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On May 14, 1643, louis XIII, the second king of the Bourbon dynasty, died of conspiration pneumonia, and the eldest son, Louis Dierdonne Bourbon, who was only five years old, ascended the throne, known as "Louis XIV". In the early days of his reign, regent by Empress Anna and Cardinal Mazarin as prime minister, the two cooperated tacitly and maintained a rare stability in domestic and foreign affairs.
▲Interior view of the Palace of Versailles, France
Eighteen years later, the French prime minister Mazarin died, and on his deathbed, he demanded that the young monarch must be pro-government, and at the same time proposed the removal of the chancellor, which Louis XIV adopted. Using Mazarin's legacy, Louis XIV gathered the core members of the aristocratic community around versailles, like the stars and the moon. In this way, Louis greatly strengthened the king's decision-making power in financial, military and other matters, forming an absolute monarchy.
As king, Louis XIV reigned for 72 years, 18 days, making him the longest reigning independent sovereign monarch in world history, reigning for 54 years. The long reign had doomed Louis XIV not to be an anonymous and inactive king. In fact, before Louis XIV, no monarch could unify the government, land and subjects of France like him. Under his strong control, France gradually became a unified country in the modern sense, and the French gradually became a unified nation in the modern sense.
Map of France in the 17th century
As king, Louis XIV was most proud of his constant expansion and conquest of a large number of territories for France. Although Napoleon the Great conquered more lands, almost none of them have been preserved, so the territory of modern France is more derived from the time of Louis XIV. Relying on his dazzling military achievements, Louis XIV became the supreme hegemon of Europe, and the citizens of Paris also honored him with the title of "The Great".
In addition to the remarkable achievements of external expansion, Louis XIV was also no less impressive in internal affairs. In the 6th year of his reign, Louis XIV promulgated the famous Code of Louis, which clearly stipulated the rights and duties of the king down to the commoners, which was so perfect at the time that it was still used during the "French Revolution" after the fall of the Bourbon dynasty, until it was replaced by the later Napoleonic Code. The reason for the painstaking enactment of the code was that Louis XIV attached great importance to the maintenance of order—in fact, after his pro-government, there was never a single aristocratic rebellion in France.
Portrait of Louis XIV
While restraining the people, Louis XIV restrained himself equally. In the long years of more than half a century, Louis XIV insisted on doing everything personally and never slackened off, which has to be said to be a great miracle - the equally diligent Yongzheng Emperor died of overwork and illness after 13 years of reign. According to the rules, the king was supposed to work six days a week, and Sunday was a day of rest for the court, but Louis XIV would still hold a court meeting on this day, listen to the report of the ministers, and if he was in poor health, he would change the court to the bedroom. Throughout France, people knew how diligent the king was.
Although louis XIV, as an absolute monarch, was supposed to be a dictator in theory, throughout his life any decision he made would be well thought out, while actively listening to the opinions of nobles, ministers and even ordinary citizens. The king was always gentle and polite to his ministers, and had a high degree of trust in them. Louis XIV told the crowd bluntly not to be discouraged by his failure to take their advice. In this way, Louis XIV became the most well-informed man in the court, rather than being fooled by his subordinates like ordinary kings.
▲ Statue of Louis XIV
Of course, blind harmony cannot manage the country well, and what matches the degree of diligence is louis XIV's strict attitude and huge workload. Louis XIV did not allow them to make any decisions on their own, and strictly supervised their words and deeds, rewards and punishments, and grace and authority. Although the ministers had their own division of labor, they were still only implementers, and all aspects of the policy were formulated by Louis XIV himself.
In addition to ordinary government affairs, the energetic Louis XIV was also interested in military, court, finance, religion, literature, art, drama and even domestic chores. In his view, art can enhance his prestige in the hearts of the people, so he always participates in ballet performances, and is also known as the "Sun King" for playing the "Sun God". With his encouragement, France attracted and nurtured countless geniuses, which had an important impact on future generations.
The reason may be related to his complex pedigree. Grandmother Marie Medici was an Italian aristocrat, and her mother Anna was from Spain, so only a quarter of Louis XIV of French descent had a mixture of Italian art, Spanish enthusiasm and pride, and French romantic elegance.
For this outstanding monarch, the German philosopher Leibniz called him "one of the greatest kings of all time", and Goethe praised "he is the perfect example of a naturally made emperor". Even Napoleon, who opposed the Bourbons, sincerely stated: "Louis XIV is a great king, it is he who has created France's first-class position in the world, and what king since Charlemagne can compare with him?" Voltaire, who opposed autocratic civilization, also praised the era of Louis XIV as "an era that is always worth remembering."
▲ Statues of Goethe and Schiller in front of the Weimar Theater
As the most famous king in the history of France, as a model of absolute monarchy in Europe, the name of Louis XIV represents an era, a system, a dynasty. Goethe once famously said: "Man's sins are generally influenced by his time, and his virtues are his own." This phrase is obviously most appropriate for Louis XIV, the "Sun King".
bibliography:
The Fallen Nation: The Sun King, Louis XIV, The Age of Louis XIV
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