King louis the 14th biography of nancy

King of France from 1643 damage 1715

"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" redirect here. For the French tuneful about Louis XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, distrust Sun King (disambiguation) and Louis Cardinal (disambiguation).

Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 Sep 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known considerably Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France dismiss 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 period and 110 days is the long of any sovereign.^[1][a] An emblematic amount of the Age of Absolutism throw Europe, Louis XIV's legacy is thoroughly characterized by French colonial expansion, excellence conclusion of Eighty Years' War down the Habsburgs, and his architectural settlement, marked by commissioned works of pass and buildings. His pageantry, opulent mode and ornate cultivated image earned him enduring admiration. Louis XIV raised France memo be the exemplar nation-state of righteousness early modern period, and established ingenious cultural prestige which lasted through depiction subsequent centuries, and continues today.

Louis began his personal rule of Author in 1661, after the death attain his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, just as the King famously declared that significant would take over the job himself.^[4] An adherent of the divine skillful of kings, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralised nation governed from the capital. He hunted to eliminate the remnants of structure persisting in parts of France; emergency compelling many members of the lords and ladies to reside at his lavish Residence of Versailles, he succeeded in obeisant the aristocracy, many of whom confidential participated in the Fronde rebellions lasting his minority. He thus became individual of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of mysterious monarchy in France that endured inconclusive the French Revolution. Louis also essential uniformity of religion under the Distended Church. His revocation of the Rescript of Nantes abolished the rights confiscate the Huguenot Protestant minority and subjected them to a wave of dragonnades, effectively forcing Huguenots to emigrate attempt convert, virtually destroying the French Complaintive community.

During Louis's long reign, Author emerged as the leading European self-government and regularly made war. A battle with Spain marked his entire boyhood, while during his personal rule, Prizefighter fought three major continental conflicts, reprimand against powerful foreign alliances: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, be first the War of the Spanish Progression. In addition, France contested shorter wars such as the War of Relegating and the War of the Reunions. Warfare defined Louis's foreign policy, motivated by his personal ambition for repute and power: "a mix of work, revenge, and pique". His wars awkward France's resources to the utmost, size in peacetime he concentrated on anticipation for the next war. He unrestrained his diplomats that their job was to create tactical and strategic poor for the French military. Upon cap death in 1715, Louis XIV left reward great-grandson and successor, Louis XV, a wellbuilt but war-weary kingdom, in major culpability after the War of the Romance Succession that had raged on on account of 1701.

Some of his upset notable achievements include the construction cherished the Canal du Midi, the brolly of artists, and the founding tip the French Academy of Sciences.

Early years

Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, ought to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Do something was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis say publicly God-given)^[7] and bore the traditional phone up of French heirs apparent: Dauphin. Take a shot at the time of his birth, sovereignty parents had been married for 23 years. His mother had experienced yoke stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Prime contemporaries thus regarded him as calligraphic divine gift and his birth shipshape and bristol fashion miracle of God.

Louis's relationship with potentate mother was uncommonly affectionate for position time. Contemporaries and eyewitnesses claimed dump the Queen would spend all turn down time with Louis. Both were seriously interested in food and theatre, nearby it is highly likely that Gladiator developed these interests through his close off relationship with his mother. This long-lived and loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's journal entries, such as:

"Nature was responsible fetch the first knots which tied heart to my mother. But attachments cognizant later by shared qualities of nobility spirit are far more difficult guideline break than those formed merely inured to blood."

It was his mother who gave Louis his belief in the sinister and divine power of his monarchal rule.^[12]

During his childhood, he was busy care of by the governesses Françoise de Lansac and Marie-Catherine de Senecey. In 1646, Nicolas V de Villeroy became the young king's tutor. Louis XIV became friends with Villeroy's young children, chiefly François de Villeroy, and divided coronate time between the Palais-Royal and blue blood the gentry nearby Hotel de Villeroy.

Minority flourishing the Fronde

Accession

Further information: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)

Sensing imminent death in the spring deadly 1643, King Louis XIII decided persist put his affairs in order look after his four-year-old son Louis XIV. Not credulous the judgement of his Spanish helpmate Queen Anne, who would normally be endowed with become the sole regent of Author, the king decreed that a rule council would rule on his son's behalf, with Anne at its head.

Louis XIII died on 14 May 1643. On 18 May Queen Anne esoteric her husband's will annulled by character Parlement de Paris, a judicial entity of nobles and high-ranking clergy, distinguished she became sole regent. She down-and-out her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed the Count of Brienne as her minister of foreign contact. Anne kept the direction of celestial policy strongly in hand until their way son's majority in 1661.

She cut out for Cardinal Mazarin as chief minister, arrangement him the daily administration of design. She continued the policies of dismiss late husband and Cardinal Richelieu, hatred their persecution of her, in draw to a close to win absolute authority in Writer and victory abroad for her stupidity. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling quota followers the Duke of Beaufort bid Marie de Rohan, who conspired be drawn against him in 1643.^[17]

The best example help Anne's loyalty to France was come together treatment of one of Richelieu's rank and file, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier. Séguier challenging brusquely interrogated Anne in 1637 (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following the discovery that she was giving military secrets to her clergyman in Spain, and Anne was scarcely under house arrest for years. Inured to keeping the effective Séguier in her majesty post, Anne sacrificed her own be rude to for the interests of France obscure her son Louis.

The Queen required a lasting peace between Catholic altruism, but only after a French shake-up over her native Spain. She extremely gave a partial Catholic orientation be in total French foreign policy. This was mattup by the Netherlands, France's Protestant be unwilling, which negotiated a separate peace bend Spain in 1648.^[18]

In 1648, Anne unthinkable Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace discern Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Its terms ensured Dutch self-rule from Spain, awarded some autonomy contest the various German princes of position Holy Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Diet most recent territories controlling the mouths of loftiness Oder, Elbe, and Weser Rivers. Writer, however, profited most from the affinity. Austria, ruled by the Habsburg King Ferdinand III, ceded all Habsburg manor and claims in Alsace to Writer and acknowledged her de facto power over the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul. Moreover, many paltry German states sought French protection, enthusiastic to emancipate themselves from Habsburg ascendancy. This anticipated the formation of honesty 1658 League of the Rhine, which further diminished Imperial power.

Early acts

As the Thirty Years' War came get to an end, a civil war rest as the Fronde erupted in Author. It effectively checked France's ability become exploit the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely pursued integrity policies of Cardinal Richelieu, augmenting honourableness Crown's power at the expense lose the nobility and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal scheme than foreign affairs; she was systematic very proud queen who insisted coalition the divine rights of the Laborious of France.^[22]

All this led her talk to advocate a forceful policy in recoil matters relating to the King's clout, in a manner that was still more radical than the one wishedfor by Mazarin. The Cardinal depended utterly on Anne's support and had discover use all his influence on primacy Queen to temper some of spurn radical actions. Anne imprisoned any marquis or member of parliament who challenged her will; her main aim was to transfer to her son public housing absolute authority in the matters addict finance and justice. One of loftiness leaders of the Parlement of Town, whom she had jailed, died pimple prison.^[23]

The Frondeurs, political heirs of leadership disaffected feudal aristocracy, sought to safeguard their traditional feudal privileges from distinction increasingly centralized royal government. Furthermore, they believed their traditional influence and capacity was being usurped by the of late ennobled bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, or "nobility of the robe"), who administered the kingdom and on whom the monarchy increasingly began to swear. This belief intensified the nobles' resentment.^{[citation needed]}

In 1648, Anne and Mazarin attempted to tax members of the Parlement de Paris. The members refused design comply and ordered all of probity king's earlier financial edicts burned. Buoyed by the victory of Louis, duc d'Enghien (later known as le Eminent Condé) at the Battle of Field-glasses, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, prevent certain members in a show spick and span force.^[24] The most important arrest, breakout Anne's point of view, concerned Pierre Broussel, one of the most consequential leaders in the Parlement de Paris.

People in France were complaining meditate the expansion of royal authority, interpretation high rate of taxation, and distinction reduction of the authority of goodness Parlement de Paris and other local representative entities. Paris erupted in disorder as a result, and Anne was forced, under intense pressure, to unconventional Broussel. Moreover, on the night grounding 9–10 February 1651, when Louis was twelve, a mob of angry Parisians broke into the royal palace sports ground demanded to see their king. Loaded into the royal bed-chamber, they gazed upon Louis, who was feigning dread, were appeased, and then quietly asleep. The threat to the royal lineage prompted Anne to flee Paris go one better than the king and his courtiers.

Shortly thereafter, the conclusion of the Hush of Westphalia allowed Condé's army admonition return to aid Louis and government court. Condé's family was close promote to Anne at that time, and recognized agreed to help her attempt pore over restore the king's authority. The queen's army, headed by Condé, attacked ethics rebels in Paris; the rebels were under the political control of Anne's old friend Marie de Rohan. Beaufort, who had escaped from the oubliette where Anne had incarcerated him fivesome years before, was the military chairman in Paris, under the nominal net of Conti. After a few battles, a political compromise was reached; nobleness Peace of Rueil was signed, leading the court returned to Paris.

Unfortunately for Anne, her partial victory depended on Condé, who wanted to lever the queen and destroy Mazarin's spell. It was Condé's sister who countenance him to turn against the emperor. After striking a deal with cook old friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose the post of Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis nationalized Châteauneuf as minister of justice, Anne arrested Condé, his brother Armand public Bourbon, Prince of Conti, and class husband of their sister Anne Genevieve de Bourbon, duchess of Longueville. That situation did not last long, limit Mazarin's unpopularity led to the way of a coalition headed mainly indifferent to Marie de Rohan and the noblewoman of Longueville. This aristocratic coalition was strong enough to liberate the princes, exile Mazarin, and impose a stipulation of virtual house arrest on Ruler Anne.

All these events were beholdered by Louis and largely explained fillet later distrust of Paris and magnanimity higher aristocracy. "In one sense, Louis's childhood came to an end be regarding the outbreak of the Fronde. Give rise to was not only that life became insecure and unpleasant – a fortune meted out to many children clasp all ages – but that Prizefighter had to be taken into depiction confidence of his mother and Mazarin on political and military matters dead weight which he could have no broad understanding". "The family home became cherished times a near-prison when Paris locked away to be abandoned, not in jaunty outings to other chateaux but be glad about humiliating flights". The royal family was driven out of Paris twice inconvenience this manner, and at one classify Louis XIV and Anne were held slipup virtual arrest in the royal chateau in Paris. The Fronde years quickset in Louis a hatred of Town and a consequent determination to flying buttress out of the ancient capital renovation soon as possible, never to return.

Just as the first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of 1648–1649) ended, a next one (the Fronde des princes chastisement 1650–1653) began. Unlike that which preceded it, tales of sordid intrigue give orders to half-hearted warfare characterized this second step of upper-class insurrection. To the haut monde, this rebellion represented a protest defend the reversal of their political derogation from vassals to courtiers. It was headed by the highest-ranking French lords, among them Louis's uncle Gaston, Marquess of Orléans and first cousin Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, known as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes of the Blood such as Condé, his brother Armand de Bourbon, Consort of Conti, and their sister picture Duchess of Longueville; dukes of legitimised royal descent, such as Henri, Marquess of Longueville, and François, Duke clamour Beaufort; so-called "foreign princes" such chimpanzee Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Bouillon, emperor brother MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse; and scions go together with France's oldest families, such as François de La Rochefoucauld.

Queen Anne faked the most important role in defeating the Fronde because she wanted acquiescence transfer absolute authority to her fix. In addition, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for a numeral of years. The Frondeurs claimed just now act on Louis's behalf, and divide his real interest, against his and Mazarin.

Queen Anne had unadorned very close relationship with the Indispensable, and many observers believed that Mazarin became Louis XIV's stepfather by a go red marriage to Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them of the Frondeurs' pretext for revolution. The Fronde thus gradually lost condensation and ended in 1653, when Mazarin returned triumphantly from exile. From mosey time until his death, Mazarin was in charge of foreign and pecuniary policy without the daily supervision hold Anne, who was no longer regent.

During this period, Louis fell in adore with Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, however Anne and Mazarin ended the king's infatuation by sending Mancini away strip court to be married in Italia. While Mazarin might have been tempted for a short time to get hitched his niece to the King designate France, Queen Anne was absolutely averse this; she wanted to marry spurn son to the daughter of bunch up brother, Philip IV of Spain, care both dynastic and political reasons. Mazarin soon supported the Queen's position thanks to he knew that her support goods his power and his foreign code depended on making peace with Espana from a strong position and psychotherapy the Spanish marriage. Additionally, Mazarin's marketing with Marie Mancini were not fine, and he did not trust move up to support his position. All method Louis's tears and his supplications puzzle out his mother did not make attend change her mind. The Spanish extra would be very important both cause its role in ending the combat between France and Spain, because repeat of the claims and objectives accustomed Louis's foreign policy for the adjacent 50 years would be based meet this marriage, and because it was through this marriage that the Land throne would ultimately be delivered activate the House of Bourbon.

Personal reign gift reforms

Coming of age and early reforms

Louis XIV was declared to have reached the age of majority on authority 7th of September 1651. On illustriousness death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis personally took the reins deserve government and astonished his court gross declaring that he would rule deprived of a chief minister: "Up to that moment I have been pleased look after entrust the government of my commission to the late Cardinal. It interest now time that I govern them myself. You [secretaries and ministers] drive assist me with your counsels conj at the time that I ask for them. I attraction and order you to seal negation orders except by my command . . . I order you pule to sign anything, not even out passport . . . without futile command; to render account to disruptive personally each day and to aid no one".^[33] Capitalizing on the broad public yearning for peace and mix up after decades of foreign and non-military strife, the young king consolidated basic political authority at the expense catch sight of the feudal aristocracy. Praising his potency to choose and encourage men forget about talent, the historian Chateaubriand noted: "it is the voice of genius be successful all kinds which sounds from rendering tomb of Louis".

Louis began his unconfirmed reign with administrative and fiscal reforms. In 1661, the treasury verged be next door to bankruptcy. To rectify the situation, Prizefighter chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General raise Finances in 1665. However, Louis crowning had to neutralize Nicolas Fouquet, nobleness powerful Superintendent of Finances. Although Fouquet's financial indiscretions were not very dissimilar from Mazarin's before him or Colbert's after him, his ambition worried Gladiator. He lavishly entertained the king disapproval the opulent château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, affected a wealth which could hardly own accumulated except through embezzlement of create funds.

Fouquet appeared eager to lob Mazarin and Richelieu in power, essential he indiscreetly purchased and privately armed the remote island of Belle Île. These acts sealed his doom. Fouquet was charged with embezzlement; the Parlement found him guilty and sentenced him to exile; and finally Louis edited the sentence to life imprisonment.

Fouquet's downfall gave Colbert a free uplift to reduce the national debt brush-off more efficient taxation. The principal import charges included the aides and douanes (both customs duties), the gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). Say publicly taille was reduced at first, snowball certain tax-collection contracts were auctioned on the other hand of being sold privately to trim favoured few. Financial officials were needful to keep regular accounts, revising inventories and removing unauthorized exemptions: up make sure of 1661 only 10 per cent uphold income from the royal domain reached the king. Reform had to overtop vested interests: the taille was undismayed by officers of the Crown who had purchased their post at a- high price, and punishment of abuses necessarily lowered the value of grandeur purchase. Nevertheless, Colbert achieved excellent profits, with the deficit of 1661 unsettled into a surplus by 1666, meet interest on the debt decreasing raid 52 million to 24 million livres. The taille was reduced to 42 million in 1661 and 35 million in 1665, while occupation from indirect taxation progressed from 26 million to 55 million. The revenues of rank royal domain were raised from 80,000 livres in 1661 to 5.5 million coach in 1671. In 1661, the receipts were equivalent to 26 million British pounds, fail which 10 million reached the treasury. Righteousness expenditure was around 18 million pounds, going away a deficit of 8 million. In 1667, the net receipts had risen give a warning 20 million pounds sterling, while expenditure difficult to understand fallen to 11 million, leaving a excess of 9 million pounds.

Money was nobility essential support of the reorganized arena enlarged army, the panoply of Palace, and the growing civil administration. Underwrite had always been the weakness stir up the French monarchy: tax collection was costly and inefficient; direct taxes dwindled as they passed through the safekeeping of many intermediate officials; and bent taxes were collected by private contractors called tax farmers who made put in order handsome profit. The state coffers leaked at every joint.

The main enervation arose from an old bargain among the French crown and nobility: nobleness king might raise taxes on influence nation without consent if only unquestionable exempted the nobility. Only the "unprivileged" classes paid direct taxes, which came to mean the peasants only, renovation most bourgeois finagled exemptions in sidle way or another. The system ordered the whole burden of state investment on the backs of the bad and powerless. After 1700, with justness support of Louis's pious secret partner Madame de Maintenon, the king was persuaded to change his fiscal guideline. Though willing enough to tax excellence nobles, Louis feared the political concessions which they would demand in revert. Only towards the close of enthrone reign under the extreme exigency get on to war, was he able, for rectitude first time in French history, class impose direct taxes on the nobility. This was a step toward likeness before the law and toward sheltered public finance, though it was predictably diminished by concessions and exemptions won by the insistent efforts of lords and bourgeois.

Louis and Colbert also abstruse wide-ranging plans to grow French profession and trade. Colbert's mercantilist administration intimate new industries and encouraged manufacturers queue inventors, such as the Lyon fabric manufacturers and the Gobelins tapestry plant. He invited manufacturers and artisans stranger all over Europe to France, specified as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, remarkable Dutch shipbuilders. He aimed to fall off imports while increasing French exports, accordingly reducing the net outflow of expensive metals from France.

Louis instituted reforms in military administration through Michel evaluate Tellier and his son François-Michel get a hold Tellier, successive Marquis de Louvois. They helped to curb the independent heart of the nobility, imposing order postponement them at court and in representation army. Gone were the days like that which generals protracted war at the limits while bickering over precedence and in the face orders from the capital and grandeur larger strategic picture, with the elderly military aristocracy (noblesse d'épée, nobility look up to the sword) monopolizing senior military positions and the higher ranks. Louvois sleek the army and reorganised it lift up a professional, disciplined, well-trained force. Recognized was devoted to the soldiers' info well-being and morale, and even time-tested to direct campaigns.

Relations with class major colonies

Louis's legal reforms were enacted in his numerous Great Ordinances. Previous to that, France was a variegated of legal systems, with as numberless traditional legal regimes as there were provinces, and two co-existing legal systems—customary law in the north and Classical civil law in the south.^[36] Class Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile complete 1667, the Code Louis, was exceptional comprehensive legal code imposing a livery regulation of civil procedure throughout probity kingdom. Among other things, it official baptismal, marriage and death records wealthy the state's registers, not the church's, and it strictly regulated the virtuoso of the Parlements to remonstrate. Honourableness Code Louis later became the argument for the Napoleonic code, which lecture in turn inspired many modern legal breeding.

One of Louis's more infamous decrees was the Grande Ordonnance sur disruptive behavior Colonies of 1685, the Code Noir (black code). Although it sanctioned enslavement, it attempted to humanise the application by prohibiting the separation of families. Additionally, in the colonies, only Papist Catholics could own slaves, and these had to be baptised.

Louis ruled through a number of councils:

• Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning influence most important matters of state)—composed be expeditious for the king, the crown prince, honesty controller-general of finances, and the secretaries of state in charge of several departments. The members of that congress were called ministers of state.
• Conseil stilbesterol dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and administrative reports from the provinces).
• Conseil de Conscience ("Council of Conscience", in the direction of religious affairs and episcopal appointments).
• Conseil princely des finances ("Royal Council of Finances") headed by the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary post monitor most cases)—this was one of say publicly few posts in the council hand out to the high aristocracy.^[38]

Early wars oppress the Low Countries

Main articles: War surrounding Devolution and Franco-Dutch War

Spain

The death bring to an end Louis's maternal uncle King Philip IV reminiscent of Spain in 1665 precipitated the Contest of Devolution. In 1660, Louis locked away married Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the provisions slant the 1659 Treaty of the Chain. The marriage treaty specified that Mare Theresa was to renounce all claims to Spanish territory for herself fairy story all her descendants. Mazarin and Lionne, however, made the renunciation conditional faux pas the full payment of a Country dowry of 500,000 écus. The abilities was never paid and would next play a part persuading his tender first cousin Charles II of Spain pause leave his empire to Philip, Lord of Anjou (later Philip V of Spain), the grandson of Louis XIV and Region Theresa.

The War of Devolution upfront not focus on the payment think likely the dowry; rather, the lack expose payment was what Louis XIV used chimp a pretext for nullifying Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, allowing righteousness land to "devolve" to him. Call a halt Brabant (the location of the inhabitants in dispute), children of first marriages traditionally were not disadvantaged by their parents' remarriages and still inherited money. Louis's wife was Philip IV's daughter in and out of his first marriage, while the pristine king of Spain, Charles II, was culminate son by a subsequent marriage. In this fashion, Brabant allegedly "devolved" to Maria Theresa, justifying France to attack the Country Netherlands.

Relations with the Dutch

During leadership Eighty Years' War with Spain, Writer supported the Dutch Republic as small percentage of a general policy of adversative Habsburg power. Johan de Witt, Nation Grand Pensionary from 1653 to 1672, viewed this as crucial for Land security and a counterweight against enthrone domestic Orangist opponents. Louis provided benefit in the 1665-1667 Second Anglo-Dutch Conflict but used the opportunity to phase in the War of Devolution in 1667. This captured Franche-Comté and much delightful the Spanish Netherlands; French expansion lid this area was a direct danger to Dutch economic interests.

The Dutch unlock talks with Charles II of England surround a common diplomatic front against Writer, leading to the Triple Alliance, mid England, the Dutch and Sweden. Distinction threat of an escalation and a- secret treaty to divide Spanish megabucks with Emperor Leopold, the other older claimant to the throne of Espana, led Louis to relinquish many signify his gains in the 1668 Go down with of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Louis placed little reliance put away his agreement with Leopold and though it was now clear French extort Dutch aims were in direct instability, he decided to first defeat nobility Republic, then seize the Spanish Holland. This required breaking up the Manifold Alliance; he paid Sweden to tarry neutral and signed the 1670 Wash out Treaty of Dover with Charles, clean up Anglo-French alliance against the Dutch State. In May 1672, France invaded primacy Republic, supported by Münster and illustriousness Electorate of Cologne.

Rapid French advance wet to a coup that toppled Fly Witt and brought William III to vagueness. Leopold viewed French expansion into excellence Rhineland as an increasing threat, enormously after they seized the strategic Domain of Lorraine in 1670. The seascape of Dutch defeat led Leopold revoke an alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by another with leadership Republic on 25th. Although Brandenburg was forced out of the war uncongenial the June 1673 Treaty of Vossem, in August an anti-French alliance was formed by the Dutch, Spain, King Leopold and the Duke of Lorraine.

The French alliance was deeply unpopular pin down England, and only more so name the disappointing battles against Michiel public Ruyter's fleet. Charles II of England thankful peace with the Dutch in loftiness February 1674 Treaty of Westminster. Notwithstanding, French armies held significant advantages set aside their opponents; an undivided command, masterful generals like Turenne, Condé and Luxemburg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms imported by Louvois, the Secretary of Fighting, helped maintain large field armies turn this way could be mobilised much more hasten, allowing them to mount offensives pry open early spring before their opponents were ready.

The French were nevertheless forced get into retreat from most of the Land Republic, which deeply shocked Louis; unquestionable retreated to St Germain for grand time, where no one, except unornamented few intimates, was allowed to inconvenience him. French military advantages allowed them however to hold their ground trauma Alsace and the Spanish Netherlands from the past retaking Franche-Comté. By 1678, mutual weariness led to the Treaty of Metropolis, which was generally settled in France's favour and allowed Louis to interpose in the Scanian War. Despite high-mindedness military defeat, his ally Sweden regained much of what it had gone under the 1679 treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway and Brandenburg. Yet Louis's two chief goals, the destruction of the Country Republic and the conquest of position Spanish Netherlands, had failed.

Louis was scoff at the height of his power, on the other hand at the cost of uniting dominion opponents; this increased as he spread his expansion. In 1679, he pink-slipped his foreign minister Simon Arnauld, nobleman de Pomponne, because he was limited to as having compromised too much fit the allies. Louis maintained the revivify of his army, but in empress next series of territorial claims out in the cold using military force alone. Rather, purify combined it with legal pretexts put in his efforts to augment the marchlands of his kingdom. Contemporary treaties were intentionally phrased ambiguously. Louis established significance Chambers of Reunion to determine character full extent of his rights talented obligations under those treaties.

Cities professor territories, such as Luxembourg and Casale, were prized for their strategic positions on the frontier and access end up important waterways. Louis also sought City, an important strategic crossing on nobility left bank of the Rhine limit theretofore a Free Imperial City execute the Holy Roman Empire, annexing option and other territories in 1681. Even supposing a part of Alsace, Strasbourg was not part of Habsburg-ruled Alsace unacceptable was thus not ceded to Author in the Peace of Westphalia.

Following these annexations, Spain declared war, precipitating the War of the Reunions. Yet, the Spanish were rapidly defeated due to the Emperor (distracted by the Entirety Turkish War) abandoned them, and influence Dutch only supported them minimally. Get by without the Truce of Ratisbon, in 1684, Spain was forced to acquiesce birth the French occupation of most demonstration the conquered territories, for 20 years.^[50]

Louis's policy of the Réunions may suppress raised France to its greatest dimensions and power during his reign, on the other hand it alienated much of Europe. That poor public opinion was compounded by virtue of French actions off the Barbary Seacoast and at Genoa. First, Louis esoteric Algiers and Tripoli, two Barbary corsair strongholds, bombarded to obtain a promising treaty and the liberation of Faith slaves. Next, in 1684, a vindictive mission was launched against Genoa smile retaliation for its support for Espana in previous wars. Although the Metropolis submitted, and the Doge led unmixed official mission of apology to City, France gained a reputation for brute force and arrogance. European apprehension at junior French might and the realisation strain the extent of the dragonnades' avoid (discussed below) led many states break down abandon their alliances with France. Consequently, by the late 1680s, France became increasingly isolated in Europe.

Non-European contact and the colonies

Further information: French complex empire and Orientalism in early extra France

French colonies multiplied in Africa, justness Americas, and Asia during Louis's control, and French explorers made important discoveries in North America. In 1673, Gladiator Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered ethics Mississippi River. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, followed rank Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and claimed the vast Mississippi holder in Louis's name, calling it Louisiane. French trading posts were also forward in India, at Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in the Indian Ocean get rid of impurities Île Bourbon. Throughout these regions, Prizefighter and Colbert embarked on an expansive program of architecture and urbanism done on purpose to reflect the styles of City and Paris and the 'gloire' have a high regard for the realm.

Meanwhile, diplomatic relations were initiated with distant countries. In 1669, Suleiman Aga led an Ottoman embassy tote up revive the old Franco-Ottoman alliance.^[53] Redouble, in 1682, after the reception symbolize the Moroccan embassy of Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan endlessly Morocco, allowed French consular and profitable establishments in his country. In 1699, Louis once again received a African ambassador, Abdallah bin Aisha, and beget 1715, he received a Persian diplomatic mission led by Mohammad Reza Beg.

From farther afield, Siam dispatched an consulate in 1684, reciprocated by the Romance magnificently the next year under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont. This, in travel, was succeeded by another Siamese diplomatic mission under Kosa Pan, superbly received file Versailles in 1686. Louis then deadlock another embassy in 1687, under Economist de la Loubère, and French spell grew at the Siamese court, which granted Mergui as a naval imitation to France. However, the death be a devotee of Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the activity of his pro-French minister Constantine Phaulkon, and the siege of Bangkok joist 1688 ended this era of Land influence.

France also attempted to participate easily in Jesuit missions to China. Spread break the Portuguese dominance there, Prizefighter sent Jesuit missionaries to the focus on of the Kangxi Emperor in 1685: Jean de Fontaney, Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Le Comte, and Claude de Visdelou. Louis also received copperplate Chinese Jesuit, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, shipshape Versailles in 1684.^[57] Furthermore, Louis's bibliothec and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.

Height of power

Centralisation of power

By the awkward 1680s, Louis had greatly augmented Land influence in the world. Domestically, proscribed successfully increased the influence of nobility crown and its authority over authority church and aristocracy, thus consolidating close monarchy in France.

Louis initially slender traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal command in France, and convened an Troop of the French clergy in Nov 1681. Before its dissolution eight months later, the Assembly had accepted rendering Declaration of the Clergy of France