The Sun King

King Louis XIV of France

Your TaskYour Task• Pay attention to the power point and the

lecture• Raise hand to ask questions, when

appropriate• Add to your BuzzWord notes, when

necessary• At the end answer the two questions:

– What is the significance of Louis XIV’s nickname, “The Sun King”?

– In a well developed paragraph, explain how Louis XIV was an absolute monarch. Cite specific examples.

Louis XIV ruled France from 1643 to

1715• Royal robes• Sword on hip• Wig• Luxurious fabrics• Shoes with heals (to

add height = power)• Extravagant

surroundings• Powerful pose

The Early Years• Member of the

House of Bourbon • Took the throne at

age 5• Chief minister,

Cardinal Mazarin, held actual power (as Cardinal Richelieu had for his father, Louis XIII)

• Age 23, Mazarin dies, Louis begins to govern personally

“Louis Quatorze”• Believed in “absolute

monarchy” – all power comes from God, kings are God’s representatives on earth, therefore royal power is absolute

• Ruled by divine right• “L’etat, c’est moi” – “I am

the State”• Minister of finance, Jean

Baptiste Colbert, worked hard to raise the money needed for all of Louis XIV’s projects

“Peace at Home; War Abroad”

• His government supervised military recruiting, training, supplies, and promotions

• Enlarged the army 4 times it’s original size

• Practiced mercantilism in the colonies

• Felt unified religion was key to a unified people

• Canceled the Edict of Nantes in 1685

• Encouraged art, particularly Baroque style (dramatic, grand, ornate, emotional, encouraged by the Church)

• Neoclassical (simple, direct, sharp colors) popular in paintings an literature of the time

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

• Royal residence• Hundreds of rooms• Detailed landscapes• Symbol of absolute monarchy• Elaborate ceremonies (waking,

dressing, each meal, etc) attended by nobility

• very expensive to build – drained treasuries

Palace of Versailles

Balance of Power• Each nation tried to

increase it’s own power though foreign policy to prevent any one nation from gaining too much power

• Concerned with the power of the Hapsburgs

• Wars against the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire

• Lost War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713)– opposed the transfer of

French controlled territories– Louis grandson was allowed

to be Spain’s king, but the 2 countries were not allowed to merge

Your TaskYour TaskAnswer these two questions:

–What is the significance of Louis XIV’s nickname, “The Sun King”?

–In a well developed paragraph, explain how Louis XIV was an absolute monarch. Cite specific examples.