Louis XIV

King of France
Lived: 1643-1715

§ Background:
Born to King Louis XIII of France, Louis XIV was raised in the most opulent court in Europe. His every need was catered to, and he was given an excellent education, even if he was too lazy and spoiled to appreciate it. Louis XIII died when his son was five, and the regency passed to the queen mother, Anne of Austria. For the next 18 years she ruled France with the able assistance of Cardinal Mazarin, who may or may not have also been her lover, while Louis lived in pampered splendor.
§ It was upon Mazarin's death in 1661 that the 22-year-old Louis XIV began to take an active interest in ruling his country. Much to everyone's surprise, he was good at it. First he gathered all of the power into his own hands, bypassing the old bureaucratic patronage system that Mazarin and his predecessors had used. He enticed the great nobles to his court, where he heaped upon them titles, honorary positions, and financial rewards, while at the same time undermining their actual power. In Louis' court, great noblemen - whose parents had fought for the crown of France itself - fought each other for the privilege of watching Louis shave.
§ In person Louis was said to possess a great natural dignity and bearing. He was unfailingly courteous and usually honest, but he could dissimulate with the best of them when need-be.
§ During his early reign Louis's court was known for its debauchery, and Louis himself had several mistresses. As his reign progressed, however, Louis became more devout, and he even married his last mistress (although in secret). Louis also became a patron of the arts, and literature and painting flourished under his rule. He built many great buildings and palaces, including the grand palace at Versailles.
§ Despite France's wealth, the country remained virtually bankrupt, not only because it had to pay for all the gifts that Louis gave his favorites, but, more importantly, it had to pay for all the wars of conquest that Louis embarked upon. Although a sound and thoughtful ruler at home, Louis had a great thirst for international "glory" - which in his terms meant victory on the battlefield. He constantly fought his neighbors, often for the most trivial reasons, gaining little but glory from the wars. Though he left the army and navy in splendid condition, he left his country's treasury bare.
§ Louis XIV died after ruling France for 72 years.