The Reign of Loius XIV - Essay Example

The main problem of feudalism was rooted in the discrepancies between each landowner’s wishes and interests, so the country was being torn into many parts. Another factor was associated with hereditary nobility, who covered the highest government positions for generations, so there emerged the direct need for a kind of ‘personnel flow’, i.e. for the reconstruction of the whole apparatus. Furthermore, the influence of the church was also weakening, so the crown was losing its allies and had to adjust to the new circumstances. The saddening experience of three-wave Fronde played its role during Louis’s reign, and his first steps and goals were gaining control over French financial lifeblood and restricting alleged freedom of aristocracy.

Louis XIV dealt wisely with the aristocracy. First of all, he waged numerous wars, in which noble classes were to participate (to demonstrate loyalty and obedience) – otherwise, they wouldn’t receive promotions and new government offices. Louis refused to distribute power among less significant feudalists, but he attempted to win their devotion he brought them to his court for a kind of probation term and then rewarded aristocrats with titles or pensions. Nevertheless, Louis never stopped controlling the number of aristocrats at the highest hierarchical positions, so their number was always limited. Another Louis’s direction was the establishment of strong sustainable military apparatus headed by the most loyal and industrious aristocrats. Furthermore, typically for the 17th-century monarch, Louis hired province servants, or intendants, who were contributing to the process of centralization. Intendants were to civilize provinces and spread French culture across the indigenous population as well as to provide sustainable economic development at the local level. Intendants were officials Louis could rely upon, as they were the descendants of less significant and powerful nobility, who didn’t share the interests of the contemporary aristocracy. In my opinion, one might notice some elements of PR and propaganda in Louis’s army design: he applied strict subordination principle in this area but lured troops and commanders with future career promotions. In addition, all positive changes in the military area were being made in the name of the monarch, but not the captain.

Louis was a spendthrift and didn’t take into account the limitedness of his resources when beckoning aristocrats with high pensions and new titles. Despite his military expertise, the monarch was completely incompetent in accounting and finance management, so by the end of his reign the country experienced another revolt threat. His changes in French law were reduced to military reforms, whereas the economy has remained in distress. That time was still characterized by the lack of feudal unity, as everyone was surviving on his own. The positive outcome of Louis’s rule was the reinforcement of colonialism and expansionism, especially for the royal navy, which launched the slave trade and explored new lands. Read More