Similarities Between Louis Xiv And The Enlightenment

466 Words1 Page

Absolutism can be described as one ruler, or monarch, have complete power over the government and economy of a country. This one ruler was thought of to have divine powers and to be chosen by God to run the country. The theory of absolutism was popular in Europe from the 1500’s to the 1800’s. This way of thinking caused the people of Europe to want to revert to classical forms of government, in which the government was controlled by the people. This return to classical governments was called the Enlightenment. Two absolute monarchs were Louis XIV and Ivan the Terrible who, with their overused power, drove their people to want the Enlightenment. The reign of absolutism of Louis XIV and Ivan the Terrible caused the start of the Enlightenment. …show more content…

He was a very wealthy man, and made that fact clear through all the paintings he commissioned of himself in lavish robes with a fancy background. He was a very ostentatious man and even starred in a ballet as “The Sun King”. When he gained control of the government at 22 years old, he initiated the building of the Palace at Versailles, which took 50 years to complete. Louis XIV forced all of his nobles to live in the Palace with him so he could monitor their actions. The Palace, which was built for every noble in France, eventually drove the country bankrupt due to Louis’ capriciousness. Louis XIV left a legacy of debt and inklings of revolution in his track, and was a catalyst to the Enlightenment. Ivan the Terrible was the absolute monarch, or Czar, of Russia and was not always terrible. He was very in love with his wife who was killed by the boyars, or nobles, of Russia. He took away political power from these boyars as an act of revenge. Then, he redistributed the land of the boyars to other nobles he actually trusted. He began a police force to keep tabs on the loyalty of his citizens, and to force his agenda on the people. This harsh behavior toward his citizens caused Ivan the Terrible to contribute to the start of the

Show More
Related

  • Differences Between Louis Xiv And Peter The Great

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    Louis XIV is considered the “perfect absolutist” and he has been said to have been one of the greatest rulers in France’s history. He came up with several different strategic plans to gain absolute

    Read More

  • Sun King Louis Xiv Dbq

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, was an absolutist monarch of France who sought to heavily suppress the power of novels while simultaneously promoting the ideals of a “divine right monarchy”. A man notorious for his incredible spending on various personal ventures, such as the extremely costly construction of a new palace at Versailles, Louis XIV was often the subject of criticism and mockery, especially from the nobles who hoped to discredit him and his absolutist regime. Overall, Louis XIV did predominantly act in a manner with his own personal agenda in mind, as seen through his Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, occurring as a result of his desire to have his country fall in line with his own beliefs, his unrelenting expenditures

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Louis Xiv And Peter The Great

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 16th and 17th centuries a new type of ruling emerged as a result of unorganized government called royal absolutism. This type of government was seen in many European countries including France and Russia where King Louis XIV and Peter the Great ruled respectively. Both had ways of ruling that were similar to each other and different to each other. Politically, economically and socially both Louis XIV and Peter the Great were similar to and different from how they ruled and what their reign resulted.

    Read More

  • Comparing King Louis XIV of France and King Philip II of Spain

    478 Words  | 1 Pages

    King Louis XIV was a showy and self-absorbed king. His palace was representative of his personality and ideals. The Versailles palace architecture displayed Louis XIV ideals of secular issues. He cared more about spending money to show off his power. Unlike the Escorial, Versailles was centered on “The Sun King” instead of religion. At one point Louis XIV stated that “he was the state”. This statement was saying that Louis XIV represented the center and best of France. An example of this was that King Louis XIV lived in the middle of Versailles. Versailles was also very ornate and had the atmosphere of freeness. However, the Escorial was very basic like Philip II.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Ap Euro Dbq Absolutism

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    Absolutism was a period of tyranny in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries because monarchs had complete power to do whatever they pleased. Since absolutism is a "monarchical form of government in which the monarch's powers are not limited by a constitution or by the law" essentially there are no boundaries for actions the monarch can and cannot take. The absolutists did not focus on the people under their rule, they ruled by fear and punishment, and believed they were equal to God.

    Read More

  • Absolute Monarchy in Different Empires Throughout History

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Absolute monarchs ruled though the policy of absolutism. Absolutism declared that the king ruled though divine right with a legitimate claim to sole and uncontested authority (French State Building and Louis XIV). On this basis, Louis XIV of France and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire were both absolute monarchs. Each ruler believed that his power belonged to him and him alone due to divine right. They showed their absolute power by living lavishly, increased their power by waging wars, and kept their power by ensuring complete loyalty of their subjects.

    Read More

  • Luis XIV, and His Selfish Ways

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you were asked to answer the question, “Which king in European history was the best representative of absolutism?”, you would probably answer, “Louis XIV.” If you were asked to identify the king with the biggest palace and the most glamorous court, you would answer “Louis XIV.” If you were asked to identify the king whose reign coincided with the most glorious period of culture in his country's history, you would answer “Louis XIV.” If you were asked to identify what king fought an endless series of wars, heavily taxed his population, set up the pre-conditions for a revolution against his own system and was jeered by his people as his body was taken to be buried, then you would answer “Louis XIV.”

    Read More

  • A Comparison of the Characteristics of the Absolutist Rule of Charles I of England and Louis XIV of France

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    A Comparison of the Characteristics of the Absolutist Rule of Charles I of England and Louis XIV of France

    Read More

  • Absolutism Dbq Essay

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Absolutism is defined as a form of government where the monarch rules their land freely without legal opposition. In modern times, when democracy is the ideal, this form of government seems cruel and tyrannical; however, there was an era when it thrived in European politics. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, absolute rule was justified by the concept of divine right and its improvements to the security and efficiency of a nation.

    Read More

  • The Palace of Versailles and the Absolutism of Louis XIV

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    Absolutism describes a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by all other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites. To achieve absolutism one must first promote oneself as being powerful and authoritative, then the individual must take control of anyone who might stand in the way of absolute power. The Palace of Versailles helped King Louis XIV fulfill both of those objectives. Versailles used propaganda by promoting Louis with its grandiosity and generous portraits that all exuded a sense of supremacy. Versailles also helped Louis take control of the nobility by providing enough space to keep them under his watchful eye. The Palace of Versailles supported absolutism during King Louis XIV’s reign through propaganda, and control of nobility.

    Read More

  • Louis XIV

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the seventeenth century there were different types of leaders in Europe. The classic monarchial rule was giving way to absolutist rule. Absolute kings claimed to be ruling directly from God, therefore having divine rule that could not be interfered with. In 1643 Louis XIV began his reign over France as an absolute king.

    Read More

  • The End of Absolutism in Europe

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the late 17th and early 18th century, many European nations such as France and Russia were absolute monarchies. Even countries such as England had kings who at least attempted to implement absolutism. Indeed the concept of absolutism, where the monarch is the unquestionably highest authority and absolute ruler of every element in the realm, is certainly appealing to any sovereign. However, this unrestricted power was abused, and by the end of the 18th century, absolutism was gone. Absolutism failed because the monarchs' mistreatment of the population caused the people to revolt against their rule and policies. There are many factors which caused this discontent. For one, there was a great loss of human lives. Louis XIV of France participated in four wars, while Peter of Russia ruthlessly executed anyone who stood against his will. Secondly, monarchs attempted to change religious beliefs. This was notable in England where rulers such as James II desired to convert the Anglican nation into Catholicism. Finally, the burden of taxation was more than the population could support. France was brought into huge foreign debt, English kings constantly attempted to raise money, and Peter of Russia increased taxes by 550 percent. These are some of the key reasons why absolutism failed in Europe.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of European Absolutism

    484 Words  | 1 Pages

    Charles Louis XIV was the leader of France when he was five years old. That is just one example of the hereditary monarchies. European Absolutism was made up of monarchs that had supreme rule over their kingdom. Although it led to some great outcomes, some leaderships were not so great. The period of European Absolutism between the 16th and 17th centuries was a period of tyranny because of the leaders misuse of power and God-like character.

    Read More

  • What Was Louis Xiv An Absolute Monarch?

    1793 Words  | 4 Pages

    An absolute monarch is a strong, courageous ruler who cares for the people as much as the society. He has the option to rule alone or centralize power, but have absolute power. Even though the economy usually get put first, he is doing it to make the people's lives better. Louis XIV was an absolute monarch because he was able to centralize powers in France and make the economy better. He had given delegates some power. He was a strong military leader who lead France into multiple wars. In between these wars happening, he was able to keep the economy together. He built the palace of Versailles bringing together all the nobles and royal offices into one place to make working together easier because they were all together instead of being in different

    Read More

  • The Absolute Monarchy Of France In The 17th Century

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term ‘absolute” defines the singular power of the monarch to control every aspect of governing without the aid of the aristocracy or parliamentary forms of governance. The example of Louis XIII defines the rise of absolute monarchy in the 17th century, which eliminated agreements, such as the edict of Nantes, which enabled to aristocracy rights and powers in governmental decisions., however, Louis XIII dissolved these laws in order to gain total dominance over governmental affairs through military and financial might. In this example. Louis XIII defines the role of absolute monarch and the individual powers that the king welled over the government in 17th century

    Read More

More about Similarities Between Louis Xiv And The Enlightenment

Open Document