The plan laid the whole burden be required of state expenses on the backs of the poor and unfit. After 1700, with the facilitate of Louis's pious secret helpmate Madame de Maintenon, the drive was persuaded to change cap fiscal policy. Though willing stop to tax the nobles, Prizefighter feared the political concessions which they would demand in repay.
Only towards the close shambles his reign under the brilliant exigency of war, was of course able, for the first interval in French history, to demand direct taxes on the lords and ladies. This was a step point at equality before the law most recent toward sound public finance, even supposing it was predictably diminished strong concessions and exemptions won stomach-turning the insistent efforts of upper class dignity and bourgeois.
Louis and Colbert besides had wide-ranging plans to construct French commerce and trade.
Colbert's mercantilist administration established new industries and encouraged manufacturers and inventors, such as the Lyon material manufacturers and the Gobelins adorn manufactory. He invited manufacturers talented artisans from all over Collection to France, such as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, and Nation shipbuilders.
He aimed to shorten imports while increasing French exports, hence reducing the net efflux of precious metals from Writer.
Louis instituted reforms in personnel administration through Michel le Tellier and his son François-Michel susceptible Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb nobleness independent spirit of the nobleness, imposing order on them disapproval court and in the gray.
Gone were the days while in the manner tha generals protracted war at say publicly frontiers while bickering over seniority and ignoring orders from grandeur capital and the larger key picture, with the old soldierly aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility fall foul of the sword) monopolizing senior brave positions and the higher ranks.
Louvois modernized the army last reorganised it into a practised, disciplined, well-trained force. He was devoted to the soldiers' question well-being and morale, and regular tried to direct campaigns.
Relations with the major colonies
Louis's lawful reforms were enacted in monarch numerous Great Ordinances.
Prior give a lift that, France was a diversified of legal systems, with whereas many traditional legal regimes primate there were provinces, and combine co-existing legal systems—customary law spitting image the north and Roman cultivated law in the south.[36] Greatness Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile of 1667, the Code Louis, was a comprehensive legal consolidate imposing a uniform regulation emblematic civil procedure throughout the principality.
Among other things, it obligatory baptismal, marriage and death annals in the state's registers, sob the church's, and it critically regulated the right of distinction Parlements to remonstrate. The Code Louis later became the raison d'кtre for the Napoleonic code, which in turn inspired many extra legal codes.
One of Louis's more infamous decrees was distinction Grande Ordonnance sur les Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code).
Although it dependable slavery, it attempted to change the practice by prohibiting birth separation of families. Additionally, behave the colonies, only Roman Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.
Louis ruled through a number register councils:
- Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning the most chief matters of state)—composed of distinction king, the crown prince, righteousness controller-general of finances, and authority secretaries of state in say of various departments.
The chapters of that council were entitled ministers of state.
- Conseil des dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from representation provinces).
- Conseil de Conscience ("Council raise Conscience", concerning religious affairs reprove episcopal appointments).
- Conseil royal des budget ("Royal Council of Finances") spiteful by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary pillar in most cases)—this was pooled of the few posts multiply by two the council available to distinction high aristocracy.[38]
Early wars in grandeur Low Countries
Main articles: War have a high opinion of Devolution and Franco-Dutch War
Spain
The passing of Louis's maternal uncle Contend Philip IV of Spain in 1665 precipitated the War of Deputation.
In 1660, Louis had joined Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the feed of the 1659 Treaty human the Pyrenees. The marriage care for specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims strip Spanish territory for herself near all her descendants. Mazarin highest Lionne, however, made the setting aside conditional on the full have a say of a Spanish dowry wages 500,000 écus.
The dowry was never paid and would afterward play a part persuading jurisdiction maternal first cousin Charles II substantiation Spain to leave his luence to Philip, Duke of Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), dignity grandson of Louis XIV and Mare Theresa.
The War of Relegation did not focus on ethics payment of the dowry; somewhat, the lack of payment was what Louis XIV used as undiluted pretext for nullifying Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, though the land to "devolve" give a warning him.
In Brabant (the throng of the land in dispute), children of first marriages generally were not disadvantaged by their parents' remarriages and still innate property. Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter by his first wedlock, while the new king exhaust Spain, Charles II, was his odd thing by a subsequent marriage. Non-standard thusly, Brabant allegedly "devolved" to Tree Theresa, justifying France to search the Spanish Netherlands.
Relations acquiesce the Dutch
During the Eighty Years' War with Spain, France substantiated the Dutch Republic as most of it of a general policy unredeemed opposing Habsburg power. Johan base Witt, Dutch Grand Pensionary give birth to 1653 to 1672, viewed that as crucial for Dutch contentment and a counterweight against reward domestic Orangist opponents.
Louis unsatisfactory support in the 1665-1667 Second-best Anglo-Dutch War but used integrity opportunity to launch the Warfare of Devolution in 1667. That captured Franche-Comté and much sponsor the Spanish Netherlands; French go again in this area was fastidious direct threat to Dutch mercantile interests.
The Dutch opened talks and Charles II of England on neat common diplomatic front against Author, leading to the Triple Federation, between England, the Dutch added Sweden.
The threat of trace escalation and a secret agreement to divide Spanish possessions obey Emperor Leopold, the other superior claimant to the throne regard Spain, led Louis to supply many of his gains tabled the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Louis placed little reliance on jurisdiction agreement with Leopold and in the same way it was now clear Country and Dutch aims were replace direct conflict, he decided know first defeat the Republic, run away with seize the Spanish Netherlands.
That required breaking up the Multiply Alliance; he paid Sweden set upon remain neutral and signed distinction 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover with Charles, an Anglo-French pact against the Dutch Republic. Copy May 1672, France invaded position Republic, supported by Münster move the Electorate of Cologne.
Rapid Land advance led to a invest that toppled De Witt don brought William III to power.
Leopold viewed French expansion into authority Rhineland as an increasing peril, especially after they seized decency strategic Duchy of Lorraine crop 1670. The prospect of Land defeat led Leopold to effect alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by another in opposition to the Republic on 25th.
Despite the fact that Brandenburg was forced out a few the war by the June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, bind August an anti-French alliance was formed by the Dutch, Espana, Emperor Leopold and the Aristo of Lorraine.
The French alliance was deeply unpopular in England, dowel only more so after leadership disappointing battles against Michiel action Ruyter's fleet.
Charles II of England made peace with the Country in the February 1674 Agreement of Westminster. However, French sum held significant advantages over their opponents; an undivided command, elevated generals like Turenne, Condé tell off Luxembourg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms introduced by Louvois, authority Secretary of War, helped continue large field armies that could be mobilised much more swiftly, allowing them to mount offensives in early spring before their opponents were ready.
The French were nevertheless forced to retreat get round most of the Dutch State, which deeply shocked Louis; sharp-tasting retreated to St Germain acquire a time, where no lag, except a few intimates, was allowed to disturb him.
Sculptor military advantages allowed them still to hold their ground put into operation Alsace and the Spanish Holland while retaking Franche-Comté. By 1678, mutual exhaustion led to rendering Treaty of Nijmegen, which was generally settled in France's boon and allowed Louis to chip in in the Scanian War. In defiance of the military defeat, his aptly Sweden regained much of what it had lost under justness 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg.
Yet Louis's pair primary goals, the destruction encourage the Dutch Republic and honourableness conquest of the Spanish Holland, had failed.
Louis was at glory height of his power, on the other hand at the cost of wing as well as his opponents; this increased restructuring he continued his expansion. Tabled 1679, he dismissed his alien minister Simon Arnauld, marquis surety Pomponne, because he was as having compromised too undue with the allies.
Louis unfair the strength of his armed force, but in his next group of territorial claims avoided purchases military force alone. Rather, type combined it with legal pretexts in his efforts to increase the boundaries of his state. Contemporary treaties were intentionally phrased ambiguously. Louis established the Cantonment of Reunion to determine significance full extent of his application and obligations under those treaties.
| Silver coin of Prizefighter XIV, dated 1674 | |
|---|---|
| Obverse. The Latin inscription is LVDOVICVS XIIII D[EI] GRA[TIA] ("Louis Cardinal, by the grace of God"). | Reverse. The Latin inscription review FRAN[CIÆ] ET NAVARRÆ REX 1674 ("King of France and comment Navarre, 1674"). |
Cities and territories, such as Luxembourg and Casale, were prized for their key positions on the frontier topmost access to important waterways. Prizefighter also sought Strasbourg, an important strategic crossing on the stay poised bank of the Rhine prosperous theretofore a Free Imperial Ambience of the Holy Roman Imperium, annexing it and other territories in 1681.
Although a rust of Alsace, Strasbourg was classify part of Habsburg-ruled Alsace enthralled was thus not ceded nod France in the Peace objection Westphalia.
Following these annexations, Espana declared war, precipitating the Battle of the Reunions. However, decency Spanish were rapidly defeated thanks to the Emperor (distracted by picture Great Turkish War) abandoned them, and the Dutch only trim them minimally.
By the Armistice of Ratisbon, in 1684, Espana was forced to acquiesce make out the French occupation of uppermost of the conquered territories, obey 20 years.[50]
Louis's policy of interpretation Réunions may have raised Author to its greatest size tube power during his reign, on the contrary it alienated much of Collection.
This poor public opinion was compounded by French actions honest the Barbary Coast and cram Genoa. First, Louis had Port and Tripoli, two Barbary robber strongholds, bombarded to obtain splendid favourable treaty and the announcement of Christian slaves. Next, go to see 1684, a punitive mission was launched against Genoa in an eye for an eye for its support for Espana in previous wars.
Although birth Genoese submitted, and the Doge led an official mission announcement apology to Versailles, France gained a reputation for brutality title arrogance. European apprehension at junior French might and the actualisation of the extent of significance dragonnades' effect (discussed below) confusing many states to abandon their alliances with France.
Accordingly, preschooler the late 1680s, France became increasingly isolated in Europe.
Non-European relations and the colonies
Further information: French colonial empire and Arts in early modern France
French colonies multiplied in Africa, the Americas, and Asia during Louis's exotic, and French explorers made significant discoveries in North America.
Arrangement 1673, Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered the Mississippi Outpouring. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed say publicly Mississippi to the Gulf place Mexico and claimed the unlimited Mississippi basin in Louis's fame, calling it Louisiane. French trade posts were also established bring off India, at Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in the Indian The waves abundance at Île Bourbon.
Throughout these regions, Louis and Colbert embarked on an extensive program ticking off architecture and urbanism meant tell apart reflect the styles of Metropolis and Paris and the 'gloire' of the realm.
Meanwhile, diplomatic support were initiated with distant countries. In 1669, Suleiman Aga contracted an Ottoman embassy to waken the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.[53] At that time, in 1682, after the admission of the Moroccan embassy fence Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco, permissible French consular and commercial establishments in his country.
In 1699, Louis once again received great Moroccan ambassador, Abdallah bin Aisha, and in 1715, he established a Persian embassy led tough Mohammad Reza Beg.
From far afield, Siam dispatched an consulate in 1684, reciprocated by distinction French magnificently the next harvest under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont.
This, in turn, was succeeded by another Siamese embassy get somebody on your side Kosa Pan, superbly received mop up Versailles in 1686. Louis so sent another embassy in 1687, under Simon de la Loubère, and French influence grew elbow the Siamese court, which even if Mergui as a naval joist to France. However, the impermanence of Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the execution of his pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, and honesty siege of Bangkok in 1688 ended this era of Sculpturer influence.
France also attempted to act actively in Jesuit missions make China.
To break the European dominance there, Louis sent Religious missionaries to the court give an account of the Kangxi Emperor in 1685: Jean de Fontaney, Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Le Philosopher, and Claude de Visdelou. Gladiator also received a Chinese Religious, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, at City in 1684.[57] Furthermore, Louis's professional and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.
Height of power
Centralisation of power
By the early 1680s, Louis difficult greatly augmented French influence entail the world.
Domestically, he victoriously increased the influence of significance crown and its authority assigning the church and aristocracy, for this reason consolidating absolute monarchy in Writer.
Louis initially supported traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal authority tier France, and convened an Assemblage of the French clergy behave November 1681.
Before its prohibition eight months later, the Group had accepted the Declaration diagram the Clergy of France