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Louis XIV was Born
Louis XIV was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. -
Louis XIV Became King
Louis XIV became king at the age of five when the former king died on May 14, 1643. France could not be led, for it was already in a horrible state. His nation was led by a regency of his mother, while he was still at this young age. Louis XIV did barely anything for France at this time, except eat, sleep and repeat. The significance of this was the lack of leadership in France. -
Civil War in France (La Fronde)
Due to Louis XIV being young, France became involved in a civil war. This war is known as La Fronde. Louis XIV and his family left Paris to avoid this epidemic. They would return when the conflict had ended. The downfall of La Fronde led to him becoming an absolutist. This is important because this changed the way Louis XIV would rule. -
Louis XIV Becomes Old Enough to Rule
Louis XIV was officially in power, being able to rule France as a 22-year-old man. He married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, and had six kids with her. One of his children, Louis, survived until maturity. Louis XIV had multiple children with various women at this time. This shows that France would finally be able to run somewhat smoothly for a while. -
Louis XIV Rules Without a Chief Minister
Louis XIV began to rule without a chief minister. He assumed the absolute power the throne provided. He called himself “The Sun King,” because everyone revolved around him. As soon as Louis XIV became king, his main goal was to build up his country and colonies. This year began a change for France, with Louis XIV trying to fix up his country and introduce new ideas. -
Louis Initiates the War of Devolution
Louis XIV initiated the War of Devolution, which was a conflict between France and Spain. It was regarding the the Spanish Netherlands, in that Louis XIV believed it to be in possession of his wife. Due to this confusion, the French army captured territories in Flanders, located in current day Belgium. A peace treaty was in order the following year. The significance of this event is the growing hatred between France and Spain and how their conflict grows. -
War Between France and Spain Begins
Marie-Thérèse died and a decrease in taxes led to advantages for peasants. Spain had started a war with France regarding the Spanish Netherlands again. One fortress located in Luxembourg stood in the way of the French. When the war had officially begun, this fortress was taken down with ease. The event portrays a developing problem between France and Spain, and how they have different interpretations on the land they rule. -
The Truce of Ratisbon is Established
Louis XIV marries his second wife, Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. France bombed Genoa in order to defend themselves against Spain’s Genoese ships. This led to the Truce of Ratisbon to be written, which created peace between France and Spain for twenty years. Louis XIV was also granted permission to uphold his possession of his various subjections until the Truce of Ratisbon expired. The importance of this event is that a time of peace had come upon France, after lots of fighting. -
A Famine Erupts in France
A great famine had erupted in France. Out of 20 million people living there at the time, 1.3 million of them had died. At this time, Louis XIV abolished the Gallican articles. These articles provided the pope with spiritual power, the ability to participate in different councils and more. This limited some of the pope specific actions that could be performed. The significance of this event is that France was experiencing times of immense depression and something had to be done. -
The War of the Spanish Succession Begins
The War of the Spanish Succession had begun. It was caused when Charles II encouraged that Philip, Louis XIV’s grandson, became king of Spain when he died. Louis XIV had ordered that the Spanish Netherlands should be secured for France. Louis XIV was considered to be too strong and a threat to other countries, so fighting broke out. The most important thing to note about this year was the thirst for power Louis XIV had accumulated. He began to take advantage of others for his own well being. -
The Spanish Succession Ends
The Spanish Succession came to a long-awaited end. Peace was met between France and the Empire. Louis XIV’s youngest grandson died on May 4th of this year. Louis XIV provided his sons with the ability to become king if the Orleans and Condé males were to die. These two families were able to become king. Louis XIV had created a regency council that his two sons were a part of. This year was the most noteworthy because things ultimately began to look exceptionally better for France as a whole. -
Louis XIV Dies
Louis XIV dies and Louis XV inherits the throne.
