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Revision as of 05:16, 21 October 2002 by Olivier (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Louis XIV (September 5, 1638 - September 1, 1715) was king of France from May 14, 1643 to September 1, 1715.
Born in the Chateau Neuf. His birth was considered a miracle, happening twenty-three years after the childless marriage of his parents, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria.
Also known as the "Sun King", Louis solidified the absolutist monarchical regime in France epitomized by his famous statement: "L'état c'est moi!" .
Drawing from the successes of Cardinal Richelieu who all but ruled France during the reign of the weak Louis XIII, Louis XIV created a France that served only him. He weakened the nobility by forcing them to serve as members of his court rather than as minor fiefs in their castles throughout France. To this end, he built Versailles, the lavish palace outside Paris which has become a symbol of the heights of aristocratic indulgences, and the series of residences opposite the Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli, where the courtiers lived when the King was in Paris.
Louis XIV's reign was characterized by French global cultural dominance. In 1674, the island of Martinique was purchased by the French government from the private French business concern who had acquired it in 1635. French was the language of culture in the 17th century in the way that English is today the global language of business.
Louis XIV remains beloved in France for his vigorous promotion of French greatness. However, his continued waging of war bankrupted the state, forcing him to continually levy high taxes on the peasantry. According to the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville, Louis XIV's weakening of the nobility coupled with his oppression of the peasantry contributed to the political, social and economic instabilities that eventually led to the French Revolution.
King Louis XIV died on September 1, 1715 and is buried in Saint Denis Basilica. He outlived his son, the dauphin Louis, and he was succeeded by his grandson who became King Louis XV of France.