Louis XIV (dec 16, 1643 – mar 14, 1715)
Description:
Known as the best example of an absolutist ruler, he was a French king that ruled under Divine Right Monarchy, meaning that he believed that he was given his power from God himself. In the theory of divine right monarchy, God would hold a king accountable for his actions, and the king faced serious responsibilities as well as actual limits on their power.
Louis created a grand court at Versaille, and restructured the whole government so that it was the personal household of the king. All governmental matters were dealt with at Versaille. Louis removed royal princes and high nobles from the royal court, so there would not be any threat to his power. Although he had other high status people, they were excluded from any real power and were kept busy with daily life at the court. Louis had complete control over policy-making, and wanted all of France to be Catholic so that he had religious influence. "One king, one law, one faith."
Added to timeline:
EURO TIMELINE midterm
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