Louis XIV

By mpeltier

  • Date of birth

    He was born September 6th in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (a royal palace).
  • Date of taking power

    Date of taking power

    As just a little child about to turn six years old, Louis XIV became king of France.
  • Control of government

    Control of government

    Cardinal Mazarin dies and Louis takes over the government at 22 years old. The nobles hated Mazarin because he increased taxes and strengthened the government.

  • Invading Spanish Netherlands

    To expand France's boundaries, Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands and ended up gaining 12 towns.
  • The Dutch War

    The Dutch War

    On May 5th, Louis led an army into the Dutch Netherlands but the Dutch ended up saving themselves by invading the countryside.

  • Edict of Nantes is cancelled

    The Edict of Nantes was the protection of Huguenots' religious freedom. Louis XIV canceled it in 1685, so this resulted in artisans and businessmen leaving France.
  • Louis' grandson takes the Spanish throne

    Louis' grandson takes the Spanish throne

    Philip of Anjou, age 16, became the king of Spain after the death of Charles II in 1700.
  • The War of Spanish Succession

    The War of Spanish Succession

    In effort to prevent the union of French and Spanish thrones, England, Austria, Dutch Republic, Portugal, and German and Italian states all came together, starting the war of Spanish Succession.

  • Treaty of Utrecht

    The war of Spanish Succession lasted until 1714, which was when the Treaty of Utrecht was signed. This treaty made it so that Philip of Anjou could continue to remain Spain's king, but France and Spain were not allowed to unite.

  • Date of death

    In 1715, Louis XIV died in his bed. This made the French people happy; they had grown tired of him.