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Louis XIV became king at the age of four. His reign was the most impactful and longest that has ever lasted of any European Monarch. He began ruling after the death of his chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin.
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Louis was nine years old when the nobles and the Paris Parlement (a powerful law court), driven by hatred of the prime minister Cardinal Mazarin, rose against the crown. This marked the beginning of the long civil war known as the Fronde, when which Louis suffered poverty, misfortune, fear, humiliation, cold, and hunger.
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Louis XIV was crowned and consecrated in Reims France. Immediately afterwards, Louis XIV takes part in war against Spain on northern, north-eastern, and eastern frontiers of france.
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Once the cheif minister passed away, Louis took everything under his control. During a young age, the nobles who led the riots threatened the young king's life. Even after the violence was over, Louis never forgot about his fear or his anger at the nobility. He was determined to become so strong they could never threaten him again.
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King Louis's first child is born on November 1st. One decade later, he has five more children with his wife, Maria Teresa.
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King Louis's biggest goal was to secure France's borders so he tries to expand them. He captured the Spanish Netherlands and gained about twelve towns and more land for his country. After gaining more power geographically, he led his army to invade the Dutch Netherlands but they had failed.
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The Palace of Versailles used to be a lodge and it was built in 1624. King Louis expanded the palace to prove his absolute power as well as his artistic preferences. He surrounded the palace with artisans and unique artwork.
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Louis XIV had many politicians in charge of political and economic issues, so he focused on art, especially opera and ballet. Under Louis, the main purpose of art was to glory the king and help his ruling.
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King Louis slows down the economic process of France, so he cancelled the Edict of Nantes which protects the religious rights of the Huguenots. This lead to many merchants and skilled workers to flee the country.
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France was becoming extremely strong, so many European countries made an alliance and equaled France's strength to weaken their power and stop them from invading more land. Louis had no choice but to raise taxes and pay for his wars, so France began to suffer.
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There was a war that lasted for thirteen years and various European countries fought to prevent the Bourbon family from controlling Spain and France. This was a large downfall for King Louis's ruling era because France lost their colonies and wealth.
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King Louis tragically dies, and he realized that all the wars he caused had ruined France and his subjects' had to go through a lot of suffering. The people of France had enough of King Louis.
