Ruled by Louis 14. The reign of Louis XIV - King of the Sun. children of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa

Louis XIV reigned 72 years, longer than any other monarch in Europe. He became king at the age of four, took all power into his own hands at 23 and ruled for 54 years. "The state is me!" - Louis XIV did not say these words, but the state has always been associated with the personality of the ruler. Therefore, if we talk about the blunders and mistakes of Louis XIV (the war with Holland, the abolition of the Edict of Nantes, etc.), then the asset of the reign should be recorded at his expense.

The development of trade and manufacturing, the emergence of the colonial empire of France, the reform of the army and the creation of the navy, the development of art and sciences, the construction of Versailles and, finally, the transformation of France into modern state... These are not all the achievements of the Age of Louis XIV. So what was this ruler who gave the name to his time?

Louis XIV de Bourbon, who received the name Louis-Dieudonne ("God-given") at birth, was born on September 5, 1638. The name "God-given" appeared for a reason. Queen Anne of Austria gave birth to an heir at the age of 37.

For 22 years, the marriage of Louis's parents was fruitless, and therefore the birth of an heir was perceived by the people as a miracle. After the death of his father, young Louis and his mother moved to the Palais Royal, the former palace of Cardinal Richelieu. Here the little king was brought up in a very simple and sometimes squalid environment.

Louis XIV de Bourbon.

His mother was considered the regent of France, but the real power was in the hands of her favorite, Cardinal Mazarin. He was very stingy and did not care at all not only about giving pleasure to the child-king, but even about having basic necessities.

The early years of Louis' formal rule saw the events of the civil war known as the Fronde. In January 1649, an uprising broke out in Paris against Mazarin. The king and the ministers had to flee to Saint-Germain, and Mazarin - generally to Brussels. Peace was restored only in 1652, and power returned to the hands of the cardinal. Despite the fact that the king was already considered an adult, Mazarin ruled France until his death.

Giulio Mazarin was a church and political figure and the first minister of France in 1643-1651 and 1653-1661. He entered the post under the patronage of Queen Anne of Austria.

In 1659, peace was signed with Spain. The contract was sealed by the marriage of Louis with Marie-Theresa, who was his cousin. When Mazarin died in 1661, Louis, having received freedom, hastened to get rid of all guardianship over himself.

He abolished the post of first minister, announcing to the State Council that from now on he would be the first minister himself, and no even the most insignificant decree should be signed by anyone on his behalf.

Louis was poorly educated, barely able to read and write, but he had common sense and a strong determination to uphold his royal dignity. He was tall, handsome, had a noble bearing, and strove to express himself briefly and clearly. Unfortunately, he was overly selfish, like no other European monarch was distinguished by monstrous pride and selfishness. All the former royal residences seemed to Louis unworthy of his greatness.

After some deliberation, in 1662 he decided to transform the small hunting castle of Versailles into a royal palace. It took 50 years and 400 million francs. Until 1666, the king had to live in the Louvre, from 1666 to 1671. in the Tuileries, from 1671 to 1681, alternately in the under construction Versailles and Saint-Germain-Aux-l'E. Finally, in 1682, Versailles became the permanent residence of the royal court and government. From now on, Louis was only in Paris.

The king's new palace was distinguished by extraordinary splendor. The so-called (large apartments) - six salons named after ancient deities - served as hallways for the Mirror Gallery 72 meters long, 10 meters wide and 16 meters high. Buffets were arranged in the salons, guests played billiards and cards.

The Great Condé greets Louis XIV on the Staircase at Versailles.

In general, the card game has become an indomitable passion at court. The rates reached several thousand livres at stake, and Louis himself stopped playing only after in 1676 he lost 600 thousand livres in six months.

Also, comedies were staged in the palace, first by Italian and then by French authors: Corneille, Racine, and especially often Moliere. In addition, Louis loved to dance, and repeatedly took part in ballet productions at the court.

The complex rules of etiquette established by Louis also corresponded to the splendor of the palace. Any performance was accompanied by a whole set of elaborate ceremonies. Meals, going to bed, even the elementary quenching of thirst during the day - everything was turned into complex rituals.

War against everyone

If the king would only be engaged in the construction of Versailles, the recovery of the economy and the development of the arts, then, probably, the respect and love of his subjects for the Sun King would be limitless. However, Louis XIV's ambitions extended far beyond the borders of his state.

By the early 1680s, Louis XIV had the most powerful army in Europe, which only whetted his appetites. In 1681, he established the chambers of reunification to find out the rights of the French crown to certain areas, capturing more and more lands in Europe and Africa.

In 1688, the claims of Louis XIV to the Palatinate led to the fact that all of Europe took up arms against him. The so-called War of the Augsburg League stretched out for nine years and led to the fact that the parties retained the status quo. But the huge costs and losses incurred by France led to a new economic decline in the country and a depletion of funds.

But already in 1701, France was drawn into a long conflict, called the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV hoped to defend the rights to the Spanish throne for his grandson, who was to become the head of two states. However, the war, which engulfed not only Europe, but also North America, ended unsuccessfully for France.

According to the peace concluded in 1713 and 1714, the grandson of Louis XIV retained the Spanish crown, but its Italian and Dutch possessions were lost, and England laid the foundation for its maritime rule by the destruction of the Franco-Spanish fleets and the conquest of a number of colonies. In addition, the French monarch had to abandon the project of uniting France and Spain at the hand of the French monarch.

Sale of positions and expulsion of the Huguenots

This last military campaign of Louis XIV returned him to where he started - the country was mired in debt and groaned from the severity of taxes, and here and there uprisings broke out, the suppression of which required more and more resources.

The need to replenish the budget led to non-trivial decisions. Under Louis XIV, trade in government offices was put on stream, reaching its maximum scope in last years his life. To replenish the treasury, more and more new positions were created, which, of course, introduced chaos and discord in the activities of state institutions.

Louis XIV on coins.

The French Protestants joined the ranks of Louis XIV's opponents after the Edict of Fontainebleau was signed in 1685, repealing the Edict of Nantes by Henry IV, which guaranteed freedom of religion for the Huguenots.

Since then, more than 200,000 French Protestants have emigrated from the country, despite severe penalties for emigration. The exodus of tens of thousands of economically active citizens dealt another painful blow to the power of France.

Unloved queen and meek lame

At all times and eras, the personal life of monarchs has influenced politics. Louis XIV is no exception in this sense. Once the monarch remarked: "It would be easier for me to reconcile the whole of Europe than a few women."

His official wife in 1660 was a contemporary, the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa, who was Louis's cousin on both his father and mother.

The problem with this marriage, however, was not the spouses' close family ties. Louis simply did not love Maria Theresa, but humbly agreed to a marriage that was of great political importance. The wife gave birth to six children to the king, but five of them died in childhood. Only the firstborn survived, named, like his father, Louis and went down in history under the name of the Great Dauphin.

The marriage of Louis XIV was concluded in 1660.

For the sake of marriage, Louis broke off relations with the woman he really loved - the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. Perhaps parting with his beloved influenced the king's attitude to his legal wife. Maria Theresia resigned herself to her fate. Unlike other French queens, she did not intrigue or get involved in politics, playing the prescribed role. When the Queen died in 1683, Louis uttered: “ This is the only trouble in my life that she caused me».

The king compensated for the lack of feelings in marriage by relations with his favorites. For nine years, Louise-Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc, Duchess de Lavaliere, became the lady of the heart of Louis. Louise did not differ in dazzling beauty, moreover, due to an unsuccessful fall from a horse, she remained lame for life. But Chromopod's meekness, affability and sharp mind attracted the attention of the king.

Louise gave birth to four children to Louis, two of whom survived to adulthood. The king, on the other hand, treated Louise quite cruelly. Becoming cold to her, he settled the rejected mistress next to the new favorite - the Marquis Françoise Athenais de Montespan. The Duchess de Lavaliere was forced to endure the bullying of her rival. She endured everything with her usual meekness, and in 1675 she was tonsured a nun and lived for many years in a monastery, where she was called Louise the Merciful.

Before Montespan there was not even a shadow of the gentleness of her predecessor in the lady. Representative of one of the most ancient noble families of France, Françoise not only became an official favorite, but for 10 years turned into “the true queen of France”.

Marquis de Montespan with four legalized children. 1677 year. Palace of Versailles.

Françoise loved luxury and did not like counting money. It was the Marquis de Montespan who turned the reign of Louis XIV from deliberate budgeting to unrestrained and unlimited spending. Capricious, envious, domineering and ambitious Françoise knew how to subordinate the king to her will. New apartments were built for her in Versailles, she was able to arrange for significant government posts all her close relatives.

Françoise de Montespan gave birth to seven children to Louis, four of whom survived to adulthood. But the relationship between Françoise and the king was not as true as with Louise. Louis indulged in hobbies and in addition to the official favorite, which infuriated Madame de Montespan.

To keep the king to herself, she began to engage in black magic and even became involved in a high-profile case of poisoning. The king did not punish her with death, but deprived her of the status of a favorite, which was much more terrible for her.

Like her predecessor, Louise le Lavaliere, the Marquise de Montespan changed the royal chambers for a monastery.

Time to repent

The new favorite of Louis was the Marquise de Maintenon, the widow of the poet Scarron, who was the governess of the king's children from Madame de Montespan.

This favorite of the king was called the same as her predecessor, Françoise, but the women were different from each other, like heaven and earth. The king had long conversations with the Marquise de Maintenon about the meaning of life, about religion, about responsibility before God. The royal court changed its splendor to chastity and morality.

Madame de Maintenon.

After the death of his official wife, Louis XIV had a secret marriage with the Marquise de Maintenon. Now the king was not occupied with balls and festivities, but with masses and reading the Bible. The only entertainment he allowed himself was hunting.

The Marquise de Maintenon founded and directed the first secular school for women in Europe, called the Royal House of St. Louis. The Saint-Cyr school became an example for many similar institutions, including the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg.

For her strict disposition and intolerance to secular entertainments, the Marquis de Maintenon received the nickname Black Queen. She outlived Louis and after his death withdrew to Saint-Cyr, having lived the rest of her days with the pupils of her school.

Illegitimate Bourbons

Louis XIV recognized his illegitimate children from both Louise de Lavaliere and Françoise de Montespan. All of them received their father's surname - de Bourbon, and dad tried to arrange their life.

Louis, the son of Louise, was promoted to French admiral at the age of two, and having matured, he went on a military campaign with his father. There, at the age of 16, the young man died.

Louis-Auguste, the son of Françoise, received the title of Duke of Manx, became a French commander and, in this capacity, accepted the godson of Peter I and great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin Abram Petrovich Hannibal for military training.

Great Dauphin Louis. The only surviving legitimate child of Louis XIV from Maria Theresa of Spain.

Françoise-Marie, the youngest daughter of Louis, was married to Philippe Orleans, becoming Duchess of Orleans. Possessing the character of a mother, Françoise-Marie plunged headlong into political intrigue. Her husband became the French regent under the minor King Louis XV, and the children of Françoise-Marie married the offspring of other royal dynasties in Europe.

In a word, not many illegitimate children of ruling persons got the fate that fell to the lot of the sons and daughters of Louis XIV.

"Did you really think that I would live forever?"

The last years of the king's life proved to be a difficult test for him. A man who had defended the chosenness of the monarch and his right to autocratic rule all his life was experiencing not only the crisis of his state. His close people left one by one, and it turned out that there was simply no one to transfer power.

On April 13, 1711, his son, the Great Dauphin Louis, died. In February 1712, the eldest son of the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, died, and on March 8 of the same year, the eldest son of the latter, the juvenile Duke of Breton, died.

On March 4, 1714, he fell from his horse and a few days later the younger brother of the Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Berry, died. The only heir was the 4-year-old great-grandson of the king, the youngest son of the Duke of Burgundy. If this baby also died, the throne after the death of Louis would remain vacant.

This forced the king to add even his illegitimate sons to the list of heirs, which promised internal strife in France in the future.

Louis XIV.

At the age of 76, Louis remained active, active and, as in his youth, regularly went hunting. During one of these trips, the king fell and injured his leg. The doctors found that the trauma had provoked gangrene and suggested amputation. The Sun King refused: this is unacceptable for royal dignity. The disease progressed rapidly, and soon the agony began, stretching for several days.

At the moment of clarification of consciousness, Louis looked around those present and uttered his last aphorism:

- Why are you crying? Did you think that I would live forever?

On September 1, 1715, at about 8 o'clock in the morning, Louis XIV died in his palace at Versailles, four days before his 77th birthday.

King of France and Navarre since May 14, 1643. Reigned 72 years - longer than any other monarch of the largest states in Europe.

He ascended the throne as a minor and the government passed into the hands of his mother and Cardinal Mazarin. Even before the end of the war with Spain and the Austrian house, the upper aristocracy, supported by Spain and in alliance with parliament, began unrest, which received the general name of Fronde and ended only with the submission of the Prince de Condé and the signing of the Iberian Peace (November 7, 1659).

In 1660, Louis married the Infanta of Spain, Maria Theresa of Austria. At this time, the young king, who had grown up without proper upbringing and education, did not raise even greater expectations. However, as soon as Cardinal Mazarin died (1661) Louis began to independently govern the state. He had the gift of recruiting talented and capable employees (for example, Colbert, Vauban, Letelier, Lyonne, Louvois). Louis elevated the doctrine of royal rights to a semi-religious dogma.

Thanks to the works of the genius Colbert, much was done to strengthen state unity, the welfare of the working classes, and encourage trade and industry. At the same time, Louvois put in order the army, united his organization and increased his fighting strength. After the death of King Philip IV of Spain, he declared France's claims to a part of the Spanish Netherlands and kept it in the so-called devolutionary war. Concluded on May 2, 1668, the Peace of Aachen handed over French Flanders and a number of border areas into his hands.

War with the Netherlands

From that time on, the United Provinces had a passionate enemy in the person of Louis. Contrasts in foreign policy, state views, trade interests, religion led both states to constant clashes. Louis in 1668-71 skillfully managed to isolate the republic. By means of bribery, he managed to divert England and Sweden from the Triple Alliance, to win Cologne and Munster to the side of France. Having brought his army to 120,000 people, Louis in 1670 occupied the possessions of an ally of the States General, Duke Charles IV of Lorraine, and in 1672 he crossed the Rhine, within six weeks he conquered half of the provinces and returned to Paris in triumph. The breakthrough of dams, the emergence of William III of Orange in power, the intervention of European powers stopped the success of French arms. The states-general allied with Spain and Brandenburg and Austria; they were joined by the empire after the French army attacked the archbishopric of Trier and occupied the 10 imperial cities of Alsace already connected to France by half. In 1674, Louis opposed his enemies with 3 large armies: from one of them he personally occupied Franche-Comté; the other, under Condé, fought in the Netherlands and won at Senef; the third, headed by Turenne, devastated the Palatinate and successfully fought the troops of the emperor and the great elector in Alsace. After a short break following the death of Turenne and the removal of Condé, Louis appeared in the Netherlands with renewed strength in early 1676 and conquered a number of cities, while Luxembourg devastated Breisgau. The whole country between the Saar, Moselle and Rhine was turned into a desert by the order of the king. In the Mediterranean, Duquesne prevailed over Reuters; Brandenburg's forces were diverted by the attack of the Swedes. Only as a result of hostile actions on the part of England, Louis in 1678 concluded the Treaty of Nimwegen, which gave him large acquisitions from the Netherlands and the entire Franche-Comté from Spain. He gave Philippsburg to the emperor, but received Freiburg and kept all the conquests in Alsace.

Louis at the height of power

This world marks the apogee of Louis' power. His army was the most numerous, the best organized and led. His diplomacy dominated all European courts. The French nation has reached unprecedented heights with its achievements in art and science, in industry and trade. The Versailles court (Louis transferred the royal residence to Versailles) became the envy and surprise of almost all modern sovereigns who tried to imitate the great king even in his weaknesses. A strict etiquette was introduced at the court, regulating the entire court life. Versailles became the center of all high society life, in which the tastes of Louis himself and his many favorites (Lavalier, Montespan, Fontange) reigned. All the highest aristocracy solicited court positions, since living away from the court for a nobleman was a sign of fronderism or royal disgrace. "Absolute no objection," according to Saint-Simon, "Louis destroyed and eradicated every other force or power in France, except those that came from him: the reference to the law, to the right was considered a crime." This cult of the Sun King, in which capable people were increasingly pushed aside by courtesans and intriguers, would inevitably lead to the gradual decline of the entire building of the monarchy.

The king held back his desires less and less. In Metz, Breisach and Besançon, he established chambers of reunification (chambres de réunions) to investigate the rights of the French crown to certain areas (September 30, 1681). The imperial city of Strasbourg was suddenly occupied by French troops in peacetime. Louis did the same with respect to the Dutch borders. In 1681, the fleet bombed Tripoli, in 1684 - Algeria and Genoa. Finally, an alliance of Holland, Spain and the emperor was formed, forcing Louis in 1684 to conclude a 20-year truce in Regensburg and to refuse further "reunions".

Religious politics

Within the state, the new fiscal system had in mind only an increase in taxes and taxes for the growing military needs; at the same time, Louis, as the "first nobleman" of France, spared the material interests of the nobility who had lost their political significance and, as a faithful son of the Catholic Church, did not demand anything from the clergy. He tried to destroy the latter's political dependence on the pope, having achieved at the national council of 1682 a decision in his favor against the pope (see Gallicanism); but in matters of faith, his confessors (Jesuits) made him an obedient instrument of the most ardent Catholic reaction, which manifested itself in the merciless persecution of all individualistic movements in the church environment (see Jansenism). A number of severe measures were taken against the Huguenots; the Protestant aristocracy was forced to convert to Catholicism in order not to lose their social advantages, and shy decrees were launched against Protestants from among other classes, culminating in the dragonads of 1683 and the abolition of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. These measures, despite severe penalties for emigration, forced more than 200,000 hardworking and enterprising Protestants to move to England, Holland and Germany. An uprising even broke out in the Cévennes. The king's growing piety was supported by Madame de Maintenon, who, after the death of the queen (1683), was united to him in a secret marriage.

War for the Palatinate

In 1688, a new war broke out, the reason for which was, among other things, the claims to the Palatinate, presented by Louis on behalf of his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth-Charlotte of Orleans, who was related to the deceased shortly before that Elector Karl-Ludwig. Having concluded an alliance with the Elector of Cologne, Karl-Egon Fürstemberg, Louis ordered his troops to occupy Bonn and attack the Palatinate, Baden, Württemberg and Trier. In early 1689, the entire Lower Palatinate was devastated by French troops. An alliance was formed against France from England (which had just overthrown the Stuarts), the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and the German Protestant states. Luxembourg defeated the allies on July 1, 1690 at Fleurus; Catina conquered Savoy, Tourville defeated the British-Dutch fleet at Dieppe heights, so that the French for a short time had an advantage even at sea. In 1692 the French laid siege to Namur, Luxembourg prevailed at the Battle of Stenkerken; but on May 28 the French fleet was completely destroyed by Rossel at Cape La Gogue. In 1693-95, the preponderance began to lean towards the Allies; Luxembourg died in 1695; in the same year a huge war tax was needed, and peace was a necessity for Louis. It took place in Riswick, in 1697, and for the first time Louis had to confine himself to the status quo.

War of Spanish Succession

France was completely exhausted when, a few years later, the death of Charles II of Spain led Louis to war with the European coalition. The War of the Spanish Succession, in which Louis wanted to reclaim the entire Spanish monarchy for his grandson Philip of Anjou, inflicted incurable wounds on Louis' power. The old king, who personally directed the struggle, stood under the most difficult circumstances with amazing dignity and firmness. According to the peace concluded in Utrecht and Rastatt in 1713 and 1714, he kept Spain proper for his grandson, but her Italian and Dutch possessions were lost, and England laid the foundation for her maritime rule by the destruction of the Franco-Spanish fleets and the conquest of a number of colonies. The French monarchy did not have to recover from the defeats at Hochstedt and Turin, Ramilia and Malplac until the revolution itself. She languished under the weight of debts (up to 2 billion) and taxes, which caused local outbursts of displeasure.

Last years. Family tragedy and the question of a successor

Thus, the result of the whole system of Louis was the economic ruin, poverty of France. Another consequence was the growth of opposition literature, especially developed under the successor of the “great” Louis. The home life of the aged king at the end of his life presented a sad picture. On April 13, 1711, his son, Dauphin Louis (born in 1661), died; in February 1712 he was followed by the eldest son of the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, and on March 8 of the same year, the eldest son of the latter, the juvenile Duke of Breton. On March 4, 1714, the younger brother of the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke of Berry, fell from his horse and was killed to death, so that, in addition to Philip V of Spain, only one heir remained - the king's four-year-old great-grandson, the 2nd son of the Duke of Burgundy (later Louis XV). Even earlier, Louis legitimized 2 of his sons from Madame Montespan, Duke of Manx and Count of Toulouse, and gave them the surname Bourbons. Now, in his will, he appointed them members of the regency council and declared them the eventual right to succession to the throne. Louis himself remained active until the end of his life, firmly supporting the court etiquette and the entire appearance of his "great century", which was already beginning to fall. He died on September 1, 1715.

In 1822, an equestrian statue was erected to him (modeled on Bosio) in Paris, at the Place des Victoires.

The history of the nickname "Sun King"

From the age of 12, Louis XIV danced in the so-called “ballets of the Palais Royal Theater”. These events were quite in the spirit of the times, for they were held during the carnival.

Carnival of the Baroque era is not just a holiday, it is an upside down world. For several hours the king became a jester, an artist, a buffoon (just as a jester could well afford to appear in the role of a king). In these ballets, the young Louis had a chance to play the roles of the Rising Sun (1653) and Apollo - the Sun God (1654).

Later, court ballets were staged. The roles in these ballets were assigned by the king himself or by his friend, de Saint-Aignan. In these court ballets, Louis also dances the roles of the Sun or Apollo.

For the emergence of the nickname, another cultural event of the Baroque era is also important - about the so-called Carousel. This is a festive carnival cavalcade, a cross between a sports festival and a masquerade. In those days, the Carousel was simply called "equestrian ballet". At the Carousel in 1662, Louis XIV appeared before the people in the role of the Roman emperor with a huge shield in the shape of the Sun. This symbolized the fact that the Sun protects the king and, along with him, the whole of France.

The princes of the blood were "forced" to depict various elements, planets and other beings and phenomena subject to the Sun.

The historian of ballet F. Bossan reads: “It was on the Great Carousel in 1662 that the Sun King was born in a way. His name was given not by the politician and not by the victories of his armies, but the equestrian ballet.

The image of Louis XIV in popular culture

Louis XIV appears in the trilogy about the Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. In the last book of the "Viscount de Bragelon" trilogy, an impostor (allegedly the king's twin brother) is involved in the conspiracy, with whom they are trying to replace Louis. In 1929, the film "Iron Mask" was released, based on the "Viscount de Bragelon", where William Blackwell played Louis and his twin brother. Louis Hayward played the twins in the 1939 film The Man in the Iron Mask. Richard Chamberlain played them in the 1977 film adaptation, and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1999 remake of this film.

Louis XIV also appears in the film Vatel. In the film, the Prince of Condé invites him to his Chantelly castle and tries to impress him in order to take the post of chief marshal in the war with the Netherlands. Responsible for the entertainment of the royal person is Master Vatel, who was brilliantly played by Gerard Depardieu.

Vonda McLintre's novella The Moon and the Sun shows the courtyard of Louis XIV at the end of the 17th century. The king himself appears in the Baroque cycle of Neil Stevenson's trilogy.

Louis XIV is one of the main characters in Gerard Corbieu's film The King of the Dances.

Louis XIV appears as a beautiful seducer in the film Angelica and the King, where he was played by Jacques Toja, and also appears in the films Angelica - Marquis of Angels and Magnificent Angelica.

For the first time in modern Russian cinema, the image of King Louis XIV was performed by the artist of the Moscow New Drama Theater Dmitry Shilyaev, in Oleg Ryaskov's film "The Servant of the Sovereign".

Louis XIV is one of the main characters in the 1996 Nina Companéez TV series "L" Allée du roi "The Way of the King. Historical drama based on the novel by Françoise Chandernagor" Royal Alley: Memoirs of Françoise d "Aubigne, Marquise de Maintenon, wife of the King of France". Dominique Blanc starred as Françoise d'Aubigne, Didier Sandre starred as Louis XIV.

Louis XIV de Bourbon, who received at birth the name Louis-Dieudonné ("God-given", French Louis-Dieudonné), also known as the "sun king" (French Louis XIV Le Roi Soleil), also Louis the Great (French Louis le Grand). Born September 5, 1638 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye - died September 1, 1715 in Versailles. King of France and Navarre from May 14, 1643.

He reigned for 72 years - longer than any other European king in history (of the monarchs of Europe, only some rulers of the small states of the Holy Roman Empire, for example, Bernard VII Lippe or Karl Friedrich Baden, were in power longer).

Louis, who survived the Fronde wars in his childhood, became a staunch supporter of the principle of absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings (he is credited with the expression "The state is me!"), he combined the strengthening of his power with a successful selection statesmen to key political posts.

The reign of Louis - a time of significant consolidation of the unity of France, its military power, political weight and intellectual prestige, the flourishing of culture, went down in history as the Great Age. At the same time, the long-term military conflicts, in which France participated during the reign of Louis the Great, led to tax increases, which laid a heavy burden on the shoulders of the population and caused popular uprisings, and as a result of the adoption of the edict of Fontainebleau, which canceled the Edict of Nantes on tolerance within the kingdom, about 200 thousand Huguenots emigrated from France.

Louis XIV came to the throne in May 1643, when he was not yet five years old, therefore, according to his father's will, the regency was transferred, which ruled in close tandem with the first minister, Cardinal Mazarin. Even before the end of the war with Spain and the Austrian house, the princes and the upper aristocracy, supported by Spain and in alliance with the Paris Parliament, began unrest, which received the general name Fronde (1648-1652) and ended only with the submission of the Prince de Condé and the signing of the Iberian Peace (7 November 1659).

In 1660, Louis married the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa of Austria. At this time, the young king, who had grown up without sufficient upbringing and education, did not yet show much hope. However, as soon as Cardinal Mazarin died (1661), the next day Louis XIV convenes the Council of State, at which he announces that from now on he intends to rule independently, without appointing a first minister.

So Louis began to independently govern the state, this course the king followed until his death. Louis XIV had the gift of selecting talented and capable employees (for example, Colbert, Vauban, Letelier, Lyonne, Louvois). You can even say that Louis elevated the doctrine of royal rights to a semi-religious dogma. Thanks to the works of the talented economist and financier J. B. Colbert, much was done to strengthen state unity, the welfare of the third estate, encourage trade, and develop industry and the fleet. At the same time, the Marquis de Louvois reformed the army, consolidated its organization and increased its combat strength.

After the death of King Philip IV of Spain (1665), Louis XIV declared France's claims to a part of the Spanish Netherlands and kept it in the so-called Devolutionary War. The Peace of Aachen, concluded on May 2, 1668, handed over French Flanders and a number of border areas into his hands.

Having brought his army to 120,000 people, Louis in 1670 occupied the possessions of an ally of the States General, Duke Charles IV of Lorraine, and in 1672 he crossed the Rhine, within six weeks he conquered half of the provinces and returned to Paris in triumph. The breakthrough of the dam, the emergence of William III of Orange in power, the intervention of the European powers stopped the success of French arms. The states-general allied with Spain, Brandenburg and Austria; they were joined by the Empire after the French army attacked the Archbishopric of Trier and occupied the 10 imperial cities of Alsace already connected to France by half.

In 1674, Louis confronted his enemies with 3 large armies: from one of them he personally occupied Franche-Comté; the other, under Condé, fought in the Netherlands and won at Senef; the third, led by Turenne, devastated the Palatinate and successfully fought the troops of the emperor and the great elector in Alsace. After a short break following the death of Turenne and the removal of Condé, Louis arrived in the Netherlands with renewed strength in early 1676 and conquered a number of cities, while Luxembourg devastated Breisgau. The whole country between the Saar, Moselle and the Rhine was turned into a desert by the order of the king. In the Mediterranean, Duquesne prevailed over Reuters; Brandenburg's forces were diverted by the attack of the Swedes. Only as a result of hostile actions on the part of England, Louis in 1678 concluded the Treaty of Nimwegen, which gave him large acquisitions from the Netherlands and the entire Franche-Comté from Spain. He gave Philippsburg to the emperor, but received Freiburg and kept all the conquests in Alsace.

This moment marks the apogee of Louis' power. His army was the most numerous, the best organized and led. His diplomacy dominated all European courts. The French nation has reached unprecedented heights with its achievements in art and science, in industry and trade.

The Versailles court (Louis moved the royal residence to Versailles) became the envy and surprise of almost all modern sovereigns who tried to imitate the great king even in his weaknesses. A strict etiquette was introduced at the court, regulating the entire court life. Versailles became the center of all high society life, in which the tastes of Louis himself and his many favorites (Lavalier, Montespan, Fontange) reigned. All the highest aristocracy coveted court positions, since living away from the court for a nobleman was a sign of fronderism or royal disgrace. "Absolute no objection," according to Saint-Simon, "Louis destroyed and eradicated every other force or power in France, except those that came from him: the reference to the law, to the right was considered a crime." This cult of the Sun King, in which capable people were increasingly pushed aside by courtesans and intriguers, would inevitably lead to the gradual decline of the entire building of the monarchy.

The king held back his desires less and less. In Metz, Breisach and Besançon, he established chambers of reunification (chambres de réunions) to find out the rights of the French crown to certain areas (September 30, 1681). The imperial city of Strasbourg was suddenly occupied by French troops in peacetime. Louis did the same with respect to the Dutch borders. In 1681, his fleet bombed Tripoli, in 1684 - Algeria and Genoa. Finally, an alliance of Holland, Spain and the emperor was formed, forcing Louis in 1684 to conclude a 20-year truce in Regensburg and to abandon further "reunions".

The central government of the state was carried out by the king through various councils (conseils):

Council of Ministers (Conseil d "État) - considered issues of particular importance: foreign policy, military affairs, appointed the highest ranks of the regional administration, resolved conflicts between the judiciary. The council consisted of ministers of state with life support. The number of one-time councilors never exceeded seven. These were mainly secretaries of state, the Comptroller General of Finance and the Chancellor. The king himself presided over the council. He was a permanent council.

Finance Council (Conseil royal des finances) - considered fiscal issues, financial, as well as appeals to quartermaster orders. The council was established in 1661 and was initially chaired by the king himself. The council consisted of the Chancellor, the Comptroller General, two State Counselors and the Intendant for Financial Affairs. He was a permanent council.

Postal Council (Conseil des dépêches) - reviewed general management issues, such as lists of all appointments. It was a permanent council. The Trade Council was a temporary council established in 1700.

Spiritual Council (Conseil des conscience) - was also a temporary council, in which the king consulted with his confessor on the replacement of spiritual positions.

Council of State (Conseil des parties) - consisted of state advisers, intendants, in the meeting of which lawyers and managers of petitions took part. In the conditional hierarchy of councils was lower than councils under the king (Council of Ministers, Finance, Postal and others, including temporary). Combined the functions of the cassation chamber and the highest administrative court, a source of precedents in the administrative law of France at that time. Chancellor chaired the council. The council consisted of several departments: on awards, on affairs from land holdings, salt tax, noble affairs, coats of arms and on various other issues, depending on the need.

Grand conseil - a judicial institution composed of four presidents and 27 councilors. He considered questions about bishoprics, church estates, hospitals, was the last resort in civil matters.

In France, during the reign of Louis XIV, the first codification of commercial law was carried out and the Ordonance de Commerce - Commercial Code (1673) was adopted. The significant merits of the 1673 Ordinance are due to the fact that its publication was preceded by very serious preparatory work based on reviews of knowledgeable persons. The main worker was Savary, so this ordinance is often called the Savary code.

He tried to destroy the political dependence of the clergy on the pope. Louis XIV even intended to form a French patriarchy independent of Rome. But, thanks to the influence of the famous Bishop Bossuet of Moss, the French bishops refrained from breaking with Rome, and the views of the French hierarchy received official expression in the so-called. declaration du clarge gallicane of 1682

In matters of faith, the confessors of Louis XIV (Jesuits) made him an obedient instrument of the most ardent Catholic reaction, which resulted in the merciless persecution of all individualistic movements in the church.

A number of harsh measures were taken against the Huguenots: temples were taken away from them, priests were deprived of the opportunity to baptize children according to the rules of their church, to make marriages and burials and to conduct worship. Even mixed marriages between Catholics and Protestants were prohibited.

The Protestant aristocracy was forced to convert to Catholicism in order not to lose their social advantages, and shy decrees were launched against Protestants from among other classes, culminating in the dragonads of 1683 and the abolition of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. These measures, despite severe penalties for emigration, forced more than 200 thousand Protestants to move to England, Holland and Germany. An uprising even broke out in the Cévennes. The king's growing piety was supported by Madame de Maintenon, who, after the queen's death (1683), was secretly married to him.

In 1688, a new war broke out, the reason for which was the claims to the Palatinate, presented by Louis XIV on behalf of his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth-Charlotte, Duchess of Orleans, who was related to the deceased shortly before that Elector Karl-Ludwig. Having entered into an alliance with the Elector of Cologne, Karl-Egon Fürstemberg, Louis ordered his troops to occupy Bonn and attack the Palatinate, Baden, Württemberg and Trier.

In early 1689, the entire Lower Palatinate was devastated by French troops. An alliance was formed against France from England (which had just overthrown the Stuarts), the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and the German Protestant states.

The Duke of Luxembourg, Marshal of France, defeated the Allies on July 1, 1690 at Fleurus; Marshal Catina conquered Savoy, Vice Admiral Tourville defeated the British-Dutch fleet at the Battle of Beachy Head, so that the French for a short time had an advantage even at sea.

In 1692 the French laid siege to Namur, Luxembourg prevailed at the Battle of Stenkerken; but on May 28, the French fleet was defeated at Cape La Hue.

In 1693-1695, the preponderance began to lean towards the Allies; in 1695, the Duke de Luxembourg, a student of Turenne, died; in the same year a huge war tax was needed, and peace was a necessity for Louis. It took place in Riswick, in 1697, and for the first time Louis XIV had to confine himself to the status quo.

France was completely exhausted when, a few years later, the death of Charles II of Spain led Louis to war with the European coalition. The War of the Spanish Succession, in which Louis wanted to reclaim the entire Spanish monarchy for his grandson Philip of Anjou, inflicted incurable wounds on Louis' power. The old king, who personally directed the struggle, stood in the most difficult circumstances with dignity and firmness. According to the peace concluded in Utrecht and Rastatt in 1713 and 1714, he retained Spain proper for his grandson, but her Italian and Dutch possessions were lost, and England laid the foundation for her maritime rule by the destruction of the Franco-Spanish fleets and the conquest of a number of colonies. The French monarchy did not have to recover from the defeats at Hochstedt and Turin, Ramilia and Malplac until the revolution itself. She languished under the weight of debts (up to 2 billion) and taxes, which caused local outbreaks of discontent.

The family life of the aged king at the end of his life was not at all a rosy picture. On April 13, 1711, his son, the Great Dauphin Louis (born in 1661), died; in February 1712 he was followed by the eldest son of the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, and on March 8 of the same year, the eldest son of the latter, the juvenile Duke of Breton. On March 4, 1714, he fell from his horse and a few days later the younger brother of the Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Berry, died, so that, in addition to Philip V of Spain, the Bourbons had only one heir - the king's four-year-old great-grandson, the second son of the Duke of Burgundy (later).

Even earlier, Louis legalized his two sons from Madame de Montespan - Duke of Manx and Count of Toulouse, and gave them the surname Bourbons. Now, in his will, he appointed them members of the council of the regency and declared for them the eventual right to succession to the throne. Louis himself remained active until the end of his life, firmly supporting the court etiquette and the decor of his "great century" already beginning to fade.

Louis XIV died on September 1, 1715 at 8:15 am, surrounded by courtiers. Death came after several days of agony. The reign of Louis XIV lasted 72 years and 110 days.

The body of the king for 8 days was exhibited for farewell at the Salon of Hercules in Versailles. On the night of the ninth day, the body was transported (taking the necessary measures so that the population did not arrange holidays along the funeral procession) to the basilica of the Abbey of Saint Denis, where Louis was buried in compliance with all the rites of the Catholic Church prescribed for the monarch.

In 1822, an equestrian statue was erected to him (after the model of Bosio) in Paris, on Victory Square.

The history of the emergence of the nickname Sun King:

In France, the sun was a symbol of royal power and personally of the king and before Louis XIV. The luminary became the personification of the monarch in poetry, solemn odes and court ballets. The first mentions of solar emblems go back to the reign of Henry III, the grandfather and father of Louis XIV used it, but only with him did solar symbolism become truly widespread.

At the age of twelve (1651) Louis XIV made his debut in the so-called "ballets de cour" - court ballets, which were staged annually during the carnival.

Carnival of the Baroque era is not just a holiday and entertainment, but an opportunity to play in the "upside down world". For example, the king for several hours became a jester, artist or buffoon, at the same time the jester could well afford to appear in the image of the king. In one of the ballet productions ("Ballet of the Night" by Jean-Baptiste Lully), young Louis had a chance to first appear before his subjects in the form of the Rising Sun (1653), and then Apollo - the Sun God (1654).

When Louis XIV began to rule independently (1661), the genre of court ballet was placed at the service of state interests, helping the king not only create his representative image, but also govern court society (as well as other arts). The roles in these productions were assigned only by the king and his friend, the Comte de Saint-Aignan. Princes of blood and courtiers, dancing alongside their sovereign, depicted various elements, planets and other beings and phenomena subject to the Sun. Louis himself continues to appear before his subjects in the form of the Sun, Apollo and other gods and heroes of Antiquity. The king left the scene only in 1670.

But the emergence of the nickname of the Sun King was preceded by another important cultural event of the Baroque era - the Tuileries Carousel of 1662. This is a festive carnival cavalcade, which is a cross between a sports festival (in the Middle Ages there were tournaments) and a masquerade. In the 17th century, the Carousel was called "equestrian ballet" because this action was more like a performance with music, rich costumes and a fairly consistent script. At the Carousel of 1662, given in honor of the birth of the firstborn of the royal couple, Louis XIV pranced in front of the audience on a horse in the costume of the Roman emperor. In the king's hand was a golden shield with the image of the Sun. This symbolized the fact that this luminary protects the king and with him the whole of France.

According to the historian of French Baroque F. Bossan, “it was on the Great Carousel of 1662, in some way, that the Sun King was born. His name was given not by the politician and not by the victories of his armies, but by the equestrian ballet ”.

Marriages and children of Louis XIV:

first wife: from June 9, 1660 Maria Theresa (1638-1683), Infanta of Spain, cousin of Louis XIV in two lines - both maternal and paternal.

children of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa:

Louis the Great Dauphin (1661-1711)
Anna-Elizabeth (1662-1662)
Maria Anna (1664-1664)
Maria Teresa (1667-1672)
Philip (1668-1671)
Louis-Francois (1672-1672).

Fornication: Louise de La Baume Le Blanc (1644-1710), Duchess de Lavaliere

children of Louis XIV and the Duchess de Lavalier:

Charles de La Baume Le Blanc (1663-1665)
Philippe de La Baume Le Blanc (1665-1666)
Maria-Anne de Bourbon (1666-1739), Mademoiselle de Blois
Louis de Bourbon (1667-1683), Count de Vermandois.

Fornication: Françoise-Athenais de Rochechouard de Mortemard (1641-1707), Marquis de Montespan

children of Louis XIV and the Marquise de Montespan:

Louise-Francoise de Bourbon (1669-1672)
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Manx (1670-1736)
Louis-Cesar de Bourbon (1672-1683)
Louise-Françoise de Bourbon (1673-1743), Mademoiselle de Nantes
Louise-Maria-Anne de Bourbon (1674-1681), Mademoiselle de Tour
Françoise-Maria de Bourbon (1677-1749), Mademoiselle de Blois
Louis-Alexander de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse (1678-1737).

Fornication (1678-1680): Maria-Angelica de Scorail de Roussil (1661-1681), Duchess de Fontanges (N (1679-1679), child was born dead).

Fornication: Claude de Ven (circa 1638 - September 8, 1686), Mademoiselle des Hoye: daughter of Louise de Maison Blanche (1676-1718).

Igor Bukker 06/03/2019 at 14:17

The frivolous public readily believes in the tales of love of the French king Louis XIV. Against the background of the morals of that time, the number of love victories of the "sun king" simply fades. A timid young man, knowing women, did not become a noted libertine. Louis was characterized by bouts of generosity towards the ladies left by him, who continued to enjoy many favors, and their offspring received titles and estates. Among the favorites, Madame de Montespan stands out, whose children from the king became Bourbons.

The marriage of Louis XIV to Maria Theresa was a political marriage and the French king was bored with his wife. The daughter of the King of Spain was a pretty woman, but there was no charm in her at all (despite the fact that she was the daughter of Elizabeth of France, there was no French charm in her) and there was no gaiety. Louis first looked at Henrietta of England, his brother's wife, who was disgusted with her husband, a fan of same-sex love. At one of the court balls, the Duke Philip of Orleans, who showed courage and commanding qualities on the battlefield, changed into a woman's dress and danced with his handsome gentleman. The unattractive 16-year-old with a sagging lower lip had two advantages - a charming opal complexion and pliability.

The contemporary French writer Eric Deschodt, in his biography of Louis XIV, testifies: "The relationship between Louis and Henrietta does not go unnoticed. Monsieur (title Monsieur was given to the brother of the king of France, next in seniority - ed.) complains to the mother. Anna of Austria scolds Henrietta. Henrietta suggests to Louis, in order to deflect suspicion from himself, to pretend that he is courting one of her ladies-in-waiting. For this they choose Françoise Louise de La Baume Le Blanc, La Vallière, a seventeen-year-old native of Touraine, a delightful blonde (in those days, as well as later in Hollywood, men prefer blondes), - whose voice is capable of moving even an ox, and her gaze can soften a tiger. "

For Madame - title Madame was given to the wife of the brother of the King of France, who followed him in seniority and had the title "Monsieur" - the result was deplorable. It cannot be said that without looking, but Louis traded Henrietta's dubious charms for a blonde beauty. From Maria Theresa, who in 1661 was born the Great Dauphin (the eldest son of the king), Louis kept his romance in the greatest secret. “Contrary to all appearances and legends, from 1661 to 1683, Louis XIV always tried to keep his love affairs in great secrecy,” writes the French historian François Bluche. “He does this first of all to spare the queen.” The entourage of the ardent Catholic Anna of Austria was in despair. Lavalier from the "sun king" will give birth to four children, but only two will survive. Louis recognizes them.

A parting gift to the mistress will be the Duchy of Vaujours, then she will retire to the Parisian convent of the Carmelites, but for some time she stoically endured the bullying of the new favorite Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart (Marquise de Montespantes) or the Marquise de Montespan. It is difficult for historians to establish an exact list and chronology of Louis' love affairs, especially since, as they note, he often returned to his former passions.

Even then, witty compatriots noted that Lavaliere loved the monarch as a mistress, Mentenon as a governess, and Montespan as a mistress. Thanks to the Marquis de Montespan, on July 18, 1668, "a grandiose royal feast at Versailles" took place, the Bath apartments, the porcelain Trianon were built, the Versailles bosquets were created, and an amazing castle ("Armida's palace") was erected in Clagny. Both contemporaries and contemporary historians tell us that the king's affection for Madame de Montespan (where spiritual intimacy played no less a role than sensuality) continued even after the termination of their love affair.

At 23, Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente was married to the Marquis de Montespan of the House of Pardaillan. The spouse was constantly afraid of arrest for debts, which greatly annoyed Athenais. She answered the call of the king, who had already become less timid and shy than during the cupids with Louise de Lavalier. The Marquis could have taken his wife to the provinces, but for some reason he did not. Having learned about the treason of the Marquis, Gascon blood woke up in the cuckold, and one day he read a lecture to the monarch and ordered a requiem for his wife.

Louis was not a tyrant and, although he was well fed up with the Gascon, not only did not put him in prison, but in every possible way promoted the legitimate son of the Marquis and Marquis de Montespan. First he made him lieutenant general, then general manager of construction works, and finally bestowed upon him the titles of duke and peerage. Madame de Montespan, awarded the title maîtresse royale en titre - "the official mistress of the king, gave birth to eight children to Louis. Four of them reached adulthood and were legalized and made Bourbons. Three of them married royalty. After the birth of the seventh bastard, Count of Toulouse, Louis avoids intimacy with Montespan.

Not even on the horizon, but almost in the royal chambers, arrives from Auvergne, Marie Angélique de Scorraille de Roussille, the maiden Fontanges. The aging king falls in love with an 18-year-old beauty, according to his contemporaries, "who has not been seen in Versailles for a long time." Their feelings are mutual. With Montespan, the girl Fontange has in common the arrogance shown in relation to the former and forgotten Louis favorites. Perhaps all she lacked was de Montespan's sarcasm and sharp tongue.

Madame de Montespan stubbornly did not want to give up her place for a great life, and the king, by his temperament, was not inclined to openly break with the mother of his children. Louis allowed her to continue to live in his luxurious apartments and even from time to time visited his former mistress, flatly refusing to have sex with a plump favorite.

“Maria Angelica sets the tone,” writes Eric Deschaudt. “If during a hunt in Fontainebleau she ties up a strand of hair with a ribbon, then the next day it does the whole court and all of Paris. Hairstyle“ a la Fontange ”is still mentioned in dictionaries But the happiness of the one who invented her, was not so long. A year later, Louis is already bored. The beauty is replaced. It seems that she was stupid, but this was hardly the only reason for the disgrace. " The Duchess de Fontanges was given a pension of 20 thousand livres by the king. A year later, after the loss of her prematurely born son, she died suddenly.

The subjects forgave their monarch his love affairs, which cannot be said about the gentlemen of the historians. Historiographers linked the "reign" of the Marquise de Montespan and her "resignation" with unseemly deeds, such as the "affaire des Poisons." , black masses and any other devilry, and at first it was only about poisoning, as is evident from its name, under which it appears to this day, "- specifies the historian François Bluch.

In March 1679, the police arrested a certain Catherine Deshayes, the mother of Monvoisin, who was simply called la Voisin, who was suspected of witchcraft. Five days later, Adam Kere or Cobre, aka Dubuisson, aka "abbé Lesage", was arrested. Their interrogation revealed or allowed to imagine that witches and sorcerers fell into the hands of justice. These, in the words of Saint-Simon "fashionable crimes", was engaged, established by Louis XIV, a special court, nicknamed Chambre ardente - "Chamber of Fire". This commission included high-ranking officials, chaired by Louis Boucher, the future chancellor.

Name: Louis XIV de Bourbon

State: France

Field of activity: King of France

Greatest achievement: Years of government: from May 14, 1643 to September 1, 1715. He reigned for 72 years, which is an absolute record in Europe.

In every country there is a representative of the royal family who left the most striking mark in history. Some are famous for their foreign policy, others for longevity, and still others for simply their eccentric actions. And only a few combine all these qualities. One of these kings is the leader of France in the 17-18th century, Louis XIV.

early years

The future king of France was born on September 5, 1638 in the city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the family of the ruler of the kingdom Louis XIII and his wife, the Spanish Infanta Anna of Austria. At birth, he received the nickname "Dieudonné", which means "God-given." And it really was true - his parents got married in 1615, while still teenagers (both were 14 years old, which in those days was not considered something terrible - the marriageable age was early).

Louis was the firstborn in the family, that is, you can count - if his parents got married in 1615, and he was born only in 1638, then for 23 years Queen Anne could not get pregnant. This is really a gift from God! 2 years later, the second son of the crowned couple was born - Prince Philip, the younger brother of Louis.

Louis could have had a completely happy childhood, like any prince of the blood of that time, if not for the sad circumstance - the death of his father. Louis died in 1643, leaving the throne to his 5-year-old son. How can a small child rule a huge kingdom? During this period, mother, Anna of Austria, became the regent, striving to pursue her policy, to put her people in key posts.

One of the bottom was Cardinal Giulio Mazarin, who replaced Richelieu. He taught Louis history, politics, philosophy, but did not spend much on a child - the king had modest clothes, no money was allocated for entertainment. This was explained by the lack of funds - after all, at that time there was a war with the Fronde (in fact, the Civil War within the country).

In 1648, when Louis was 10 years old, the Parisian population, predominantly aristocracy, rebelled against Mazarin. In an attempt to overthrow the cardinal, they unleashed a civil war against his supporters - this was called the Fronda. Throughout the long war, Louis XIV suffered many hardships, including poverty and hunger.) An ascetic lifestyle, deprivation and the lack of necessary and interesting things to him will subsequently form in Louis a passion for exorbitant spending, a luxurious lifestyle.

During his growing up, he first learned what love is - his first lover was Mazarin's niece, Maria Mancini. But, as the famous song says - "no king can marry for love." First of all, when marrying a prince of the blood (and even more so, a king), the government thinks about political benefits. And Louis in 1660 marries the Spanish Infanta Maria - Theresa of Austria. And then the story of the parents repeated itself - the first years of marriage were full of love and trust, then the young husband lost interest in his second half.

The beginning of the reign

While Cardinal Mazarin ruled France, Louis did not show much hope - he was afraid of the wrath of his mentor. But in 1661, the cardinal dies, and Louis comes to the conclusion that now is his time to rule France. He convenes the Council of State, where he announces that from now on he is the sovereign king. He also utters the catch phrase: “Do you think, gentlemen, that the state is you? No, the state is me ”. We must salute him - Louis could accurately choose the right people who helped raise France out of the economic hole.

His first goal as an absolute monarch was to centralize power and control over France. With the help of his finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV instituted reforms that were designed to reduce the budget deficit and boost industry. During his reign, Louis XIV managed to improve the country's taxation system and limit the previously haphazard practice of borrowing. He also declared members of the nobility tax exempt.

The king did not forget about culture either. Along with the changes in government, Louis XIV created a number of programs and institutions to bring more art to French culture. So, in 1663, the Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Letters (Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres) was founded, and in 1666, the Royal Academy of Music. Louis XIV also commissioned Colbert to lead the construction of the Paris Observatory from 1667 to 1672.

Louis devoted all his free time to state affairs. Raised at court, a late beloved child, he considered himself an anointed of God in the literal sense of the word. Even royal residences seemed to him unworthy of his greatness. He decided to build a new one - for himself. His gaze turned to the small village of Versailles near Paris, where he transformed a modest hunting lodge into a palace of unprecedented luxury and beauty.

The palace at Versailles became his permanent residence in 1682. It was the setting of the new home that prompted the king to create the rules of court etiquette, which all courtiers must strictly adhere to. The king was especially favored by writers, poets and artists. Various performances were often staged at Versailles.

Foreign policy

During his entire reign (meaning from 1661, of course) Louis has fought many wars with neighboring and distant European countries. And the king fought successfully. In 1667, he launched an invasion of the Spanish Netherlands, believing it to be his wife's legacy. A year later, the Peace of Aachen was concluded, according to which some lands retreated to France - Binsch, Charleroi, Berg, French Flanders. However, Louis had to make some concessions for this, which was contrary to his domineering nature. A few years later, he again dragged the country into a war with Holland - which ended in a complete victory for the kingdom. It gave France a reputation as a formidable adversary in Europe.

Since the 1680s, military victories have become less and less - Spain, Holland, Austria and Sweden are united in an alliance against France. Louis's army was strong, organized, but other countries also trained their warriors, created new weapons. And the war required money - taxes had to be raised. The French began to murmur. The king ordered all the silver from Versailles to be sent for melting. But the time for victories is over. Under the terms of the peace treaties, France transferred Luxembourg, Lorraine, Savoy.

One of the last big battles was the War of the Spanish Succession, which began in 1701. England, Holland and Austria opposed France. For the conduct of the war, gold from Versailles has now gone for smelting. Taxes were raised and famine began in the country. France retained Spain, but this was the only acquisition in the war. The debt to the countries was huge, the whole burden of payments fell on the shoulders of ordinary people. Throughout the 18th century, discontent with the royal family will accumulate, until one day it spills over into a revolution.

Another pain was the question of a successor. In 1711, his son and heir Louis Dauphin died, then the eldest grandson of King Louis (the heir's son) died. Apart from the daughters, only one heir remained - the youngest son of Louis Dauphin, Louis (the future King Louis XV).

In addition to legitimate children from his wife, the king had sons from his favorite, Madame de Montespan, whom he gave his last name and appointed to the Council of State.

The Sun King Louis XIV died of gangrene on September 1, 1715 at Versailles, becoming the longest reigning monarch in European history - 72 years. His record has not been broken so far. The king was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Denis.