Louis XIV Essay, Research Paper

The term ?splendid? is one that most English speaking people are

familiar with. To most of those people it has a meaning related to the

overall appearance or feeling of what ever is being described.

Webster?s dictionary defines the term as: 1. magnificent and

sumptuous. 2. distinguished or glorious. Splendor is more that that.

It is an adjective that could be used to describe something so great

and breath taking that one is left awed.The word splendid is often

associated with the palace of Versailles, which was built Louis XIV.

In the production of this grand structure there was no cost spared. It

became a symbol of France, and a model by which all other palaces

would be judged. Louis XIV received a great deal of criticism from

onlookers as he used the French equivalent to millions of dollars to

built this outstanding structure. There is still some speculation as

to whether or not this was a good investment. It has been argued that

the money could have gone to the poor or needy. The palace of

Versailles was controversial, but in high insight, it is clear that

Louis XIV made a sound decision in its erection.

As Louis XIV took the throne, he was faced with several problems. He

knew that he did not want to reside and rule in Paris, so against the

will of his advisors he chose a hunting chateau as the site of his new

palace. He also knew from history that the nobles of his domain had in

the past and would continue to cause trouble in the form of uprisings

and other conflicts. Louis XIV sought absolute power, and he knew that

he would not be able to obtain this if preoccupied by civil conflicts.

His solution to this problem was building Versailles and inviting all

of the nobles to reside there. This was a brilliant scheme to keep the

nobles out of the politics of the country. He preoccupied them with

tasked normally associated with chamber maids, thus allowing him to

rule as an absolute monarch. The splendor of the palace was a key

factor in this plan because with out it, the nobles would not have a

willing to leave their homes and move to Versailles.

The historical account, The Splendid Century , written by W.H. Lewis

is a very useful tool in understanding the life of Louis XIV. It tells

of his life, his goals, his motives, and the means by which he

achieved those goals. It is blatantly obvious that Louis XIV though

a great monarch, cared little for the common people of his country.

Regardless of this, it is almost a matter common knowledge that Louis

XIV brought France to its peak in terms of its respect and social

status in the world. During his reign France became the authority on

all that was proper and elegant. All of this seems trivial, but the

fact is, it was very important to the people of the upper class, and

as always they were controlling the world.

There were several qualities that Louis XIV possessed that were found

undesirable by his common subjects. His tax system weighed most

heavily on the lower class, and they were often called to fight in all

sorts of different wars for the extension of the empire. It

understandable that he was popular among these people, but their

opinion was really not significant on the grand scheme of his plans

for France. There is no question that Louis XIV took France to an

entire new level in the world view. During his reign, the French

empire grew vastly, and was greatly respected. To this day, he

remains a French hero, and is widely viewed as the greatest monarch

that ever lived. It is not because of his accomplishments that these

views are held, but rather his ability to play the part of a great

leader. All of this was possibly because of his emphasis on

materialistic splendor. He knew that by enticing his rivals with

riches, he then could control Europe.

When it is said that Louis XIV had an ability to play the part of a

great leader there is often misunderstanding. He was a powerful ruler,

but more importantly that , he took his role as king very seriously.

He was known to be a very handsome man with a well proportioned body.

He believed appearances and material goods were an important aspect of

royality. He allowed people to watch him and follow him at all times,

and he made the responsibilities of chamber maids into honors that

certain nobles were allowed to perform. He was always well dressed and

concerned with his appearance. In a sense he was a very superficial

person, but he felt that he was doing his regal duty. Louis XIV

possessed a passion for the splendor of the material world that led

him to become the greatest leader France has ever seen.

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