Louis 1661-1715 and Peter 1682-1725

The Sun King

Louis the “Sun King”

• Versailleshttp://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/110_Construction.php, http://www.virtourist.com/europe/versailles/index.html

Centralization Methods Politically• Use of Divine Right Theory/Revocation of Edict of

Nantes

• Never called Estates General and arrested some members

“Meeting adjourned, oh wait, I never called you to meet in the first place”

“Guilty”

• Intendants are king’s ears and eyes

                            

   

See full-size image. i220.photobucket.com/.../world_rock4/eyes.jpg

407 x 301 - 112k

• Created first organized standing army that was uniformed, trained, supplied

Centralization economically

• Follows Colbert’s mercantilism: East India Company, West India Company.

• Encouraged ship building and merchant marine.

French classicism also embodied his power and control over France

PugetPoussin La Fosse

But Louis’s Wars:

The War of Devolution (1667-68),The Dutch war (1672-78), The War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97), The War of the Spanish

Succession (1702-13)

Weaken everything. The End

• Louis’s death will leave France in incredible debt with little power to the people, this will result in revolution and his great grandson’s execution about 80 years later

Peter “The Great”

Centralization Methods Politically

• Power over streltsy and boyars, state over church. Table of Ranks discounted noble birth

• Brutally put down rebellions

• forced Westernization, reorganize administration and develop economy

St. Petersburg to copy architectural beauty of Louis XIV’s France

Modernization of army and wars

• Lost to Sweden originally which embarrassed Peter so he spent more on army and used Western technology to later expand borders

• Because Peter had his son tortured to death there is no legitimate (he did have other children) heir so confusion for several years over who should rule.