Louis XIV

Louis XIV uplifted France as a significant power in the modern world. He represented the supreme symbol of absolutism, or having absolute power. France's Catholic Church (and all other religions) was solely controlled by Louis XIV, which means his religious views were the most important and could not be opposed. Louis XIV persecuted people who followed religions of which he did not approve, such as Jansenists and Quietists. Despite the diverse range of religions that existed in France, Louis XIV maintained supreme power and control during his reign, which a sign of absolute power and social dominance. To support his right to the throne, Louis XIV also legitimized his power by claiming his "divine right," the claim that suggests that God gave him the power to rule France. Louis XIV exploited these concepts that gave him power and achieved an extraordinary superiority to everyone around him. To symbolize his power and display his eternal reign, he built the massive palace of Versailles. Versailles acted as a monument to intimidate French citizens in order to ensure loyalty. By constructing Versailles, Louis XIV established himself as the dominant force of France.

Versailles showed Louis XIV's greatness, yet it also placed France into severe debt right after he died. As poverty increased and France's economy started to plummet, French citizens started to question the government's efficiency and right to govern.

Although "divine right" would not succeed in many countries today, the people of France during Louis XIV's reign believed it for a long time. However, after Louis XIV died and as the Scientific Revolution introduced many new ways of thinking, France's population began to question the concept of "divine right," thus leading to the brutal and widely influential French Revolution.