Louis xiv of france family tree
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715
"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. Presage the French musical about Prizefighter XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, study Sun King (disambiguation) and Gladiator XIV (disambiguation).
| Louis XIV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud , 1701 | |||
| Reign | 14 May 1643 – 1 Sept 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 shambles Versailles, Versailles, France | ||
| Burial | 9 September 1715 Basilica of Saint-Denis | ||
| Spouses | |||
| Issue more... |
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| |||
| 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 nobility Great (Louis le Grand) foregoing the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of Writer from 1643 until his ephemerality in 1715.
His verified power of 72 years and Cardinal days is the longest behove any sovereign.[1][a] An emblematic sixth sense of the Age of Cruelty in Europe, Louis XIV's heritage is widely characterized by Sculpturer colonial expansion, the conclusion endowment Eighty Years' War involving magnanimity Habsburgs, and his architectural gift, marked by commissioned works neat as a new pin art and buildings.
His showiness, opulent lifestyle and ornate bright image earned him enduring delight. Louis XIV raised France to examine the exemplar nation-state of grandeur early modern period, and brawny a cultural prestige which lasted through the subsequent centuries, prep added to continues today.
Louis began culminate personal rule of France wealthy 1661, after the death unscrew his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, when the King famously confirmed that he would take dissect the job himself.[4] An fan of the divine right condemn kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the money.
He sought to eliminate integrity remnants of feudalism persisting bring off parts of France; by deep many members of the titled classes to reside at his copious Palace of Versailles, he succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, uncountable of whom had participated hassle the Fronde rebellions during authority minority. He thus became sharpen of the most powerful Land monarchs and consolidated a custom of absolute monarchy in Writer that endured until the Nation Revolution.
Louis also enforced invariability of religion under the Universal Church. His revocation of rendering Edict of Nantes abolished class rights of the Huguenot Dissident minority and subjected them have knowledge of a wave of dragonnades, mature forcing Huguenots to emigrate eat convert, virtually destroying the Gallic Protestant community.
During Louis's well ahead reign, France emerged as significance leading European power and indiscriminately made war. A conflict exchange of ideas Spain marked his entire youth, while during his personal launch an attack, Louis fought three major transcontinental conflicts, each against powerful outlandish alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, character Nine Years' War, and nobleness War of the Spanish Circuit.
In addition, France contested minor wars such as the Armed conflict of Devolution and the Fighting of the Reunions. Warfare cautious Louis's foreign policy, impelled vulgar his personal ambition for splendour and power: "a mix dressing-down commerce, revenge, and pique". Sovereignty wars strained France's resources figure up the utmost, while in inoffensive he concentrated on preparing fail to appreciate the next war.
He infinite his diplomats that their extraordinary was to create tactical have a word with strategic advantages for the Sculptor military. Upon his death inconsequential 1715, Louis XIV left his great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a resounding but war-weary kingdom, in superior debt after the War get a hold the Spanish Succession that challenging raged on since 1701.
Some of his other famed achievements include the construction accomplish the Canal du Midi, glory patronage of artists, and rendering founding of the French Institution of Sciences.
Early years
Louis XIV was natal on 5 September 1638 injure the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, space Louis XIII and Anne of Oesterreich.
He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)[7] and the traditional title of Gallic heirs apparent: Dauphin. At righteousness time of his birth, jurisdiction parents had been married provision 23 years. His mother challenging experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631.
Leading contemporaries fashion regarded him as a deific gift and his birth graceful miracle of God.
Louis's relationship be equivalent his mother was uncommonly tender for the time. Contemporaries innermost eyewitnesses claimed that the Emperor would spend all her tightly with Louis. Both were awfully interested in food and stagecraft, and it is highly possibility that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship channel of communication his mother.
This long-lasting humbling loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's account entries, such as:
"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to loose mother. But attachments formed adjacent by shared qualities of illustriousness spirit are far more problematic to break than those biform merely by blood."
It was her highness mother who gave Louis crown belief in the absolute allow divine power of his royal rule.[12]
During his childhood, he was taken care of by goodness governesses Françoise de Lansac very last Marie-Catherine de Senecey.
In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became rendering young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young dynasty, particularly François de Villeroy, stomach divided his time between birth Palais-Royal and the nearby New zealand pub de Villeroy.
Minority and influence Fronde
Accession
Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)
Sensing imminent death in the leap of 1643, King Louis Xi decided to put his basis in order for his four-year-old son Louis XIV.
Not trusting justness judgement of his Spanish spouse Queen Anne, who would commonly have become the sole king of France, the king ordained that a regency council would rule on his son's good, with Anne at its head.
Louis XIII died on 14 Hawthorn 1643. On 18 May Prince Anne had her husband's disposition annulled by the Parlement spout Paris, a judicial body emblematic nobles and high-ranking clergy, unthinkable she became sole regent.
She exiled her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed blue blood the gentry Count of Brienne as scratch minister of foreign affairs. Anne kept the direction of devout policy strongly in hand awaiting her son's majority in 1661.
She appointed Cardinal Mazarin similarly chief minister, giving him authority daily administration of policy.
She continued the policies of go to pieces late husband and Cardinal Statesman, despite their persecution of bunch up, in order to win close authority in France and make unhappy abroad for her son. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling see followers the Duke of Beaufort and Marie de Rohan, who conspired against him in 1643.[17]
The best example of Anne's flag-waving to France was her control of one of Richelieu's private soldiers, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier.
Séguier had brusquely interrogated Anne donation 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following glory discovery that she was big military secrets to her papa in Spain, and Anne was virtually under house arrest footing years. By keeping the override Séguier in his post, Anne sacrificed her own feelings hunger for the interests of France don her son Louis.
The Monarch sought a lasting peace among Catholic nations, but only puzzle out a French victory over move up native Spain. She also gave a partial Catholic orientation teach French foreign policy. This was felt by the Netherlands, France's Protestant ally, which negotiated orderly separate peace with Spain meticulous 1648.[18]
In 1648, Anne and Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace outline Westphalia, which ended the Cardinal Years' War.
Its terms beyond doubt Dutch independence from Spain, awarded some autonomy to the a variety of German princes of the Devotional Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Legislature and territories controlling the mouths of the Oder, Elbe, point of view Weser Rivers. France, however, profited most from the settlement. Oesterreich, ruled by the Habsburg Queen Ferdinand III, ceded all Hapsburg lands and claims in Elsass to France and acknowledged take it easy de facto sovereignty over goodness Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul.
Moreover, many slender German states sought French patronage, eager to emancipate themselves let alone Habsburg domination. This anticipated decency formation of the 1658 Confederation of the Rhine, which besides diminished Imperial power.
Early acts
As the Thirty Years' War came to an end, a secular war known as the Fronde erupted in France.
It obese checked France's ability to accomplishment the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely track the policies of Cardinal Statesman, augmenting the Crown's power swot the expense of the dignity and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal custom than foreign affairs; she was a very proud queen who insisted on the divine call of the King of France.[22]
All this led her to back a forceful policy in blow your own horn matters relating to the King's authority, in a manner ramble was much more radical fondle the one proposed by Mazarin.
The Cardinal depended totally address Anne's support and had peel use all his influence break away from the Queen to temper pitiless of her radical actions. Anne imprisoned any aristocrat or affiliate of parliament who challenged multiple will; her main aim was to transfer to her hokum an absolute authority in primacy matters of finance and illtreat.
One of the leaders delineate the Parlement of Paris, whom she had jailed, died advocate prison.[23]
The Frondeurs, political heirs friendly the disaffected feudal aristocracy, requisite to protect their traditional structure privileges from the increasingly focused royal government. Furthermore, they ostensible their traditional influence and authorization was being usurped by greatness recently ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility flawless the robe"), who administered excellence kingdom and on whom depiction monarchy increasingly began to swear.
This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.[citation needed]
In 1648, Anne good turn Mazarin attempted to tax components of the Parlement de Paris. The members refused to agree and ordered all of high-mindedness king's earlier financial edicts hardened. Buoyed by the victory be alarmed about Louis, duc d'Enghien (later state as le Grand Condé) get rid of impurities the Battle of Lens, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, in the hands of the law certain members in a instruct of force.[24] The most atypical arrest, from Anne's point counterfeit view, concerned Pierre Broussel, undeniable of the most important dazzling in the Parlement de Paris.
People in France were captious about the expansion of talk authority, the high rate stir up taxation, and the reduction another the authority of the Parlement de Paris and other community representative entities. Paris erupted overcome rioting as a result, stand for Anne was forced, under potent pressure, to free Broussel.
Into the bargain, on the night of 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of indignant Parisians broke into the regal palace and demanded to misgiving their king. Led into probity royal bed-chamber, they gazed ad aloft Louis, who was feigning terror, were appeased, and then mutely departed. The threat to blue blood the gentry royal family prompted Anne call on flee Paris with the disheartening and his courtiers.
Shortly later, the conclusion of the Placidity of Westphalia allowed Condé's legions to return to aid Prizefighter and his court. Condé's kinsmen was close to Anne bully that time, and he concerted to help her attempt form 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 an assortment of friend Marie de Rohan.
Beaufort, who had escaped from class prison where Anne had interned him five years before, was the military leader in Town, under the nominal control detect Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; the Peace of Rueil was signed, and the court mutual to Paris.
Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended have Condé, who wanted to constraint the queen and destroy Mazarin's influence.
It was Condé's keep alive who pushed him to recover against the queen. After noticeable a deal with her give a pasting friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose nobility nomination of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis de Châteauneuf as manage of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand de John barleycorn, Prince of Conti, and ethics husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess lady Longueville.
This situation did arrange last long, and Mazarin's unpopularity led to the creation hold sway over a coalition headed mainly hunk Marie de Rohan and dignity duchess of Longueville. This aristocratical coalition was strong enough throw up liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a condition round virtual house arrest on Empress Anne.
All these events were witnessed by Louis and as a rule explained his later distrust pointer Paris and the higher haut monde. "In one sense, Louis's immaturity came to an end deal the outbreak of the Fronde. It was not only defer life became insecure and acid – a fate meted tumble down to many children in conclude ages – but that Prizefighter had to be taken eat the confidence of his female parent and Mazarin on political survive military matters of which recognized could have no deep understanding".
"The family home became enthral times a near-prison when Town had to be abandoned, call for in carefree outings to new chateaux but in humiliating flights". The royal family was impelled out of Paris twice featureless this manner, and at adjourn point Louis XIV and Anne were held under virtual arrest satisfy the royal palace in Town. The Fronde years planted twist Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination surrender move out of the antiquated capital as soon as imaginable, never to return.
Just as magnanimity first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a in no time at all one (the Fronde des princes of 1650–1653) began.
Unlike stroll which preceded it, tales worry about sordid intrigue and half-hearted conflict characterized this second phase look up to upper-class insurrection. To the nobility, this rebellion represented a thing for the reversal of their political demotion from vassals take in courtiers. It was headed brush aside the highest-ranking French nobles, halfway them Louis's uncle Gaston, Count of Orléans and first relative Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Baroness of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of rendering Blood such as Condé, rule brother Armand de Bourbon, Ruler of Conti, and their angel of mercy 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 chimpanzee Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Stock, his brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions of France's cardinal families, such as François getupandgo La Rochefoucauld.
Queen Anne specious the most important role enhance defeating the Fronde because she wanted to transfer absolute supremacy to her son. In counting, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for out number of years. The Frondeurs claimed to act on Louis's behalf, and in his essential interest, against his mother prep added to Mazarin.
Queen Anne had grand very close relationship with rectitude Cardinal, and many observers alleged that Mazarin became Louis XIV's father by a secret marriage discriminate Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext hold revolt.
The Fronde thus step by step lost steam and ended contain 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile. From that at the double until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign scold financial policy without the everyday supervision of Anne, who was no longer regent.
During this term, Louis fell in love look after Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, on the other hand Anne and Mazarin ended decency king's infatuation by sending Mancini away from court to keep going married in Italy.
While Mazarin might have been tempted target a short time to get hitched his niece to the Sought-after of France, Queen Anne was absolutely against this; she called for to marry her son peel the daughter of her fellow, Philip IV of Spain, purport both dynastic and political reason. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position because he knew cruise her support for his motivating force and his foreign policy depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position bear on the Spanish marriage.
Likewise, Mazarin's relations with Marie Mancini were not good, and powder did not trust her traverse support his position. All faux Louis's tears and his supplications to his mother did groan make her change her dear. The Spanish marriage would excellence very important both for corruption role in ending the fighting between France and Spain, in that many of the claims allow objectives of Louis's foreign approach for the next 50 period would be based upon that marriage, and because it was through this marriage that depiction Spanish throne would ultimately pull up delivered to the House endorse Bourbon.
Personal reign and reforms
Coming give a rough idea age and early reforms
Louis Cardinal was declared to have reached the age of majority happening the 7th of September 1651.
On the death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis on one`s own took the reins of reach a decision and astonished his court give up declaring that he would ukase without a chief minister: "Up to this moment I fake been pleased to entrust blue blood the gentry government of my affairs leak the late Cardinal. It comment now time that I hold sway over them myself.
You [secretaries standing ministers] will assist me get used to your counsels when I theatrical mask for them. I request vital order you to seal cack-handed orders except by my captain . . . I course you not to sign anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; to render account to encompassing personally each day and detection favor no one".[33] Capitalizing vary the widespread public yearning long peace and order after decades of foreign and civil clash, the young king consolidated primary political authority at the consuming of the feudal aristocracy.
Slavish his ability to choose submit encourage men of talent, description historian Chateaubriand noted: "it task the voice of genius virtuous all kinds which sounds outsider the tomb of Louis".
Louis began his personal reign with managerial and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged on insolvency. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances in 1665.
Even, Louis first had to compensate for Nicolas Fouquet, the powerful Foreman of Finances. Although Fouquet's fiscal indiscretions were not very new from Mazarin's before him supporter Colbert's after him, his arrivisme worried Louis. He lavishly amused the king at the luxuriant château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, flaunting unblended wealth which could hardly conspiracy accumulated except through embezzlement have a high regard for government funds.
Fouquet appeared keen to succeed Mazarin and Hierarch in power, and he imprudently purchased and privately fortified dignity remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his fatality. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him guiltless and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis altered integrity sentence to life imprisonment.
Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a tell hand to reduce the racial debt through more efficient duty. The principal taxes included interpretation aides and douanes (both import charges duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). The taille was reduced stroke first, and certain tax-collection acquire were auctioned instead of essence sold privately to a dodgy few.
Financial officials were prescribed to keep regular accounts, reassessment inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up to 1661 only 10 per cent of income disseminate the royal domain reached decency king. Reform had to overpower vested interests: the taille was collected by officers of influence Crown who had purchased their post at a high fee, and punishment of abuses inescapably lowered the value of grandeur purchase.
Nevertheless, Colbert achieved good results, with the deficit systematic 1661 turning into a leftovers by 1666, with interest knot the debt decreasing from 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million compel 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while revenue from indirect dues progressed from 26 million to 55 million.
The revenues of the converse domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million in 1671. In 1661, depiction receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, of which 10 million reached the treasury. The payment was around 18 million pounds, going away a deficit of 8 million. Cry 1667, the net receipts locked away risen to 20 million pounds authentic, while expenditure had fallen give a positive response 11 million, leaving a surplus chide 9 million pounds.
Money was birth essential support of the modernized and enlarged army, the array of Versailles, and the maturation civil administration. Finance had without exception been the weakness of magnanimity French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct duty dwindled as they passed broadcast the hands of many mean officials; and indirect taxes were collected by private contractors known as tax farmers who made cool handsome profit.
The state repository leaked at every joint.
The main weakness arose from hoaxer old bargain between the Sculpturer crown and nobility: the upsetting might raise taxes on birth nation without consent if lone he exempted the nobility. One and only the "unprivileged" classes paid prehistoric taxes, which came to plan the peasants only, as chief bourgeois finagled exemptions in work on way or another.
The way laid the whole burden weekend away state expenses on the backs of the poor and not equal to. After 1700, with the regulars of Louis's pious secret partner Madame de Maintenon, the wanting was persuaded to change tiara fiscal policy. Though willing insufficient to tax the nobles, Prizefighter feared the political concessions which they would demand in reinstate.
Only towards the close blond his reign under the carry on exigency of war, was type able, for the first generation in French history, to interfere direct taxes on the lords and ladies. This was a step deal with equality before the law attend to toward sound public finance, albeit it was predictably diminished impervious to concessions and exemptions won make wet the insistent efforts of nobility and bourgeois.
Louis and Colbert very had wide-ranging plans to model 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 textile manufactory. He invited manufacturers instruction artisans from all over Assemblage to France, such as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, and Land shipbuilders.
He aimed to decline imports while increasing French exports, hence reducing the net efflux of precious metals from Author.
Louis instituted reforms in noncombatant administration through Michel le Tellier and his son François-Michel pedal Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb magnanimity independent spirit of the nobleness, imposing order on them comatose court and in the drove.
Gone were the days conj at the time that generals protracted war at integrity frontiers while bickering over preference and ignoring orders from loftiness capital and the larger vital calculated picture, with the old militaristic aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility flawless the sword) monopolizing senior belligerent positions and the higher ranks.
Louvois modernized the army opinion reorganised it into a executive, disciplined, well-trained force. He was devoted to the soldiers' theme well-being and morale, and uniform tried to direct campaigns.
Relations with the major colonies
Louis's statutory reforms were enacted in ruler numerous Great Ordinances.
Prior connection that, France was a tartan of legal systems, with trade in many traditional legal regimes variety there were provinces, and co-existing legal systems—customary law integrate the north and Roman nonmilitary law in the south.[36] Say publicly Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile of 1667, the Code Louis, was a comprehensive legal laws imposing a uniform regulation carry civil procedure throughout the state.
Among other things, it formal baptismal, marriage and death chronicles in the state's registers, throng together the church's, and it severely regulated the right of description Parlements to remonstrate. The Code Louis later became the principle for the Napoleonic code, which in turn inspired many novel legal codes.
One of Louis's more infamous decrees was decency Grande Ordonnance sur les Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code).
Although it accurate slavery, it attempted to alter the practice by prohibiting prestige separation of families. Additionally, play a part the colonies, only Roman Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.
Louis ruled through a number devotee councils:
- Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning the most leading matters of state)—composed of nobleness king, the crown prince, authority controller-general of finances, and influence secretaries of state in sink of various departments.
The men and women of that council were named ministers of state.
- Conseil des dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from rectitude provinces).
- Conseil de Conscience ("Council behove Conscience", concerning religious affairs bear episcopal appointments).
- Conseil royal des funds ("Royal Council of Finances") obligated by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary send on in most cases)—this was sole of the few posts hoax the council available to leadership high aristocracy.[38]
Early wars in rank Low Countries
Main articles: War nominate Devolution and Franco-Dutch War
Spain
The sortout of Louis's maternal uncle Tolerant Philip IV of Spain in 1665 precipitated the War of Decentralization.
In 1660, Louis had hitched Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the menu of the 1659 Treaty remark the Pyrenees. The marriage develop specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims on top of Spanish territory for herself impressive all her descendants. Mazarin skull Lionne, however, made the abdication conditional on the full encroachment of a Spanish dowry swallow 500,000 écus.
The dowry was never paid and would closest play a part persuading cap maternal first cousin Charles II get through Spain to leave his commonwealth to Philip, Duke of Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), prestige grandson of Louis XIV and Part Theresa.
The War of Relegating did not focus on grandeur payment of the dowry; somewhat, the lack of payment was what Louis XIV used as a-one pretext for nullifying Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, despite the fact that the land to "devolve" come close to him.
In Brabant (the multitude of the land in dispute), children of first marriages ordinarily were not disadvantaged by their parents' remarriages and still hereditary property. Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter by his first wedlock, while the new king precision Spain, Charles II, was his creature by a subsequent marriage. In this manner, Brabant allegedly "devolved" to Region Theresa, justifying France to speak to the Spanish Netherlands.
Relations show the Dutch
During the Eighty Years' War with Spain, France based the Dutch Republic as ascribe of a general policy be beaten opposing Habsburg power. Johan catch sight of Witt, Dutch Grand Pensionary unearth 1653 to 1672, viewed that as crucial for Dutch solace and a counterweight against queen domestic Orangist opponents.
Louis allowing support in the 1665-1667 In a short time Anglo-Dutch War but used decency opportunity to launch the Combat of Devolution in 1667. That captured Franche-Comté and much introduce the Spanish Netherlands; French increase in this area was expert direct threat to Dutch commercial interests.
The Dutch opened talks be infatuated with Charles II of England on trim common diplomatic front against Author, leading to the Triple Coalition, between England, the Dutch viewpoint Sweden.
The threat of key escalation and a secret shrink to divide Spanish possessions respect Emperor Leopold, the other vital claimant to the throne party Spain, led Louis to leave many of his gains tier the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Louis placed little reliance on coronet agreement with Leopold and introduce it was now clear Sculpturer and Dutch aims were give back direct conflict, he decided give a warning first defeat the Republic, corroboration seize the Spanish Netherlands.
That required breaking up the Bingle Alliance; he paid Sweden hurtle remain neutral and signed probity 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover with Charles, an Anglo-French federation against the Dutch Republic. Confine May 1672, France invaded dignity Republic, supported by Münster celebrated the Electorate of Cologne.
Rapid Sculptor advance led to a transaction that toppled De Witt favour brought William III to power.
Leopold viewed French expansion into authority Rhineland as an increasing commination, especially after they seized significance strategic Duchy of Lorraine organize 1670. The prospect of Land defeat led Leopold to protract alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by another pick up again the Republic on 25th.
Though Brandenburg was forced out pan the war by the June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, be glad about August an anti-French alliance was formed by the Dutch, Espana, Emperor Leopold and the Baron of Lorraine.
The French alliance was deeply unpopular in England, prep added to only more so after rectitude disappointing battles against Michiel uneven Ruyter's fleet.
Charles II of England made peace with the Country in the February 1674 Yen of Westminster. However, French give someone a taste held significant advantages over their opponents; an undivided command, noble generals like Turenne, Condé esoteric Luxembourg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms introduced by Louvois, primacy Secretary of War, helped perpetuate large field armies that could be mobilised much more readily, allowing them to mount offensives in early spring before their opponents were ready.
The French were nevertheless forced to retreat superior most of the Dutch Nation, which deeply shocked Louis; smartness retreated to St Germain expend a time, where no melody, except a few intimates, was allowed to disturb him.
Nation military advantages allowed them but to hold their ground engage Alsace and the Spanish Holland while retaking Franche-Comté. By 1678, mutual exhaustion led to magnanimity Treaty of Nijmegen, which was generally settled in France's inclination and allowed Louis to intercede in the Scanian War. Discredit the military defeat, his decently Sweden regained much of what it had lost under primacy 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg.
Yet Louis's link primary goals, the destruction outline the Dutch Republic and significance conquest of the Spanish Holland, had failed.
Louis was at influence height of his power, on the other hand at the cost of augmentation his opponents; this increased reorganization he continued his expansion. Shamble 1679, he dismissed his imported minister Simon Arnauld, marquis boorish Pomponne, because he was extraordinary as having compromised too luxurious with the allies.
Louis wellkept the strength of his horde, but in his next serial of territorial claims avoided exigency execrate military force alone. Rather, smartness combined it with legal pretexts in his efforts to shore up the boundaries of his country. Contemporary treaties were intentionally phrased ambiguously. Louis established the Domicile of Reunion to determine prestige full extent of his set forth 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 task FRAN[CIÆ] ET NAVARRÆ REX 1674 ("King of France and ticking off Navarre, 1674"). |
Cities and territories, such as Luxembourg and Casale, were prized for their crucial positions on the frontier duct access to important waterways. Prizefighter also sought Strasbourg, an cap strategic crossing on the omitted bank of the Rhine endure theretofore a Free Imperial Skill of the Holy Roman Hegemony, annexing it and other territories in 1681.
Although a trash of Alsace, Strasbourg was very different from part of Habsburg-ruled Alsace avoid was thus not ceded plug up France in the Peace a number of Westphalia.
Following these annexations, Espana declared war, precipitating the Clash of the Reunions. However, excellence Spanish were rapidly defeated as the Emperor (distracted by honesty Great Turkish War) abandoned them, and the Dutch only trim them minimally.
By the Respite of Ratisbon, in 1684, Espana was forced to acquiesce pustule the French occupation of domineering of the conquered territories, straighten out 20 years.[50]
Louis's policy of interpretation Réunions may have raised Author to its greatest size dowel power during his reign, however it alienated much of Assemblage.
This poor public opinion was compounded by French actions come undone the Barbary Coast and power Genoa. First, Louis had Port and Tripoli, two Barbary predator strongholds, bombarded to obtain span favourable treaty and the depreciation of Christian slaves. Next, envisage 1684, a punitive mission was launched against Genoa in payback for its support for Espana in previous wars.
Although nobility Genoese submitted, and the Doge led an official mission some apology to Versailles, France gained a reputation for brutality arm arrogance. European apprehension at junior French might and the actualization of the extent of character dragonnades' effect (discussed below) set in your ways many states to abandon their alliances with France.
Accordingly, tough the late 1680s, France became increasingly isolated in Europe.
Non-European relations and the colonies
Further information: French colonial empire and Humanities in early modern France
French colonies multiplied in Africa, the Americas, and Asia during Louis's different, and French explorers made cover discoveries in North America.
Row 1673, Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered the Mississippi Proceed. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed influence Mississippi to the Gulf in shape Mexico and claimed the unlimited Mississippi basin in Louis's honour, calling it Louisiane. French commercial posts were also established copy India, at Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in the Indian High seas at Île Bourbon.
Throughout these regions, Louis and Colbert embarked on an extensive program understanding architecture and urbanism meant locate reflect the styles of City and Paris and the 'gloire' of the realm.
Meanwhile, diplomatic associations were initiated with distant countries. In 1669, Suleiman Aga overexcited an Ottoman embassy to animate the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.[53] After that, in 1682, after the treatment of the Moroccan embassy waste Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco, legitimate French consular and commercial establishments in his country.
In 1699, Louis once again received uncomplicated Moroccan ambassador, Abdallah bin Aisha, and in 1715, he stuffy a Persian embassy led in and out of Mohammad Reza Beg.
From before afield, Siam dispatched an diplomatic mission in 1684, reciprocated by honourableness French magnificently the next epoch under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont.
This, in turn, was succeeded by another Siamese embassy prep below Kosa Pan, superbly received mass Versailles in 1686. Louis afterward sent another embassy in 1687, under Simon de la Loubère, and French influence grew tiny the Siamese court, which although Mergui as a naval stick to France. However, the swallow up of Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the execution of his pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, and rectitude siege of Bangkok in 1688 ended this era of Sculpturer influence.
France also attempted to contribute actively in Jesuit missions on hand China.
To break the Romance dominance there, Louis sent Religious missionaries to the court all but 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 Metropolis in 1684.[57] Furthermore, Louis's professional and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.
Height of power
Centralisation of power
By the early 1680s, Louis confidential greatly augmented French influence take on the world.
Domestically, he famously increased the influence of ethics crown and its authority mirror image the church and aristocracy, fashion consolidating absolute monarchy in Writer.
Louis initially supported traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal authority hurt France, and convened an Gathering of the French clergy wealthy November 1681.
Before its clampdown eight months later, the Faction had accepted the Declaration take in the Clergy of France