The Dawn Of Divine Dictators
DescriptionAn essay that talks about the rise of absolutists leaders via the concept of Divine Right of Kings, the best example being King Louis XIV of France.
MessagePlagiarization of this content will result in expulsion from your school/university and legal action. All work is owned by its respective author.
ImageRené-Antoine Houasse
Between 1550 and 1715, the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and Thrity Years’ War changed the power structure of Europe from the Catholic Church to individual nations. At first, each movement was religion-focused, with Protestants fighting for freedom from the Catholic-dominated realm. Though eventually, all of the battles turned political, ending with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. From there, each state began to isolate and consolidate, going off on its own and attempting to grow. Mercantilism, an economic theory that states that there was a limited amount of wealth in the world, alongside the general rush to colonize, lead to extreme rivalry and constant competition. Kings and queens, like Louis XIV of France, wanted total reign over their domains in the hopes of both riches and glory for their newly permitted empires. And Louis, known as the Sun King, created a system, one that many would envy for centuries to come. Despite culture and military expansion being significant effects of centralization and absolutism in Europe, the consolidation and control of nobles were most important, as they fundamentally changed the way rulers managed their nations.Strangely enough, one change that came from absolutism was a new culture of class and looks. When Louis XIV came into power, he wanted to take the ideals of the divine rights of king to a level never seen before, swearing to make France the best and most beautiful nation in the world. The biggest way he did this was with fashion, forcing a standardized look across all the nobles of France that included color, vibrance, and ultimately, flamboyancy. This style was largely based on baroque art, which was big at the time, and is known for its extravagant settings, curving lines, gilt, and gold. He also used fashion and the arts in general as a way to keep the nobles in debt. Once they became obsessed with certain clothes made of certain fabrics and such, they would quite literally spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to get them. Louis wanted them addicted to this new culture, to being like him, but with how the system was set up, they would never reach it. Fashion was paramount to how he controlled people's perception France and his reign, wanting to ensure that he could regulate every aspect of their lives.Another even more notable way how the centralization of power in Europe was how the military worked and its role in society. Before, kings and such would have to request unorganized militias from nobles to come together and fight for their cause, as to which many denied. But with Louis XIV, he decided that he would be the one in control of the army, creating one made specifically to carry out his duties for the nation of France: The French Royal Army. When he came into power in 1661, he inherited a large but poorly arranged force of 70,000 men. He doubled that, as during peacetime, he would have a MINIMUM of 154,000 men for immediate missions, but when war began, the army could have up to 395,000 troops. Another major advancement made during his reign was the introduction and involvement of guns. Before, with the inconsistent mixture of men before, there was little regulation of what weapons soldiers should use and how to use them. He and his military advisors introduced uniforms, equipment such as flintlock muskets, and a revised organization with a fixed-rank system. The French Army also managed to defeat the dominant Spanish army, sending ripples throughout the continent. Overall, his overhaul of the army led to him fighting and winning many great wars, causing his handbook to become a highly sought-after addition to the growing persistence of war in Europe.The consolidation and control of nobles were the ultimate tactics that allowed Louis XIV to change how rulers managed their nations. The moment he took over, he wanted full control over all religious, economical, and other powers, including the people in those categories. Anyone who was a noble, the highest class of French society besides Louis himself, was forced to live with him in Versailles, where he would meticulously control every aspect of their lives. As mentioned, what they wore, alongside what they ate, loved, and did were carefully planned out so that they could never be above him, and so that there was no question as to who was in power. At times, almost 15,000 people lived in Versailles, a good portion of them nobles or service people for Louis XIV. He forced them to be dependent on the Crown for everything, and if they didn’t listen, less than favorable consequences were served. It was made clear that no one could do anything to overpower Louis; not the rich, not the subjects, and not even the Church, as France was still a Catholic nation. And talking about religion, the Sun King made a very controversial decision in 1685 when he reversed the Edict of Nantes, made by King Henry IV in 1598 as a peace treaty between the Protestant Huguenots and the Catholic state. This got rid of 800,000 people, most of whom were extremely wealthy, but ultimately allowed Louis to have full control over the wealth and religion of all his subjects. Clearly, this rather new technique of ruling, one where the king had all the power, was a massive change in what type of authority they had over their nations. And all that Louis XIV did was create the perfect guide for said domination.Despite culture and military expansion being significant effects of centralization and absolutism in Europe, the consolidation and control of nobles were most important because they fundamentally changed the way rulers managed their nations. The actions of Louis XIV started a form of revolution in Europe, as his ways of absolutism and divine right of king totally altered how many other nations ruled. A great example is Peter the Great of Russia, who became Czar in 1682 and took massive inspiration from France. He wanted to Westernize and centralize Russia under his rule and taste, doing things like forcing their nobles to cut their beard, forming a standing army, and ultimately, ensuring that Russia was able to take on any enemy they wanted. Peter was able to gain about one million square kilometers of new territory, and commonly allied with other European powers to ensure his security from the Turks and their supporters. Peter the Great is just one of many examples of how Louis’ ideas of absolutism spread, proving how he, above anyone else, brought the dawn of divine dictators.
Sources
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. New York :McGraw-Hill, 2007.
