Palace Of Versailles Essay

Palace Of Versailles Essay
12/12/2016
Gabrielle Okun
Versailles: Louis XIV's Political Masterpiece
The Palace of Versailles is an architectural masterpiece due to the Baroque influences that give it a larger than life theatrical flair. Versailles is
intriguing due to the complex history into the building of it and the multidimensional designs of the palace, gardens, and town. Louis XIV's
building of Versailles Palace utilizes Baroque aesthetics to legitimize the absolute power of royalty. While the central style of Versailles originates
from Louis XIV, there were many people that collaborated on the construction. One can examine the difference in personalities of the royal family
the Bourbons. Louis XIV's father Louis XIII used Versailles as a small getaway where he could hunt peacefully outside of Paris. His son used
Versailles as a way to reflect his character, power, and wealth. However, others believe that the true reason he left Paris was to have time away and
out of the public eye with his mistresses.1 Regardless of the rationale, in 1661 he ordered the reconstruction of the exterior and interior of Versailles.2
The palace of Versaillessimply originated from an old hunting lodge belonging to his father, in the small village of Versailles. Marin writes that,...show
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Le Brun depicted both the wars that Louis XIV had fought and won by this date."21 One of the most provocative paintings is "The tableau of Louis
leading the French crossing of the 1672 sums up the bombastic approach. Hair streaming, dressed in Roman style and holding a thunderbolt like a
projectile, Louis sits godlike on a silver chariot pushed by Hercules while riding roughshod over female personifications of nearby enemy towns.22
This painting emphasizes how Louis wanted to be remembered as a deistic force. While the painting alludes to classicism, Louis XIV wanted the
captions to be written in french so that he could communicate with
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The Legacy Of Louis XIV And The Sun King
History remembers Louis XIV as a great patron of the arts, for his work as ballet dancer and for his relationship with artists like Moliere. History
also remembers him for his political savvy, his ability to consolidate his power and pioneer political absolutism; however, often, history fails to
recognize the essential linkage between these two seemingly distinct worlds that Louis inhabited, the artistic and the political. In fact, Louis'
experiences growing up taught him both the inherent adoration and worship given to the French king and the consequences if he did not fully exploit
that power but rather allowed it to become diluted. As he came of age and fully took on the role of the king, Louis harnessed the divinity and clout of
his position to consolidate his power by expertly playing the role of the king––as if he were an actor upon a stage––and then by using spectacle and
theatricality to not only reinforce that role but also to diminish the power of his nobles. Louis XIV's legacy is that of le roi du soleil––the Sun King.
Even hundreds of years later, history memorializes him through this epic mythological lens. During Louis' reign, heliocentrism had finally come into
favor, so his epithet of the Sun King placed him literally at the center of the entire universe in both an astrological and spiritual sense. This exalted
status worked directly with the traditional divinity of French kings to glorify Louis XIV. In fact, when he was born, before he was ever the Sun

Louis Xiv Civil War
When Louis XIV was almost ten years old, the Parliament of Paris decided to attempt to overthrow the chief minister, Mansarin. A civil war began, the
Fonde, against the supporters. throughout this strung out civil war, Louis XIV was troubled with poverty and starvation. After intense fighting, Louis
XIV was relieved when Manzarin attained

The Reign Of King Louis Xiv
The Reign of King Louis XIV
Louis XIV had a passion for glory and used it to fight four wars because he was motivated by personal and dynastic considerations.
King Louis XIV was born in 1638. He became king at age four, and received only a mediocre education. He was taught nothing beyond pious works
and decorous behavior at religious observances. He came into full power of France in 1661. Louis married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1659. When
Mazarin died in 1661, Louis decided he didn't want a powerful advisor and then started to change history. Louis had the longest reign in European
history of 73 years.
King Louis XIV distrusted the Protestants and everything they stood for. Because of that, he revoked the Edict of Nantes and...show more content...
Louis XIV was charitable. He did open a veterans' hospital in 1670 to house ex–soldiers. He opened academies for dance, inscriptions, sciences,
architecture and music. These academies set standards for taste. He annexed valuable land such as Flanders and Franche–Comte. Louis' decision to
suppress the Protestant religion can be seen as a political move to join France under one religion and to build national unity.
Louis became unpopular because he was so sure of himself. He felt that everyone should revolve around him, so he took the sun as his image,
because they had just discovered that the world revolved around the sun. He persecuted Protestants. He also used bribery. King Louis XIV forced
Protestants to pay extra taxes and forced the people who kept the Protestant religion to house soldiers whenever they were in town. He taxed the
Protestants because they chose to believe in something different then his beliefs. Louis threw out the Edict of Nantes because it gave people the
freedom to choose their own religion and he believed that people should have only one religion, Catholicism. This act took away the people's right to
freedom of religion.
He increased tax levels by three times which caused everyone to struggle; the peasants could barely pay and the middle class was angered at having to
pay. Although he started a veterans' hospital the real reason he started it was to keep the ex–solders from causing disturbance in

The Fronde: King Louis XIV
After Cardinal Mazarin's death Louis XIV became the king at age twenty–three. When he was only five–years old, the Fronde took place. This conflict
left a mark in the young king's life.
To began with, the factor that pushed Louis XIV to push his belief of "one king, one law, and one faith" was the Fronde. The Fronde was a
twelve–year civil war between the monarchy and the nobles who were fed up with their treatment under Louis XIII. After this war ended, young
Louis XIV claimed, "I will never be a straw king." By this he meant that he will become a strong leader and find out ways to control the nobles.
Furthermore, Louis succeeds in establishing himself as "one king" by spending his money on his palace, Versailles, where he orders the nobles...show
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He also achieved his belief of "one law". He achieved it by ruling as an absolute monarch and by believing in the statement "L'etat c'est moi". This
meant that "I am the state". To put his beliefs into action and make sure that he had central power, Louis XIV established a standing army, appointed
trained bureaucrats, and used intendants. The standing army was trained and equipped for all crisis situations. The trained bureaucrats were trained
officials that worked in all levels of the government and who were appointed to their positions. The bureaucrats collected taxes, enforced laws, and
administered justice. The intendants were royal commissioners made up of middle class. They had many jobs. The intendants had to collect taxes,
recruit men for the army, administer justice, and regulate economic activities. They also have to prevent abuses from the sale of royal offices,
employ arts and the primary press to defend the king's actions, and indoctrinate people in the meaning of raison d'etat. Raison d'etat means that all
actions on the part of subjects are first to be used to further the safety, economic power, and overall well being of the state. All other consideration is
secondary. All of these people had to report to him on a regular basis. Finally, Louis wanted

Louis Xiv: a Machiavellian Ruler? Essays
Louis XIV: A Machiavellian Ruler? Louis XIV followed many Machiavellian teachings but conspicuously disregarded others, due to some of his
fiscal policies (or lack of them) and personal tendencies. Louis XIV is the longest reigning monarch in European history, and during his impressive
reign, France enjoyed a Golden Age of arts and commerce. He expanded its territories and shifted the balance of power to France becoming one of the
most powerful European countries in the 17th century. Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that it was better to be considered miserly than generous with
one's finances as a monarch. This was a prime example in which Louis XIV demonstrated himself an Un–Machiavellian ruler. Machiavelli said that
being generous would...show more content...
This further alienated him and caused contempt from a lot of people. When he said the phrase "One king, one law, one faith" he meant it. He tried
to standardize his nation's laws in all parts of the country, using the Intendant system, as was already mentioned. He also modernized the army,
which can be perceived as a good thing but this was mainly to fight his many wars, earning him hatred from his subjects. During his later years,
when Colbert died and the economy began to decline, he was forced to increase taxes and sell government offices again; this also contributed to
some enmity from the masses. Machiavelli said that it was necessary to be a lion: a strong ruler; and a fox: clever and capable of protecting himself
from traps. Louis XIV was a lion in that he was very expansionism–oriented and belligerent in his foreign policies. He wished to extend France to "its
natural boundaries" and conflicted with almost every country in Europe to do so. For example, working from a loose connection through his wife,
Maria Theresa of Spain, to claim the Spanish crown he used her as an excuse to invade the Spanish Netherlands. He would also use his wife's
genealogy to claim the Spanish throne in The War of the Spanish Succession, thereby setting the whole continent against him. He showed himself to be
a lion when he split

Louis Xiv Foreign Policy
'Louis XIV's foreign policy was entirely driven by his personal quest for gloire'. To what extent do you consider this statement to be true? Upon the
coronation of Louis XIV on the 7th of June 1654, Mazarin informed Louis in fatherly tones that "It is up to you to become the most glorious king
that has ever been". Although Louis' personal reign did not truly begin until 1661, he took this advice to heart and for the early part of his reign his
foreign policy was almost entirely based upon his desire to become a renowned warrior king and win honour for himself and his kingdom. After 1674
and the withdrawal of French troops from Dutch soil, however, Louis seemed to mellow and become less hot–blooded, with security being the
dominant factor...show more content...
Having said all this, neither the religious nor the economic motives can be completely disregarded as they did occasionally influence Louis'
foreign policy. More than anything, certainly for the first part of Louis' reign at least, it was the pursuit of 'gloire' that drove Louis in his foreign
policy. When Louis was asked to justify his attack on the Dutch in 1672 Louis replied, "I shall not attempt to justify myself. Ambition and glory
are always pardonable in a Prince." Historian Joel Cornette argues convincingly that it was more than just a factor in his foreign policy; it was a
fundamental attribute of Louis' sovereignty. War justified his regal authority and defined the relationship between the King and the nobility, so in
his view unless he portrayed himself as a warrior King, he was not King at all. Both the war of Devolution and the Dutch war were wars of gloire
and little else; John Lynn argues that this view is supported by the fact that Louis was the instigator of both wars as he made the first aggressive
moves. On both occasions, he led the army personally, in order to maximize the glory potential of each war, as if harking back to an Alexandrian time
when rulers charged into the fray, leading from the front. Moreover, Louis brought members of the court, his wife and his children along on numerous
campaigns, perhaps in an attempt to appear all the more

The Absolutism Of King Louis XIV Essay
Louis XIV, the ruler of France from the late seventeenth century to the early eighteenth century, claimed, "I am the state." He considered this to be
absolutism. His goal, also acquainted with absolutism, was, "one king, one law, one faith;" Furthermore, Louis wanted to promote religious unity,
royal dignity, and security of the state. In order to achieve this goal, he had to rule with a firm hand, laying down the law for all to see. Louis XIV's
absolutism fostered in four major parts: the building of Versailles to control the nobility, the breeding of a strong military, the improvement of France's
economy, and, while quite harsh, the brutal extinction of religious toleration. After the occurrence of the Fronde, an open rebellion of...show more
content...
In 1685, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes and put the Edict of Fontainebleau in its place. Because of this document, all religious toleration for
Huguenots (previously allowed by the Edict of Nantes) was no longer allowed, leaving them with two options: convert to Catholicism or leave France.
Through this law, Louis achieved national religious unity. In 1661 Louis appointed Jean–Baptiste Colbert as controller general of finances. This proved
to be very successful in adding to the increase of France's economy, and it helped Louis achieve his second goal of having "one law." Colbert's ideas
were similar to that of mercantilism. He insisted on having an economic system that would make France a self–sufficient powerful country where they
exported more than they imported. He improved France's economy through the invention of a merchant marine fleet, the support of industries, the
control of tariffs on French goods, and the collection of taxes. All of these gained money for France, which led to the creation of a powerful army.
Due to a powerful army, France was able to secure its natural frontiers, even in the North East, which was France's weakest natural border. While Louis
claimed a flaw of his was that, "I loved war too much," he was able to make a strong French presence in Europe, adding to his idea of "one law." Louis
XIV was successful in achieving "one king, one law, one faith." He was able to

Louis XIV, The Sun God
All That Glitters is Not Gold Louis XIV, also known an The Sun God, was the King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. 1His reign as
ruler lasted for more than 72 years and even today it is considered as the longest reign of any monarch in European history. During his tenure as
ruler, King Louie XIV established France as the most powerful country in Europe, as he maintained a very strong economy and played a significant
role in influencing the politics of other European countries. Besides its usage in worldwide diplomacy, he also helped establish the French language
in becoming the most widely used language in many subjects such as science and literature. The Sun God was known to be a very popular arts
enthusiast and under his patronage, he commissioned and funded many artists whose works went on to become very famous and influential. One
example includes his commissioning of the legendary Palace of Versailles located in Paris. Due to the contributions made by Louis XIV, people in
the 17th century viewed France as the same way people all around the world today view the United States, a major superpower. After his death, Louis
XIV was succeeded by his great–grandson Louis XV, who was just 5 years old at the time. 2Louis XV, also known as Louis the Well Beloved, was
ruler of France from 1715 to 1774 and like his great–grandfather, he also made great advancements in the field of art as he introduced the Rococo style
to Europe. This new elegant and decorative style

Pros And Cons Of King Louis Xiv
Recent news has shown that King Louis XIV's money was from taxing and exploiting the lower classes. France's economy is doing terrible and
France is almost bankrupt. Talk about revolution can be heard from commoners and it is very possible. Many people are openly expressing their
issues with the government, even going as far as to riot. These moments of free speech are being led by Philosophers. The Philosophes feel that the
French government is backwards and there's not enough free speech. Many of them highly support the English government as their revolution was
successful. The Royal Court has even split into two groups. Supporters of the king who want economic changes are against the ideas of those who
support Marie Antoinette that want

Characteristics Of Louis Xiv
During his 72 year reign, Louis XIV said, "L'etat c'est moi," (Packet 246) which translates to, "The state is me." Louis XIV believed himself to be
a Divine Right Monarch, who had his authority given to him by the grace of God. Because he thought this way, he believed that he held all of the
power in the state and no one else could refute this position, as to do so would be to go against God. As his power often went unchallenged,
taxation became selective for the people of the upper classes, who got to choose when and if they paid. The selective taxation placed the blame on
the third class, or estate, which are the working class. The working class, who made up the majority of the population, bore the weight of the taxes as
the upper estates did not pay as much as they should. Part of the working class were the Huguenots, who constantly endured hardships strictly for their
religion. But, despite all of the conflict in France, French culture was still valued as being one of the finest cultures in Europe during the time period.
At the time, many people from across the globe used French as the language of business. The overwhelming amount of French culture in the world
lead Louis XIV to be considered "The Sun King". Despite the amount of praise delivered unto Louis, he tried his best to be a decent ruler and it
ultimately failed, no matter his intentions and hurt France in the end. Louis XIV considered himself to be a "Divine Right" monarch, which meant that
Louis XIV believed

Louis XIV Essay
Louis XIV (1638–1715) Although Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great, brought death and destruction through his wars, there are many
positive aspects of his reign, such as the creation of Versailles and the building of France's national army. He did what had never been done before.
He changed the lifestyle and the attitude of France by creating one of the most powerful monarchies ever to be built and at the same time, reassured
all the nobility and other wealthy groups of their political and social standings. He made it clear that he was the final decision maker yet he still
needed the help of the nobility and other authorities. Louis XIV was born on September 5, 1638 in a little town called Saint–Germain–en–Laye of
France. He...show more content...
In 1660, Louis married Marie–Theresa of Austria, the daughter of the King of Spain, in order to keep peace between France and Spain. Louis'
childhood had come to an end and now it was time to take control. This was something that no one believed Louis XIV was capable of. Cardinal
Marazin died on March 9, 1661. This was a turning point in Louis' life. Louis announced that he was going to take on full responsibility for the
ruling of the kingdom. This shows an example of how Louis did not follow tradition. This marked the end of the power of the French nobility.
There was no longer going to be a chief minister. Louis wanted to deal with the nobles directly. He had a new way of dictatorship, which Louis
claimed was by divine right. Louis XIV viewed himself as a representative of God and considered all rebellion and disobedience sinful. He believed
that he had the right to dictate because he was put on Earth by God to rule. Another thing that Louis changed was the appearance and way of life of
France. These great towns of France went under a sort of "metamorphosis". The landscape was altered and monuments were built everywhere. Louis
decided that he wanted to isolate the center of government from the city of Paris, so he constructed the palace of Versailles. It was an object of
universal admiration and enhanced French prestige. It became Louis' permanent address in 1682 and was also the home to thousands of the more
important nobles, royal officials, and

Louis XIV: Absolute Monarchist Essay
An absolute monarch is a ruler by divine right who has control over every portion of his kingdom. The most famous absolute monarch, Louis XIV,
had the longest reign of any of the French kings. Louis achieved this as a result of his reformed laws, foreign policy, a smart economic advisor, and
his decision to deny power to the nobility. Although some of these ideas could be viewed as having a negative impacting on France, overall Louis
XIV's absolute government was beneficial to the development of his country.
By restructuring France's laws into one standard legal code Louis gained public support, by showing that he was a fair leader. "The Code", as Louis
labeled it, was applicable to everyone (except Louis,...show more content...
These new borders allowed the French civilians to feel more secure in their homes, and generated more tax revenue from the newly acquired citizens.
These factors, in combination with harvesting new natural resources from newly acquired land, provided a greater benefit for France than the
alternative, that is to sit at home waiting to be attacked.
Another way Louis gained support from his people which positively benefited France was by improving the financial status of France. Louis hired
Jean–Baptiste Colbert, a Swiss banker, to reform France's financial situation. By seeking out people who avoided their taxes (for example, people
posing as nobles) and reorganizing the tax collection system (Before Colbert the majority of collected tax never even made it to the treasury), Colbert
was able to reduce the loses of the treasury by 30,000,000 liras. This, in conjunction with stimulating the economy by reducing taxes, allowing
monopolies, and encouraging immigration of skilled workers, boosted the worth of the French economy, and had a positive influence on the country as
a whole.
During the reign of Louis XIV, France's stability and success was threatened by the power of the nobility. When Louis looked back at the Fronde, a
nobility revolt that occurred during his childhood, he realized the thirst

Louis XIV Essay examples
Louis XIV
After being ruled by a prime minister for so long, France needed some changes. That is exactly what Louis the XIV would bring to France. In an
age of separation, Louis wanted to start a unification process. He started this by giving himself sole power and also only having one religion for the
country. The king is always the center of attention good or bad. Louis was prepared to take the good with the bad, and handled it well. He emphasized
the king as the center of attention. While some see him as egotistical and greedy, Louis was one king who knew how to make improvements.
At four years and eight months, Louis XIV became King. His mother, Anne ofAustria, ruled until he could take the...show more content...
Many think he left France worse off than it started because of the way he left the treasury. It was thought that he spent the money only on himself,
leaving the peasants with no money. It is also said that he spent the money on building his residences (Versailles and Marly) and supporting his
luxurious lifestyle. Another argument brought up is how he was so egotistical. One reason for his being egotistical was the fact that he was
thought of as "God Given" because the court was hoping that Louis XIII would have a child before he died. People talk about how he compared
himself to the sun. As ruler Louis, thought of himself as the sun, which meant he was the center of the kingdom and his subjects rotated around
him. Some see this as incredibly egotistical and thought that made him less of a ruler. One aspect of his being the sun was the fact that his
bedroom was placed in the middle of the castle; he was always center of attention, as the sun would be. The other reason people think he was a
negative influence on France was the fact that as soon as the last Prime minister died, Louis made himself the ruler. He decided to make all the
decisions by himself, with no help. Some think this was a bad idea because he had no previous ruling experience by himself. These same people were
angered when Louis re–established Catholicism, nullifying the Edict of Nantes. Some of the people of

Essay about Louis Xiv and Absolutism
A symbol of French Absolutism
Louis XIV was one of France's most effective and powerful monarchs. He strengthened his rule with a policy of absolutism. Where the king gained
authority directly from God or the divine right to rule. There were no legal limits to the powers that the king could exercise, however, during his rule a
monarch had certain influential groups of people who the king needed to negotiate and consult in order to establish an effective functioning
government. Among these groups where the land owning nobility, royal officer nobles, the royal commissioners, the Catholic Church, the bourgeoisie
and the peasants. More notably seen the King Louis XIV is regarded as the "sun king" because of the great grandeur he...show more content...
First examining the past nine year to see that even though taxes were lowered he claims revenues have increased due to improved collection
strategies(page,92). Colbert tells the king that he feels that the current ratio of taxation to the amount of money in circulation is too high. Therefore, he
suggests the king do one of two things. Either decrease amount of tax and expenditures or to put more money into circulation in the realm. Colbert's
goal in the memorandum was to incite the king to introduce measures to promote economic development in France and to do so urging him to cut
down the amount of money spent on war that is draining the wealth. This memorandum shows the juxtaposition of having a king in power who
believed in extending his glory through warfare and later on the palace of Versailles. Therefore, much of Colbert's suggestions were never
implemented or he was even unable to achieve what he hoped they did. To further exasperate this tension between Colbert and the king who had
opposing views on economic policy their was a major flaw in the king's taxation policies that were not uniform throughout France. Revealing the
absolutism of the king's policy on taxation was one were on any given year all he had to do was declare in council how much he would tax for that
year. Although he could levy whatever tax he wanted the ways of collecting these taxes proved difficult and required some

Many great individuals have existed throughout history, but there are also those people who were the exact opposite of "great". Akbar the Great and
Louis XIV were both significant figures in the period from 1450 to 1750. Akbar the Great of India was born on October 15, 1542, in India while his
father, Humayun, was in exile and became emperor at the age of 14 after his father's death, ruling over the Mughal Empire until his own death in 1605.
Furthermore, Louis XIV of France was born on September 5, 1638, to the Hapsburg Spanish Queen Anne of Austria and Louis XIII, king of France.
After his father died when he was four and a half, Louis XIV came to the throne and ruled under a mentor until he was the proper age, then continued
ruling...show more content...
With this in mind, Akbar the Great of India saw the "light" in his exposure to other beliefs and religions along with the diversity in Indian society that
caused him to feel the need to improve the treatment of his Hindu and other non–Muslim subjects. On the other hand, King Louis XIV of France saw
the "light" as a result of the Fronde noble rebellion and his need to control and limit the power of the nobles in order to keep/protect his power. It is
clear that while Akbar was enlightened to help his people and improve the lives of his subjects, Louis XIV took a very different and selfish approach
in taking power away from others to help himself. Throughout his reign over Mughal India, Akbar worked towards religious tolerance and equality
among his people as well as improvement in the overall society by marrying a Hindu princess, eliminating Hindu restrictions (poll tax) and allowing
them to follow their own codes of law and participate in government, while also bringing multiple faiths together in Din–i–Ilahi and creating a fair tax
system for the people. In contrast to the "journey" of Akbar, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, had the nobles stay at the Palace of Versailles
with no real power, reduced the power of the medieval guilds, and forced the country into excessive wars. Unlike Akbar the Great, Louis XIV did
everything except rule to benefit the people, and he ended religious tolerance instead of promoting

Louis 14: A Brief Biography Of King Louis XIV
Louis XIV
Louis XIV or Louis the 14th was an absolute monarch of France for 72 years. In these 72 years he transformed the monarchy, introduced a golden
age of art and literature and built a gigantic palace known as the Palace of Versailles that would show the world his power (Louis XIV history.com).
He was born on September 5th, 1638 and took the crown at only four years old. When Louis XIV took the crown, France was fractured and unstable,
he would go on to repair some of France's problems as well as create new ones.
Louis XIV loved to spend money, he proved this too the world with the construction of thePalace of Versailles. He also invested a lot of money into the
arts. He then started to tax the nobles because they had the money he

The Guilty: The Trial Of Louis XIV
Based of the predictions I had made, it showed Louis XIV not guilty of most of his charges except the Living of an Extravagant Lifestyle. Though I
would like to continue to agree to this, based off the many strong and extremely persuasive arguments against the Third Estate Member and the
Unnecessary war of Expansions, I had to think otherwise. I believe that through the trial, I was able to gain a perspective of how certain actions of
Louis XIV were considerably wrong in the matter that he wasn't thinking of whether this would benefit or ruin his own people. And though we may
have been a king to glorify France in so many ways through it being an international influence, having dominance in Europe and even expanding its
own borders it never

King Louis XIV: A Disastrous Ruler Essay
King Louis XIV: A Disastrous Ruler
It is often debated whether or not the reign of King Louis XIV had a positive or negative effect on France. Although there were improvements during
his reign in transportation, culture, and national defense, there were far more negative aspects. He depleted the national treasury with his liberal
spending on personal luxuries and massive monuments. His extreme fear of the loss of power led to poor decision making, which caused the court to
be of lower quality. King Louis XIV's disastrous rule brought about a series of effects that influenced the French Revolution in the following century.
King Louis XIV's 72 year reign was incredibly influential in shaping French...show more content...
Transportation was improved by paving roads and by building ports and canals. He also built many massive palaces and monuments. These often
showcased architecture and French goods of the time. The most elaborate palace built was the Palace of Versailles. Culture also seemed to grow
during this period. MoliГЁre, Racine, Lully, La Fontaine, and Le Brun were all compensated with state pensions. France's national defenses grew to
rival those of England and Holland in size with the addition of a merchant marine, a police association and a navy. It could also be said that France
acquired many new lands due to King Louis XIV's decisions. In the War of Devolution against the Spanish Netherlands and in the later Anglo–Dutch
War France acquired territory in Flanders. Later wars led to other territorial gains, one of which included Luxembourg.
Still, the negative aspects of France's rule under King Louis XIV far outweigh the positive ones. His reign can best be described by the statement
"L'Г©tat, c'est moi," (I am the state) that is attributed to him. King Louis XIV spent state money to pay for his own luxuries and monuments that
glorified his image. It was also customary for the artists King Louis XIV sponsored to include direct or indirect allusions to him in their productions
thus creating a god–like image of him. The Palace of Versailles alone used 5% of France's income. This liberal

Palace Of Versailles Essay

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Palace Of Versailles Essay