Louis XIV

Louis XIV, also known as the "Sun King," was born on September fifth in 1638 and died on September first in 1715. Louis became King in name in 1643 at the age of four though he did not, of course, take up the rule until many years later. In 1648 an uprising was fomented by the Prime Minister Mazarin who ultimately won out, gaining power over all of France. This uprising led Louis to be raised in conditions unknown to most kings: poverty, neglect, and fear. When it was ended he was brought again to a place suitable for royalty, but from that point forth he nursed a deep-seated distrust of Paris, the nobility, and the common folk in general. From Mazarin, to whom he became a pupil of sorts, Louis gained an undeniable love for the arts and would continue throughout the rest of his life. When Mazarin passed in 1661, Louis declared his kingship, an event that would have occurred some years prior under different circumstances. As it was he declared a "dictatorship by divine right," announcing that to rebel against his power was to commit heresy. Despite previous monarchies, this was not usually the way of things and he so shocked the advisers and ministers that had believed they would continue to hold great power beyond Mazarin's death. As Julian has already stated, the finances of France were at a low point and Louis had to take several definitive actions to raise them to previous standards. He instructed one of the more powerful ministers, Colbert, to organize an economic revolution in which the use of manufacturing was increased, trade ships were built, police hired, and the infrastructure of France generally improved.

Social aspects of Louis the XIV's reign can be seen in his removal from Paris. Due to his prejudice against nobles, the common folk, and Paris led to his transfer of the seat of the monarchy to Versailles where he was distanced from his people. Isolated thus he become something of a myth to them - although they could feel the enforcement of his rule, they rarely saw the kind himself. This behaviour was uncommon in royalty - generally speaking, kings traveled so as to address themselves to the concerns of subject arrayed about France.

Politics, especially between other countries and France, was one area on which Louis certainly had an important impact. In his reign, Louis embarked on a series of campaigns and wars in which he expanded the Eastern borders of France. Through one such he also won the title of King of Spain for his grandson in the future. Another way in which he affected France's image across Europe was through the creation of Versailles - this "enhanced French prestige" despite the way it isolated Louis from his people.

For economy, I have already mentioned the economic revolution that he told his minister Colbert to orchestrate. Julian too dealt greatly with this subject.

Culture was one of Louis's specialties. He was a great patron of the arts, a characteristic greatly owed to Mazarin's role in his life as a young adult. He hosted such writers as Moliere and Racine, and also encouraged the creation of great monuments and feats of architecture throughout France. Versailles is an example of this.
Although Louis XIV is not always portrayed in a positive light, he certainly had an important role in the development of France.