Absolutism, Louis XIV, and Versailles

Absolutism, Louis XIV, and Versailles

Louis XIV and the court at Versailles

The relationship between French King Louis XIV and the palace of Versailles is one of the most important connections that a king has ever had to a specific location. Versailles represented more than a place that Louis could inhabit, as it provided the emperor with a location where he could enrich his knowledge and where he could fully enjoy life as he saw fit. Louis initially visited the hunting lodge his father had built at Versailles and gradually fell in love with the place. The power and magnificence of Versailles and of Louis XIV significantly influenced leaders from around the world at the time and more and more individuals started to express interest in adopting a lifestyle similar to the one adopted by the French King.

Louis initially focused on restructuring the parks and groves near Versailles, as he did not consider that the castle itself needed to be rebuilt. However, in 1669 he started to focus on enlarging the construction with the purpose of turning it into one of the most imposing castles that the world had ever seen. One of the most difficult tasks was to level the lands and drain the swamps, as the land was particularly inhospitable. Even with this, the combined work of thousands of workers and of some of the world's greatest artists led to the construction of Versailles, the place that Louis XIV would use with the purpose of imposing his monarchic system on the people. Louis and the French government officially moved into Versailles on May 6, 1682, this location providing them with the advantage of being far from mobs that could rebel against the monarchy. Also, Versailles provided nobles with the opportunity to shift their focus from affairs of the state to more cultural matters.

The fact that the majority of noblemen in France started to focus on enjoying themselves at the Versailles court meant that French politics would only be controlled by Louis and the people that he wanted to. In its attempt to please its king and to live its life to the fullest much of the French nobility ended up abandoning the power that it had over state affairs. The nobility was no longer a threat for Louis as long as it was controlled and it could not plot against its king. "French nobles gambled, exhausted themselves with frivolous diversions, and made their destinies dependent on their capacity to please Louis XIV -- even if it meant emptying a chamber-pot. Etiquette became the means of social advancement. From 1682, the nobility ceased to be an important factor in French politics" ( LOUIS XIV and the VERSAILLES PALACE).

Versailles was not only a location that influenced the French in abandoning their normal duties, as it also represented Europe cultural center, considering that "each morning the princes of the empire, the grandees of Spain, the merchants of Holland, and the cardinals of Rome asked eagerly for the latest news from the king of France" (Perkins 129). Louis was also famous because of his military success, as his forces had fought with some of the most notable European powers during his reign. Versailles itself was one of the greatest buildings ever constructed consequent to the fall of Rome. Louis' court was more beautiful than any other European court and contained a select aristocracy that was no longer interested in concepts like power and independence, as it was simply satisfied with watching the French king as he practically made them feel worthless with his character. In spite of the fact that these people were direct descendents of noblemen who led some of the most powerful French armies in the crusades and in the fight against England, they were unable to rise up arms against Louis XIV's imposing smile. French politics experienced much change during the reign of Louis XIV, considering that French noblemen "counted their success in life by the extent of their intimacy with the king; from him, and from him alone, they obtained the offices which increased their dignity, and the pensions which increased their wealth" (Perkins 130). Individuals who were not present at Versailles were virtually inexistent for Louis and he practically judged people on account of how often he saw them at his court.

Life was very bohemian at Versailles and this is reflected by how people at Louis's court felt in regard to their king and to the palace. The Duc de Saint-Simon was a member of the most important noble families in France and he was frequently present at Versailles during Louis's reign. In spite of the fact that he was one of the most charming individuals in France, Louis was especially suspicious in regard to noblemen and he believed that they were likely to rise against him. The fact that he was extremely jealous influenced him in believing that the only proper method of reigning over France was to take power from everyone and reign by himself. The fact that there were individuals who were superior to him in particular activities during his early years of ruling deeply frustrated him and influenced him in wanting to be superior to everyone in France. "He chose his ministers, therefore, not for their knowledge, but for their ignorance; not for their capacity, but for their want of it. He liked to teach them even the most trivial things. He unceasingly con-cerned himself with the smallest details of his troops, his minor household officials, and the way his mansions were built and main-tained. He would even instruct his cooks, though he taught them things they had known for years" (St.-Simon: A Noble's Appraisal of Louis XIV).

Individuals who stayed around Louis quickly learnt that the best method of being favored was to praise him. As a consequence, those who were closest to him employed a false air of admiration whenever they came across him, as they knew that this was the only way to reach out to him. Louis practically imposed his power over the people and France and made it clear that he would only appreciate those who were loyal to him. People were shamelessly flattering him because they knew that this was very important for their relationship with the king and for their position in France (Hassall 287).

Louis' rule had no opposition and the majority of French nobles were favoring him and focused on making him feel as well as they possibly could, as they knew that this would reflect on their position at the court. "The gilded saloons of Versailles were filled with magnificently dressed nobles, many of whom had performed brilliant feats of arms in the wars and who now crowded to do homage to their great king" (Hassall 288). As time passed and as they spent more and more time at the court, French nobles could no longer control affairs at their personal estates and came to be ruined. Their condition was even more critical as they needed to pay large amounts of money in order to be able to stand by their king. Their luxury and their thoughtless expenses marked the ending of French aristocracy as it once was. Louis cunningly made it possible for monarchy to thrive over aristocracy and ruined most influential individuals in France through making them stand beside him.

Through encouraging noblemen to adopt a different outlook in regard to life, Louis also persuaded them in weakening relations with peasants and thus influenced the lower classes in expressing hatred concerning the nobility. Noble individuals in France thus found themselves caught between Louis and peasants, as they needed to satisfy the needs of both in order to be appreciated and in order to stay in power. Their power was, however, seriously weakened and one of the only things that they could do with the purpose of securing their position in the state was to make sure that the king enjoyed their presence at Versailles. "By attracting them to Versailles and by encouraging them to prefer an idle life dependent on pensions and privileges to existence at their chateaux in the country, Louis had finally destroyed their last chance of ever offering any effective resistance to the growth of the monarchy" (Hassall 290).

The monarchy became the only authority in the state during the later years of Louis XIV's reign. The king had brought great cultural and technological contributions to his people and thus came to be considered the most important person in the state. French ministers were dependent on Louis and they could only act if he allowed them to do so. One of the principal tools that weakened the power of French noblemen was the fact that Louis was constantly focused on doing his job. In spite of the fact that the country was occupied with festivities and wars, he always found time to work. With everyone wanting to act in accordance with Louis' legislations, harmony dominated the French court and the king was provided with basically everything that he demanded.

The king of France was more than just a simple leader, as he claimed that he was entitled to the country's throne through divine right. Louis XIV was able to make laws, to increase or decrease taxes, to administrate the state and justice, and to determine whether or not France would express interest in allying itself with other countries. All influential individuals in France were practically forced to check with Louis before they could sign anything. The French king used the court as Versailles with the purpose of keeping important people in the state close to him and in order to watch their every move. This made it difficult and almost impossible for them to plot against his and influenced peasants in expressing more dedication to the king than to the masters of the estates that they lived on.