Louis Xiv, the Sun King free essay sample

Sun King Historians over three centuries have both defended and criticized Louis XIV’s controversial reign. Many people hailed him as a great king; supreme as the sun he deemed his emblem. A great king is an unselfish one who is able to consider the people’s interest before their own. This is a direct contrast to how Louis XIV ruled France, but he still accomplished a remarkable amount for France. Even with his selfish agenda and lavish spending, it is without question that Louis still remains the most excellent and most powerful absolute monarch in European history. He is the epitome of an absolute monarch. Having so much authority making a few mistakes was inevitable. But in his successes, France was altered for the better, permanently. Louis challenged the status quo by doing what had never been attempted. His bold choices changed the lifestyle and attitude of Europe, by creating one of the most dynamic monarchies in history. We will write a custom essay sample on Louis Xiv, the Sun King or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although some may question his effectiveness, under Louis XIV’s reign France achieved political, militarily, and cultural dominance. In regards to politics, Louis’ attitude can be summarized in one infamous statement: Â  LEtat, cest moi (I am state). In other words, he possessed total control over his people, as an absolute monarch. He often referred to himself as the Sun King; strategically coming up with such a name because the world revolves around the sun, as he wanted the people to revolve around him. His egotistical thinking earned him a few harsh critics but his dominance remained unquestioned. When in rule, he made it clear that his word was law. This was an effective approach for him. Through his absolute monarchy he was able to accomplish much for France, specifically in the early years of his reign. The Sun King even managed to strip parliament of their traditional power to obstruct legislation. Implementing the idea; once more, that he was absolute ruler of all things. When Louis came to power, France was disheveled nobles were asking for extensions of power, in which they did not need. He put an end to this debacle; in a time of separation, he sought to unify his people and he was able to do so. After centralizing government and gaining total control of reign, his efforts were focused on cutting deficit and promoting industrial growth. With the help of his alter ego, Jean Baptiste Colbert, they brought order out of chaos associated with the royal fiscal administration. Colbert possessed the interest in the people’s ideals that the king lacked; this helped him better advice the king in his political reforms. By enforcing such reforms he pushed France towards a more stable government. Louis XIV made his most substantial impact in the realm of militarism. The foreign policy of prestige was mainly concerned with strengthening the military. The king made such astute claims that needed a strong military to defend his word. During his reign, he took the initiative to build a massive army, which grew to be more powerful than ever. Military reforms vastly increased France’s power. By the late 1660’s, France was the most powerful state in Europe. The army’s destructiveness assisted in reaching his main goal: to extend France to its natural borders. His adoration for power led to a series of wars that lasted many years- The four distinct conflicts that characterized his military excursions were: War with Spain, the Dutch war, the war of Palatinate, and the war of Spanish succession. Unfortunately, his desire for expansion gained him a few enemies. The enemies being the countries he was trying to conquer. Even some of his people were underwhelmed with his efforts, having to pay for such reforms in heavy taxes. Overall, his military reforms helped France sustain a stronger army than ever. With such an astute commander, the French military was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Just as Louis’ wars dominated political history in the late1600’s, his palace at Versailles dominated European culture. The age of Louis saw a flourishing of culture throughout Europe. As an absolute monarch, he assumed total control over everything, and culture was no exception. The state was able to manipulate cultural developments and take them to unprecedented heights. His influence on culture contributed to the prestige of France (). The Sun King also aided in the blossoming of art and architecture. The great king created many programs and institutes to infuse more of the arts into French culture. Louis’ patronage for the arts was concentrated on Versailles, a palace that is an unforgettable symbol of his power and influence on Europe. Versailles was one of the most beautiful achievements of eighteenth-century French art (). There was a shift from articulate paintings to posters, but the idea remained the same, to commemorate his power. The motives in supporting art were simple: to pass the glamour and glory of his century to the generations to come. Louis XIV served the longest reign in European history. His time in power saw achievements that seemed unattainable for France, in the time before him. The age of Louis XIV was essential to European history for a manifold of reasons. First, his reign saw the triumph of absolutism, not only in France, but also in continental Europe. His creation of Versailles was an extravagant denotation for other European leaders to follow. Second, Louis’ wars proved the system of Balance of power to be an effective method. French aggression was contained and it became the norm. Most importantly, Louis’ reign established France as the dominant power in Europe. However, his legacy was not all positive; his lavish spending habits left his successors a huge debt. While conditions in France were well during his rule, the problems caused by his decisions would help ignite the French Revolution in 1789. With that being said, Louis’ achievements deemed him one of the greatest monarchs in history. It is unfortunate that so many historians focus only on debt and military failures, and not what he was able to do for France, when they desperately needed change.

Free Essays on WWI

The Great War World War I was the boiling point of years of rumblings under the surface between the great powers of Europe. In the end, it cost $332 billion, ten million lives, and twenty million wounded, with an entire generation in Europe and Russia wiped out (Paxson 5). Those figures do not even take into account those who were mentally scarred for life. Out of the war came a Europe that was based on the principles of self-determination and national unity. The largest and most prominent consequence was the revolution in Russia, yet there were also major developments in the Balkans in southern Europe with Austria-Hungary and drastic changes in international relations. Russia had been primed for a revolution since the days even before the Great War. After the not so successful revolution of 1905, the tsar still kept power over the bureaucracy and the army; he also had the power of veto over the legislative body, the Duma. Tsar, Nicholas II, ruled the Russian Empire as an absolute monarch. However, following the loss of the war with Japan in 1905, serious disturbances took place in St. Petersburg and Nicholas was persuaded to accept a reduction in his power. In March, 1905, he announced plans to form a Russian Parliament called the State Duma. As this was only a consultative body, many Russians felt that this reform did not go far enough and over the next few years the country remained unstable (www.worldwari.com). The War merely acted as a catalyst and a means for the Soviets, under Lenin, to take control. Always considered a Great Power based on their outwardly appearance of size and numbers, Russia was actually a fragile, backwards nation ma king revolution inevitable. World War I exposed the weakness of the peasant-dependant nation of Russia. Russia had been considered a world power ever since the days of Napoleon, with huge numbers of citizens and immense amounts of land. â€Å"Inside, Russia remained the weak, depe... Free Essays on WWI Free Essays on WWI The protracted, horrific carnage executed during the First World War forever changed the course of events and mentality of the twentieth century. The war was expected to last for weeks or for months, like all previous wars had lasted; however this war had devolved into a prolonged stalemate where millions upon millions of lives were lost. Why this war took place is not an easy an easy question. Many believe that the war had started because of the murder of Prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Duchess Sophie von Chotkova. Many are under the false assumption that this alone was what the primary reason as to why the war had broken out. It is safe to believe that this event was in fact something that fed fuel to a fire that was burning due to other more serious issues as it sort of worked as a catalyst in the beginning. In order to better understand WWI and the reasons behind it taking place, an accurate account of the circumstances leading to war requires a concise analy sis of several key areas some going as far back as the 1800’s. Four of the major reasons that pressed the great powers to this explosive war were nationalism, militarism, imperialism and formation and systems of alliances. Nationalism, as defined in the Encarta online dictionary means, â€Å"the desire to achieve political independence, especially by a country under foreign control or by a people with a separate identity and culture but no state of their own.† The love and support of one's country, is something that has existed throughout time. However, in this time period, it played a major role in the outbreak of one of the most famous and deadliest wars in history. The nationalistic pride that existed with various nations, made the possibilities of peace between rival powers all the less probable. In ninetieth and twentieth centuries, especially after the French Revolution nationalism was becoming a powerful force in Europe. The belief tha... Free Essays on WWI During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. It was followed by the first aerial dogfight in 1912. This consisted of a primitive exchange of pistol fire between British and German planes. The United States ultimately was slower than France and Germany to develop an air force. O... Free Essays on WWI The Historian John Lukacs has written that WWI and WWII are two halves of the same coin. Discuss. The war that began in 1914 as a war to end all wars actually ended in 1945. World War Two was the child of World War One. The word treaty is defined in Webster’s dictionary as â€Å"negotiation; agreement between two or more nations†. At Versailles in 1919 there were no negotiations other than between the â€Å"victors†. The German delegation was told of the terms of the agreement only a few weeks prior to the signing of the document. They were given the choice of either sign the document or prepare to be invaded by Allied forces. The â€Å"Surrender† of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919 in the same railroad car where the Germans had celebrated the victory over the French in the Franco-Prussian War. The terms of the document signed at Versailles left Germany degraded, weak and embarrassed. They were unable to defend themselves as their once powerful army was all but destroyed. Much of their territory was annexed by neighboring states eager to take revenge for long past quarrels. And the huge burden of the War Guilt Class, which blamed Germany for the epidemic of war, made it a certainty that the German economy would eventually collapse. The new German government now had to take full responsibility for paying for the damages to the triumphant Allied countries. To complete the humiliation of Germany when the League of Nations was founded Germany was not allowed to become a member. This action effectively cut off Germany from the rest of Europe. The German people felt as if they were being treated quite unjustly for the decisions of the Kaiser’s government in 1914. The terms of the Versailles document that France, Britain and the United States felt so reasonable, left the average German feeling very angry. Lloyd George of Britain, Clemenceau of France and Wilson of the United States each had very different ideas on how to... Free Essays on WWI Wilson declares U.S. neutrality August 4, 1914 Washington, D.C. Reflecting strong public opinion, he states that U.S. will not join the war. However the U.S. change from neutrality to war in 1917, which some believe had many hidden reasons that violated the traditional values of the nation. Those values include freedom, public safety, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. One idea that proves that statement wrong is how long the U.S. took to go into the war. Figuring the war began in 1914 and the U.S. went to war in April of 1917, that shows that America took time thinking about going to war. America had patience before changing the stand in neutrality. Submarines threatened American merchant ships in addition Germany offered Mexico a deal. The offered deal was if Mexico joined Germany, Germany would help Mexico get New Mexico, Texas and Arizona, which is land that Mexico once had. Although America changed from neutrality to war, the reasons did have a strong ground and instead of violating the values they were protecting them. Another idea is the face that war is not a peaceful time, but in fighting WWI the U.S. got to keep the traditional American values, one of those values being freedom, and not have to worry about dictatorship. If Germany won the war, they would continue to conquer more land and may eventually have conquered the U.S. . â€Å"Our subject†¦is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world†¦Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples†¦ The world must be made safe for democracy.†... Free Essays on WwI The Great War World War I was the boiling point of years of rumblings under the surface between the great powers of Europe. In the end, it cost $332 billion, ten million lives, and twenty million wounded, with an entire generation in Europe and Russia wiped out (Paxson 5). Those figures do not even take into account those who were mentally scarred for life. Out of the war came a Europe that was based on the principles of self-determination and national unity. The largest and most prominent consequence was the revolution in Russia, yet there were also major developments in the Balkans in southern Europe with Austria-Hungary and drastic changes in international relations. Russia had been primed for a revolution since the days even before the Great War. After the not so successful revolution of 1905, the tsar still kept power over the bureaucracy and the army; he also had the power of veto over the legislative body, the Duma. Tsar, Nicholas II, ruled the Russian Empire as an absolute monarch. However, following the loss of the war with Japan in 1905, serious disturbances took place in St. Petersburg and Nicholas was persuaded to accept a reduction in his power. In March, 1905, he announced plans to form a Russian Parliament called the State Duma. As this was only a consultative body, many Russians felt that this reform did not go far enough and over the next few years the country remained unstable (www.worldwari.com). The War merely acted as a catalyst and a means for the Soviets, under Lenin, to take control. Always considered a Great Power based on their outwardly appearance of size and numbers, Russia was actually a fragile, backwards nation ma king revolution inevitable. World War I exposed the weakness of the peasant-dependant nation of Russia. Russia had been considered a world power ever since the days of Napoleon, with huge numbers of citizens and immense amounts of land. â€Å"Inside, Russia remained the weak, depe...