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Birth of Louis XIV
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Louis XIV Becomes King of France
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Cardinal Mazarin ends the Thirty Years' War
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Anti-Mazarin riots in the nobles threaten the King
At the time, it seemed that the uprising would severely weaken the monarchy, but it strengthened Louis's hatred for the nobility. This would have an impact on the future of the aristocracy. -
Cardinal Mazarin dies and Louis XIV takes complete control over the government
As soon as Louis gained total power, he immediately took action to decrease the power of the nobility and centralize the government. This was a step that strengthened the monarchy. -
Jean Baptiste Colbert is appointed Louis's Minister of Finance
For some time, Colbert's policies made France self-sufficient and able to manufacture goods on its own, rather than relying on imports. This helped to strengthen the monarchy because artisans and business people of the middle class now had more power than the nobility. -
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Louis attempts to expand French borders
The wars that Louis XIV fought proved successful at first, gaining some territory in the Spanish Netherlands. However, it got out of hand when, in 1689, every other European country banded together to prevent France from becoming too powerful. The wars that were waged left France in even more debt after Louis's death. -
The Palace of Versailles is built
The new building helped to emphasize the immense power that King Louis held as a monarch. However, the French economy suffered greatly from the expense of the Palace. -
Louis cancels the Edict of Nantes
This severely weakened the French monarchy because many of the business people in France were Huguenots, and they were forced to leave the country. This was a huge detriment to France's economy. -
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Wars of Spanish Succession
These were more wars that Louis fought during the final years of his reign. Once again, the wars were costly and severely damaged the French economy and monarchy. -
King Louis XIV dies