Louis Xiv Greed Quotes

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Louis XIV
Greed is defined in the dictionary as selfish and grasping desire for possession; especially of wealth. It is also described as a noun. This definition can be directly related and best describes Louis XIV, the king of France in the sixteen hundreds.
The effects of greed destroying peoples lives can be seen in the beginning of Louis XIV’s reign, during his reign, and after his reign had ended
Louis XIV inherited the throne in 1643 when he was only five (Cairns 103). From the moment he entered power and his reign began he had greedy intentions and enormous ideas of divine rule (Cairns 112). In 1661, Louis chief advisor Cardinal Jules Mazarin died and Louis then decided that he would be the only ruler of France (Spielvagel 1). Louis …show more content…

I request and order you to seal no orders except my command,… I order you not to sign anything, not even a passport… without my command; to render account to me personally each day and to favor no one” (Spielvagel 1). This quote reveals Louis’s desire to have power over everything and control everyone around him. Louis used the sun as his symbol of power. He often quoted, “I am the state” (Cairns 35). Exposed in this quote is Louis mindset that he had all power. Using the sun as his symbol of power enforced his belief that he was the center of all things. Author of “Court Described by Duc De Saint Simon,” Elena Steingrad, stated the following when referring to King Louis’s life, “… he compelled his courtiers to live beyond their income, and gradually reduced then to depend on his bounty for the means of subsistence. This was …show more content…

Louis’ military excursions were separated into four conflicts (Campbell 3). The wars were referred to in Military History Magazine. Campbell quotes, “… the War of Devolution with Spain, the Dutch War, the War of the Palatinate, and the War of Spanish Succession- the last of which might be called the first global conflict of the modern age. These wars occurring under Louis XIV’s reign caused the amount of people in the military to quadruple in size in times of conflict. Louis love for war cost France money to feed the military, buy uniforms, and equipment yet, people were starving and in turmoil while the king engaged in outrageous wars (Campbell 5). After Louis XIV’s death France suffered more than ever. For example, “France’s government was in a financial crisis. Originally the king’s of France paid the costs of rule from wealth produced on their own domains. But emergencies were not perpetual” (McKelvey 1). This quote shows how after Louis XIV’s death the cost of his wars and palaces were now prevailing under Louis XVI. People began to riot and the economy declined further. By 1789 under Louis XVI, France was bankrupt. One example stated, “By 1789 France was still paying off debts incurred by the wars of Louis XIV” (Zumthor 1). Louis XIV’s wars cost France to become bankrupt and fall apart. Ultimately Louis XVI was executed because he was blamed for the economic crisis, which was the fault of Louis XIV. At the end of

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