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The nobles threaten young Louis XIV's life
Louis XIV took the throne in 1643, after his father died. Although Louis had the throne, the true ruler of France was Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin increased taxes and the power of the central government, which angered some residents of France, particularly the Nobles. The Nobles started riots against Mazarin, which sometimes led to threats against the young king's life. -
Louis marries Marie Therese at the Palace of Versailles
Louis XIV married Marie Therese of Spain not for love, but for the reason that if they got married their countries would no longer fight. Marie Therese was Louis's first cousin, but since they did not marry for love, it was considered okay at the time. -
Cardinal Mazarin dies, leaving Louis XIV to take total control of France
Once Mazarin dies, twenty two year old Louis takes full control of France and it's government. Although he was the king of France at the age of five, he had no rights when it came to the government and the future of France until this time. -
Louis weakens the Nobles and increases the power of the Government
Louis weakened the power of the Nobles by excluding them from his councils. He then increased the power of the government agents called intendants. The Intendants collected taxes and administered justice. Louis often increased taxes, giving the intendants more responsibility. -
Louis's mother, Anne of Austria, dies
Louis's mother was Anne of Austria. After her husband, Louis XIII, died, Anne and her first minister, the Italian-born Cardinal Jules Mazarin took control of France until Louis XIV was old enough. Anne’s reign officially ended in 1651, when Louis XIV was at the appropriate age to rule the kingdom. Anne of Austria came to her death on January 20th, 1666 in Paris. -
Louis invades the Spanish-Netherlands
Luis invaded the Spanish-Netherlands in an effort to expand France's boundaries. Through these efforts, France gained twelve towns. -
Louis fights unnecessary wars
Louis decided to fight unnecessary wars, for the possibility of new land. However, this did not go as Louis had planned. By the end of the 168's, there was a European-wide alliance to stop France. -
Louis constructed the Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles was originally as a hunting lodge in 1624 by Louis XIII. Louis XVI expanded this palace to become one of the most brilliant buildings in the world. Louis heavily taxed the subjects of France in order to afford the expansion. -
Louis leads an army into the Dutch-Netherlands
Louis leading an army into the Dutch Netherlands was another attempt to expand France's boundaries. France gained several towns and a region,and the war ended in 1678 with the Treaty of Nijmegen. -
Louis secretly marries Madame de Maintenon
Although Madame de Maintenon started out working for Louis as his governess to the king’s illegitimate children, this just gave them more time to get to know each other. When Maintenon first started working for Louis in 1669, his initial impression of her was that she was "unbearable". in 1680, Louis gave the position of "second-lady-in-waiting" to Maintenon. After working for Louis for 14 years, they finally got married in secret in 1683. -
Louis cancels the Edict of Nantes
Louis cancels the Edict of Nantes, which protects religious rights of Huguenots. This action caused skilled workers and businessmen to flee the country, and slowed down the economic process of France. Louis XIV wanted everyone in France to practice the same religion. -
Louis's brother, Philippe of France, dies
Louis had a brother, Philippe of France. Philippe played no role in the political aspects of France. Philippe won a famous military victory over William of Orange in 1677. Coming to his death, Philippe died at Saint-Cloud in 1701.
