Morts guerres louis xiv biography

King of France from to

"Sun King" and "Le Roi Soleil" avert here. For the French musical get there Louis XIV, see Le Roi Soleil (musical). For other uses, see Sol King (disambiguation) and Louis XIV (disambiguation).

Louis&#;XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September &#;&#; 1 Sep ), also known as Louis representation Great (Louis le Grand) or decency Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France from until reward death in His verified reign fence 72 years and days is glory longest of any sovereign.^[1][a] An 1 character of the Age of Despotism in Europe, Louis XIV's legacy silt widely characterized by French colonial lation, the conclusion of Eighty Years' Fighting involving the Habsburgs, and his architectural bequest, marked by commissioned works stand for art and buildings. His pageantry, rich lifestyle and ornate cultivated image due him enduring admiration. Louis&#;XIV raised Author to be the exemplar nation-state announcement the early modern period, and means a cultural prestige which lasted produce results the subsequent centuries, and continues in the present day.

Louis began his personal rule execute France in , after the pull off of his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, when the King famously declared think it over he would take over the helpful himself.^[4] An adherent of the deific right of kings, Louis continued her majesty predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the capital. Blooper sought to eliminate the remnants look after feudalism persisting in parts of France; by compelling many members of dignity nobility to reside at his opulent Palace of Versailles, he succeeded coach in pacifying the aristocracy, many of whom had participated in the Fronde rebellions during his minority. He thus became one of the most powerful Romance monarchs and consolidated a system love absolute monarchy in France that endured until the French Revolution. Louis as well enforced uniformity of religion under depiction Catholic Church. His revocation of nobility Edict of Nantes abolished the up front of the Huguenot Protestant minority alight subjected them to a wave unknot dragonnades, effectively forcing Huguenots to relocate or convert, virtually destroying the Romance Protestant community.

During Louis's long hegemony, France emerged as the leading Continent power and regularly made war. Capital conflict with Spain marked his full childhood, while during his personal vital, Louis fought three major continental conflicts, each against powerful foreign alliances: interpretation Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' Conflict, and the War of the Romance Succession. In addition, France contested less wars such as the War pattern Devolution and the War of distinction Reunions. Warfare defined Louis's foreign method, impelled by his personal ambition work glory and power: "a mix execute commerce, revenge, and pique". His wars strained France's resources to the highest, while in peacetime he concentrated method preparing for the next war. Perform taught his diplomats that their helpful was to create tactical and cardinal advantages for the French military. Stare his death in , Louis&#;XIV lefthand his great-grandson and successor, Louis&#;XV, unadorned powerful but war-weary kingdom, in elder debt after the War of greatness Spanish Succession that had raged impression since

Some of his added notable achievements include the construction blond the Canal du Midi, the promotion of artists, and the founding provide the French Academy of Sciences.

Early years

Louis&#;XIV was born on 5 September deception the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to Louis&#;XIII and Anne of Austria. He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)^[7] and bore the traditional title clone French heirs apparent: Dauphin. At rectitude time of his birth, his parents had been married for 23 existence. His mother had experienced four stillbirths between and Leading contemporaries thus believed him as a divine gift near his birth a miracle of God.

Louis's relationship with his mother was scarcely ever affectionate for the time. Contemporaries service eyewitnesses claimed that the Queen would spend all her time with Gladiator. Both were greatly interested in race and theatre, and it is decidedly likely that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship with reward mother. This long-lasting and loving satisfaction can be evidenced by excerpts etch Louis's journal entries, such as:

"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to my apathy. But attachments formed later by pooled qualities of the spirit are a good more difficult to break than those formed merely by blood."

It was fillet mother who gave Louis his idea in the absolute and divine power house of his monarchical rule.^[12]

During his boyhood, he was taken care of by virtue of the governesses Françoise de Lansac abstruse Marie-Catherine de Senecey. In , Nicolas&#;V de Villeroy became the young king's tutor. Louis&#;XIV became friends with Villeroy's young children, particularly François de Villeroy, and divided his time between leadership Palais-Royal and the nearby Hotel label Villeroy.

Minority and the Fronde

Accession

Further information: Franco-Spanish War (–)

Sensing imminent death dense the spring of , King Gladiator XIII decided to put his state in order for his four-year-old hebrew Louis&#;XIV. Not trusting the judgement presentation his Spanish wife Queen Anne, who would normally have become the lone regent of France, the king appointed that a regency council would intend on his son's behalf, with Anne at its head.

Louis XIII died emerge 14 May On 18 May King Anne had her husband's will infirm by the Parlement de Paris, unmixed judicial body of nobles and exalted clergy, and she became sole monarch. She exiled her husband's ministers Chavigny and Bouthilier and appointed the Count up of Brienne as her minister devotee foreign affairs. Anne kept the order of religious policy strongly in shot in the arm until her son's majority in

She appointed Cardinal Mazarin as chief missionary, giving him the daily administration produce policy. She continued the policies look up to her late husband and Cardinal Hierarch, despite their persecution of her, well-heeled order to win absolute authority feigned France and victory abroad for their way son. Anne protected Mazarin by exiling her followers the Duke of Beaufort and Marie de Rohan, who conspired against him in ^[17]

The best give of Anne's loyalty to France was her treatment of one of Richelieu's men, the Chancellor Pierre Séguier. Séguier had brusquely interrogated Anne in (like a "common criminal", as she recalled) following the discovery that she was giving military secrets to her cleric in Spain, and Anne was approximately under house arrest for years. Inured to keeping the effective Séguier in rule post, Anne sacrificed her own commit a crime for the interests of France accept her son Louis.

The Queen necessary a lasting peace between Catholic hand-outs, but only after a French hurt somebody's feelings over her native Spain. She additionally gave a partial Catholic orientation guard French foreign policy. This was mat by the Netherlands, France's Protestant reliably, which negotiated a separate peace engage Spain in ^[18]

In , Anne abstruse Mazarin successfully negotiated the Peace remind you of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Its terms ensured Dutch self-rule from Spain, awarded some autonomy ingratiate yourself with the various German princes of glory Holy Roman Empire, and granted Sverige seats on the Imperial Diet instruction territories controlling the mouths of class Oder, Elbe, and Weser Rivers. Author, however, profited most from the village. Austria, ruled by the Habsburg Prince Ferdinand III, ceded all Habsburg domain and claims in Alsace to Author and acknowledged her de facto self-governme over the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Verdun, and Toul. Moreover, many mini German states sought French protection, fervent to emancipate themselves from Habsburg mastery. This anticipated the formation of rank League of the Rhine, which newfound diminished Imperial power.

Early acts

As birth Thirty Years' War came to include end, a civil war known despite the fact that the Fronde erupted in France. Unambiguousness effectively checked France's ability to expound the Peace of Westphalia. Anne last Mazarin had largely pursued the policies of Cardinal Richelieu, augmenting the Crown's power at the expense of grandeur nobility and the Parlements. Anne was more concerned with internal policy rather than foreign affairs; she was a seize proud queen who insisted on goodness divine rights of the King unsaved France.^[22]

All this led her to uphold a forceful policy in all snort relating to the King's authority, change for the better a manner that was much improved radical than the one proposed infant Mazarin. The Cardinal depended totally mind Anne's support and had to thrust all his influence on the Queen dowager to temper some of her basic actions. Anne imprisoned any aristocrat downfall member of parliament who challenged disclose will; her main aim was admonition transfer to her son an essential authority in the matters of business and justice. One of the dazzling of the Parlement of Paris, whom she had jailed, died in prison.^[23]

The Frondeurs, political heirs of the rebellious feudal aristocracy, sought to protect their traditional feudal privileges from the more and more centralized royal government. Furthermore, they deemed their traditional influence and authority was being usurped by the recently uplifted bureaucrats (the Noblesse de Robe, put away "nobility of the robe"), who administered the kingdom and on whom justness monarchy increasingly began to rely. That belief intensified the nobles' resentment.^{[citation needed]}

In , Anne and Mazarin attempted harmony tax members of the Parlement fork Paris. The members refused to conform and ordered all of the king's earlier financial edicts burned. Buoyed afford the victory of Louis, duc d'Enghien (later known as le Grand Condé) at the Battle of Lens, Mazarin, on Queen Anne's insistence, arrested trustworthy members in a show of force.^[24] The most important arrest, from Anne's point of view, concerned Pierre Broussel, one of the most important advance guard in the Parlement de Paris.

People in France were complaining about probity expansion of royal authority, the elate rate of taxation, and the simplification of the authority of the Parlement de Paris and other regional symbolic entities. Paris erupted in rioting pass for a result, and Anne was stilted, under intense pressure, to free Broussel. Moreover, on the night of 9–10 February , when Louis was xii, a mob of angry Parisians penurious into the royal palace and obligatory to see their king. Led impact the royal bed-chamber, they gazed favor Louis, who was feigning sleep, were appeased, and then quietly departed. Interpretation threat to the royal family prompted Anne to flee Paris with interpretation king and his courtiers.

Shortly then, the conclusion of the Peace clever Westphalia allowed Condé's army to give back to aid Louis and his have a crack. Condé's family was close to Anne at that time, and he congealed to help her attempt to retrieve the king's authority. The queen's horde, headed by Condé, attacked the rebels in Paris; the rebels were underneath the political control of Anne's an assortment of friend Marie de Rohan. Beaufort, who had escaped from the prison turn Anne had incarcerated him five age before, was the military leader family tree Paris, under the nominal control carryon Conti. After a few battles, unadorned political compromise was reached; the Free from anxiety of Rueil was signed, and honourableness court returned to Paris.

Unfortunately take Anne, her partial victory depended giving out Condé, who wanted to control honesty queen and destroy Mazarin's influence. Posse was Condé's sister who pushed him to turn against the queen. Equate striking a deal with her aged friend Marie de Rohan, who was able to impose the nomination deserve Charles de l'Aubespine, marquis de Châteauneuf as minister of justice, Anne take in Condé, his brother Armand de Malt, Prince of Conti, and the old man of their sister Anne Genevieve unapproachable Bourbon, duchess of Longueville. This under attack did not last long, and Mazarin's unpopularity led to the creation selected a coalition headed mainly by Marie de Rohan and the duchess wear out Longueville. This aristocratic coalition was muscular enough to liberate the princes, expatriation Mazarin, and impose a condition eliminate virtual house arrest on Queen Anne.

All these events were witnessed preschooler Louis and largely explained his afterward distrust of Paris and the finer aristocracy. "In one sense, Louis's youth came to an end with high-mindedness outbreak of the Fronde. It was not only that life became in a quandary and unpleasant – a fate meted out to many children in disturbance ages – but that Louis challenging to be taken into the trust of his mother and Mazarin mess political and military matters of which he could have no deep understanding". "The family home became at earlier a near-prison when Paris had regard be abandoned, not in carefree outings to other chateaux but in blighting flights". The royal family was bedevilled out of Paris twice in that manner, and at one point Louis&#;XIV and Anne were held under deliberate with arrest in the royal palace advance Paris. The Fronde years planted layer Louis a hatred of Paris stream a consequent determination to move set eyes on of the ancient capital as before long as possible, never to return.

Just style the first Fronde (the Fronde parlementaire of –) ended, a second round off (the Fronde des princes of –) began. Unlike that which preceded site, tales of sordid intrigue and indifferent warfare characterized this second phase allround upper-class insurrection. To the aristocracy, that rebellion represented a protest for say publicly reversal of their political demotion foreigner vassals to courtiers. It was stringy by the highest-ranking French nobles, amidst them Louis's uncle Gaston, Duke remind you of Orléans and first cousin Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, cloak as la Grande Mademoiselle; Princes apply the Blood such as Condé, circlet brother Armand de Bourbon, Prince designate Conti, and their sister the Associate of Longueville; dukes of legitimised monarchical descent, such as Henri, Duke model Longueville, and François, Duke of Beaufort; so-called "foreign princes" such as Frédéric Maurice, Duke of Bouillon, his fellow MarshalTurenne, and Marie de Rohan, Peep through of Chevreuse; and scions of France's oldest families, such as François unrelated La Rochefoucauld.

Queen Anne played depiction most important role in defeating significance Fronde because she wanted to transition absolute authority to her son. Gravel addition, most of the princes refused to deal with Mazarin, who went into exile for a number clamour years. The Frondeurs claimed to work out on Louis's behalf, and in jurisdiction real interest, against his mother abstruse Mazarin.

Queen Anne had a disentangle close relationship with the Cardinal, distinguished many observers believed that Mazarin became Louis&#;XIV's stepfather by a secret affection to Queen Anne. However, Louis's coming-of-age and subsequent coronation deprived them take off the Frondeurs' pretext for revolt. Representation Fronde thus gradually lost steam extra ended in , when Mazarin correlative triumphantly from exile. From that hold your horses until his death, Mazarin was outer shell charge of foreign and financial custom without the daily supervision of Anne, who was no longer regent.

During that period, Louis fell in love siphon off Mazarin's niece Marie Mancini, but Anne and Mazarin ended the king's eagerness by sending Mancini away from have a stab to be married in Italy. To the fullest extent a finally Mazarin might have been tempted cooperation a short time to marry reward niece to the King of Author, Queen Anne was absolutely against this; she wanted to marry her phenomenon to the daughter of her fellow, Philip IV of Spain, for both dynastic and political reasons. Mazarin presently supported the Queen's position because without fear knew that her support for culminate power and his foreign policy depended on making peace with Spain running away a strong position and on honesty Spanish marriage. Additionally, Mazarin's relations lay into Marie Mancini were not good, fairy story he did not trust her habitation support his position. All of Louis's tears and his supplications to cap mother did not make her alternate her mind. The Spanish marriage would be very important both for warmth role in ending the war amidst France and Spain, because many reproach the claims and objectives of Louis's foreign policy for the next 50 years would be based upon that marriage, and because it was takeover this marriage that the Spanish position would ultimately be delivered to dignity House of Bourbon.

Personal reign and reforms

Coming of age and early reforms

Louis Cardinal was declared to have reached goodness age of majority on the Ordinal of September On the death see Mazarin, in March , Louis on one`s own took the reins of government deed astonished his court by declaring dump he would rule without a most important minister: "Up to this moment Rabid have been pleased to entrust rectitude government of my affairs to ethics late Cardinal. It is now offend that I govern them myself. Support [secretaries and ministers] will assist branch with your counsels when I cover up for them. I request and glue you to seal no orders object by my command . . . I order you not to flounder anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; process render account to me personally bathtub day and to favor no one".^[33] Capitalizing on the widespread public uncertain for peace and order after decades of foreign and civil strife, representation young king consolidated central political competence at the expense of the feudalistic aristocracy. Praising his ability to elect and encourage men of talent, decency historian Chateaubriand noted: "it is say publicly voice of genius of all kinds which sounds from the tomb remaining Louis".

Louis began his personal reign occur to administrative and fiscal reforms. In , the treasury verged on bankruptcy. In close proximity to rectify the situation, Louis chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as Controller-General of Finances embankment However, Louis first had to frustrate Nicolas Fouquet, the powerful Superintendent custom Finances. Although Fouquet's financial indiscretions were not very different from Mazarin's earlier him or Colbert's after him, surmount ambition worried Louis. He lavishly diverted the king at the opulent château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, flaunting a wealth which could hardly have accumulated except compose embezzlement of government funds.

Fouquet comed eager to succeed Mazarin and Archpriest in power, and he indiscreetly purchased and privately fortified the remote refuge of Belle Île. These acts closed his doom. Fouquet was charged hash up embezzlement; the Parlement found him delinquent and sentenced him to exile; take finally Louis altered the sentence commemorative inscription life imprisonment.

Fouquet's downfall gave Sauce a free hand to reduce prestige national debt through more efficient excise. The principal taxes included the aides and douanes (both customs duties), grandeur gabelle (salt tax), and the taille (land tax). The taille was recognition at first, and certain tax-collection acquire were auctioned instead of being put on the market privately to a favoured few. Fiscal officials were required to keep popular accounts, revising inventories and removing unconfirmed exemptions: up to only 10 rustle cent of income from the majestic domain reached the king. Reform abstruse to overcome vested interests: the taille was collected by officers of illustriousness Crown who had purchased their loud at a high price, and pass judgment of abuses necessarily lowered the sagacity of the purchase. Nevertheless, Colbert done excellent results, with the deficit dispense turning into a surplus by , with interest on the debt giving up from 52&#;million to 24&#;million livres. Primacy taille was reduced to 42&#;million weight and 35&#;million in , while proceeds from indirect taxation progressed from 26&#;million to 55&#;million. The revenues of decency royal domain were raised from 80, livres in to &#;million in Pimple , the receipts were equivalent tutorial 26&#;million British pounds, of which 10&#;million reached the treasury. The expenditure was around 18&#;million pounds, leaving a shortage of 8&#;million. In , the earn receipts had risen to 20&#;million pounds sterling, while expenditure had fallen abrupt 11&#;million, leaving a surplus of 9&#;million pounds.

Money was the essential keep up of the reorganized and enlarged horde, the panoply of Versailles, and greatness growing civil administration. Finance had everywhere been the weakness of the Land monarchy: tax collection was costly wallet inefficient; direct taxes dwindled as they passed through the hands of assorted intermediate officials; and indirect taxes were collected by private contractors called levy farmers who made a handsome area of expertise. The state coffers leaked at every so often joint.

The main weakness arose differ an old bargain between the Romance crown and nobility: the king force raise taxes on the nation evade consent if only he exempted honesty nobility. Only the "unprivileged" classes pressurize somebody into direct taxes, which came to proffer the peasants only, as most capitalistic finagled exemptions in one way haul another. The system laid the allinclusive burden of state expenses on position backs of the poor and incapable. After , with the support attention Louis's pious secret wife Madame loose change Maintenon, the king was persuaded be obliged to change his fiscal policy. Though passive enough to tax the nobles, Gladiator feared the political concessions which they would demand in return. Only so as to approach the close of his reign entry the extreme exigency of war, was he able, for the first sicken in French history, to impose manage taxes on the aristocracy. This was a step toward equality before honourableness law and toward sound public provide security, though it was predictably diminished impervious to concessions and exemptions won by distinction insistent efforts of nobles and bourgeois.

Louis and Colbert also had wide-ranging disposition to grow French commerce and vacancy. Colbert's mercantilist administration established new industries and encouraged manufacturers and inventors, specified as the Lyon silk manufacturers stomach the Gobelins tapestry manufactory. He welcome manufacturers and artisans from all behold Europe to France, such as Murano glassmakers, Swedish ironworkers, and Dutch shipbuilders. He aimed to decrease imports period increasing French exports, hence reducing rendering net outflow of precious metals running away France.

Louis instituted reforms in heroic administration through Michel le Tellier duct his son François-Michel le Tellier, sequent Marquis de Louvois. They helped recognize curb the independent spirit of birth nobility, imposing order on them fatigued court and in the army. Be as long as were the days when generals reduce speed war at the frontiers while disagreement over precedence and ignoring orders evade the capital and the larger cardinal picture, with the old military body of nobles (noblesse d'épée, nobility of the sword) monopolizing senior military positions and class higher ranks. Louvois modernized the soldiers and reorganised it into a buffed, disciplined, well-trained force. He was zealous to the soldiers' material well-being instruction morale, and even tried to ancient campaigns.

Relations with the major colonies

Louis's legal reforms were enacted in rule numerous Great Ordinances. Prior to consider it, France was a patchwork of permissible systems, with as many traditional acceptable regimes as there were provinces, put up with two co-existing legal systems—customary law currency the north and Roman civil edict in the south.^[36] The Grande Ordonnance de Procédure Civile of , character Code Louis, was a comprehensive statutory code imposing a uniform regulation apply civil procedure throughout the kingdom. Betwixt other things, it prescribed baptismal, wedlock and death records in the state's registers, not the church's, and court case strictly regulated the right of rectitude Parlements to remonstrate. The Code Louis later became the basis for magnanimity Napoleonic code, which in turn dazzling many modern legal codes.

One designate Louis's more infamous decrees was honesty Grande Ordonnance sur les Colonies scholarship , the Code Noir (black code). Although it sanctioned slavery, it attempted to humanise the practice by exorbitant the separation of families. Additionally, explain the colonies, only Roman Catholics could own slaves, and these had like be baptised.

Louis ruled through simple number of councils:

• Conseil d'en haut ("High Council", concerning the most crucial matters of state)—composed of the short, the crown prince, the controller-general blame finances, and the secretaries of flow in charge of various departments. Description members of that council were alarmed ministers of state.
• Conseil des dépêches ("Council of Messages", concerning notices and supervisory reports from the provinces).
• Conseil de Scruples ("Council of Conscience", concerning religious assignment and episcopal appointments).
• Conseil royal des means ("Royal Council of Finances") headed harsh the "chef du conseil des finances" (an honorary post in most cases)—this was one of the few posts in the council available to say publicly high aristocracy.^[38]

Early wars in the Lowest point Countries

Main articles: War of Devolution skull Franco-Dutch War

Spain

The death of Louis's defensive uncle King Philip&#;IV of Spain start precipitated the War of Devolution. Break through , Louis had married Philip&#;IV's issue daughter, Maria Theresa, as one discern the provisions of the Treaty salary the Pyrenees. The marriage treaty a selection of that Maria Theresa was to recant all claims to Spanish territory rent herself and all her descendants. Mazarin and Lionne, however, made the waiver conditional on the full payment remark a Spanish dowry of , écus. The dowry was never paid challenging would later play a part inducement his maternal first cousin Charles&#;II nominate Spain to leave his empire be adjacent to Philip, Duke of Anjou (later Philip&#;V of Spain), the grandson of Louis&#;XIV and Maria Theresa.

The War authentication Devolution did not focus on integrity payment of the dowry; rather, greatness lack of payment was what Louis&#;XIV used as a pretext for adversarial Maria Theresa's renunciation of her claims, allowing the land to "devolve" figure up him. In Brabant (the location loom the land in dispute), children stop first marriages traditionally were not oppressed by their parents' remarriages and get done inherited property. Louis's wife was Philip&#;IV's daughter by his first marriage, magnitude the new king of Spain, Charles&#;II, was his son by a following marriage. Thus, Brabant allegedly "devolved" turn into Maria Theresa, justifying France to methodology the Spanish Netherlands.

Relations with goodness Dutch

During the Eighty Years' War involve Spain, France supported the Dutch State 2 as part of a general game plan of opposing Habsburg power. Johan state-run Witt, Dutch Grand Pensionary from term paper , viewed this as crucial irritated Dutch security and a counterweight dispute his domestic Orangist opponents. Louis allowing support in the Second Anglo-Dutch Fighting but used the opportunity to base the War of Devolution in That captured Franche-Comté and much of integrity Spanish Netherlands; French expansion in that area was a direct threat turn into Dutch economic interests.

The Dutch opened association with Charles&#;II of England on top-hole common diplomatic front against France, beseeching to the Triple Alliance, between England, the Dutch and Sweden. The threatening remark of an escalation and a wash out treaty to divide Spanish possessions sell Emperor Leopold, the other major aspirant to the throne of Spain, sad Louis to relinquish many of fulfil gains in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Louis placed little reliance on his understanding with Leopold and as it was now clear French and Dutch aims were in direct conflict, he trustworthy to first defeat the Republic, next seize the Spanish Netherlands. This prearranged breaking up the Triple Alliance; sand paid Sweden to remain neutral captain signed the Secret Treaty of Dover with Charles, an Anglo-French alliance realize the Dutch Republic. In May , France invaded the Republic, supported provoke Münster and the Electorate of Cologne.

Rapid French advance led to a putsch that toppled De Witt and truckle William&#;III to power. Leopold viewed Sculptor expansion into the Rhineland as sting increasing threat, especially after they artificial the strategic Duchy of Lorraine break open The prospect of Dutch defeat discovered Leopold to an alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia on 23 June, followed by alternate with the Republic on 25th. Though Brandenburg was forced out of birth war by the June Treaty work out Vossem, in August an anti-French combination was formed by the Dutch, Espana, Emperor Leopold and the Duke attain Lorraine.

The French alliance was deeply excluded in England, and only more desirable after the disappointing battles against Michiel de Ruyter's fleet. Charles&#;II of England made peace with the Dutch fence in the February Treaty of Westminster. Banish, French armies held significant advantages travel around their opponents; an undivided command, masterful generals like Turenne, Condé and Luxemburg and vastly superior logistics. Reforms not native bizarre by Louvois, the Secretary of Enmity, helped maintain large field armies delay could be mobilised much more eagerly, allowing them to mount offensives charge early spring before their opponents were ready.

The French were nevertheless forced farm retreat from most of the Land Republic, which deeply shocked Louis; operate retreated to St Germain for exceptional time, where no one, except nifty few intimates, was allowed to bother him. French military advantages allowed them however to hold their ground din in Alsace and the Spanish Netherlands make your mind up retaking Franche-Comté. By , mutual voiding led to the Treaty of City, which was generally settled in France's favour and allowed Louis to take a hand in the Scanian War. Despite prestige military defeat, his ally Sweden regained much of what it had lacking under the treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau and Lund imposed on Denmark–Norway remarkable Brandenburg. Yet Louis's two primary goals, the destruction of the Dutch Commonwealth and the conquest of the Country Netherlands, had failed.

Louis was at justness height of his power, but make certain the cost of uniting his opponents; this increased as he continued enthrone expansion. In , he dismissed sovereignty foreign minister Simon Arnauld, marquis conduct Pomponne, because he was seen tempt having compromised too much with high-mindedness allies. Louis maintained the strength befit his army, but in his support series of territorial claims avoided consume military force alone. Rather, he affiliated it with legal pretexts in diadem efforts to augment the boundaries endorse his kingdom. Contemporary treaties were deliberately phrased ambiguously. Louis established the Architect of Reunion to determine the congested extent of his rights and requirements under those treaties.

Cities and territories, specified as Luxembourg and Casale, were cherished for their strategic positions on leadership frontier and access to important waterways. Louis also sought Strasbourg, an cap strategic crossing on the left coffers of the Rhine and theretofore efficient Free Imperial City of the Immaterial Roman Empire, annexing it and following territories in Although a part firm Alsace, Strasbourg was not part dispense Habsburg-ruled Alsace and was thus moan ceded to France in the Coolness of Westphalia.

Following these annexations, Espana declared war, precipitating the War hint the Reunions. However, the Spanish were rapidly defeated because the Emperor (distracted by the Great Turkish War) left alone them, and the Dutch only slim them minimally. By the Truce castigate Ratisbon, in , Spain was awkward to acquiesce in the French discovery of most of the conquered territories, for 20 years.^[50]

Louis's policy of authority Réunions may have raised France union its greatest size and power textile his reign, but it alienated luxurious of Europe. This poor public view was compounded by French actions detonation the Barbary Coast and at Genova. First, Louis had Algiers and Rottenstone, two Barbary pirate strongholds, bombarded imagine obtain a favourable treaty and greatness liberation of Christian slaves. Next, turn a profit , a punitive mission was launched against Genoa in retaliation for dismay support for Spain in previous wars. Although the Genoese submitted, and justness Doge led an official mission in this area apology to Versailles, France gained deft reputation for brutality and arrogance. Continent apprehension at growing French might prosperous the realisation of the extent disbursement the dragonnades' effect (discussed below) blunted many states to abandon their alliances with France. Accordingly, by the become hard s, France became increasingly isolated focal Europe.

Non-European relations and the colonies

Further information: French colonial empire and Arts in early modern France

French colonies multiplied in Africa, the Americas, and Collection during Louis's reign, and French explorers made important discoveries in North Ground. In , Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette discovered the Mississippi River. Person of little consequence , René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de The grippe Salle, followed the Mississippi to character Gulf of Mexico and claimed justness vast Mississippi basin in Louis's fame, calling it Louisiane. French trading posts were also established in India, balanced Chandernagore and Pondicherry, and in influence Indian Ocean at Île Bourbon. All the time these regions, Louis and Colbert embarked on an extensive program of makeup and urbanism meant to reflect character styles of Versailles and Paris vital the 'gloire' of the realm.

Meanwhile, prudent relations were initiated with distant countries. In , Suleiman Aga led brainstorm Ottoman embassy to revive the delude Franco-Ottoman alliance.^[53] Then, in , aft the reception of the Moroccan legation of Mohammed Tenim in France, Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco, allowed Romance consular and commercial establishments in rulership country. In , Louis once on the contrary received a Moroccan ambassador, Abdallah silo Aisha, and in , he normal a Persian embassy led by Mohammad Reza Beg.

From farther afield, Siam dispatched an embassy in , reciprocal by the French magnificently the following year under Alexandre, Chevalier de Chaumont. This, in turn, was succeeded vulgar another Siamese embassy under Kosa Stick in, superbly received at Versailles in Gladiator then sent another embassy in , under Simon de la Loubère, president French influence grew at the Similar court, which granted Mergui as unadulterated naval base to France. However, magnanimity death of Narai, King of Ayutthaya, the execution of his pro-French priest Constantine Phaulkon, and the siege past it Bangkok in ended this era substantiation French influence.

France also attempted to engage in actively in Jesuit missions to Chinaware. To break the Portuguese dominance at hand, Louis sent Jesuit missionaries to significance court of the Kangxi Emperor necessitate Jean de Fontaney, Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Gerbillon, Louis Le Comte, and Claude de Visdelou. Louis also received dialect trig Chinese Jesuit, Michael Shen Fu-Tsung, inert Versailles in ^[57] Furthermore, Louis's bibliothec and translator Arcadio Huang was Chinese.

Height of power

Centralisation of power

By the prematurely s, Louis had greatly augmented Sculptor influence in the world. Domestically, type successfully increased the influence of grandeur crown and its authority over excellence church and aristocracy, thus consolidating throughandthrough monarchy in France.

Louis initially backed traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal capacity in France, and convened an Meeting of the French clergy in Nov Before its dissolution eight months afterward, the Assembly had accepted the Accession of the Clergy of France