Louis XIV. 300 years dead

[Georg Ebner]

The SunKing died on the First of September 1715.

[Lincoln Republican]

Arrogant, perverted tyrant, lived in obscene luxury while the common masses didn't have enough to eat.

The revolution should have started under him instead of under Louis XVI.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

[TNF]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

Well, on the bright side, at least his profligate spending and all around stupidity hastened the French Revolution. We're fast approaching the beginning of yet another year on the Republican calendar thanks to the efforts of this particular dimwit and his even dumber progeny.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Fun fact: Louis XIV took only two or three baths during his long life.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Alfred Cobban is his "A History of Modern France" explains very well what was wrong with Louis XIV. Aside of his ambitions leading to a war disaster that almost completely ruined France, there was in fact very little real progress under his rule. He did establish a model of absolute rule (which was certainly an improvement over previous model) and some modern administration, but failed to provide any coordination mechanism, which resulted, under his successors, in lack of a government working as one. Also, unlike in Britain, France retained it's archaic financial system and there was little done to create a modern industry.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

Louis XV was worse

[The Mikado]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

I don't know, if one of your formative experiences was fleeing the Palais Royal dressed as a commoner along with your mother and the effeminate Italian guy who ran your government while rebels sacked Paris, you might also get ideas about moving your capital to a hunting lodge outside of town (so next time Paris revolts you're not locked in with the mob) and forcing the nobles to spend their time there to keep an eye on them. Also running your government yourself so you don't need to rely on effeminate Italian clergymen in the future.

The Fronde, especially coming on the tail of the French Wars of Religion, was a pretty huge sign that France as it had been run simply did not work.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My recent, unchallenged interest in reading about Richard III and The War of the Roses this past week missed the 530th anniversary of Bosworth by a mere six days, now I have missed this historic date as well. I am always behind it seems when it comes to these dates, partly because I have always forsaken exact dates for months and even years, as well as the importance of said events. I have known since I was 12 the exact year Louis XIV died as well as knowing a good bit of the history of his reign.  

A remarkable facet of his reign was his longevity, inspite of his largesse. He outlived his son, his grandson (who might have saved the Kingdom had he inherited it instead of his five year old son), his best officers, artisans and the like. Even the main hinderance to his European political hegemony, who was twelve years his junior, nonetheless predeceased him by thirteen years in 1702.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Qu'il repose en paix.

RIP FF.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

I don't know, if one of your formative experiences was fleeing the Palais Royal dressed as a commoner along with your mother and the effeminate Italian guy who ran your government while rebels sacked Paris, you might also get ideas about moving your capital to a hunting lodge outside of town (so next time Paris revolts you're not locked in with the mob) and forcing the nobles to spend their time there to keep an eye on them. Also running your government yourself so you don't need to rely on effeminate Italian clergymen in the future.

Indeed. People often forget, when talking about Louis XIV, how traumatized, and for life, he was due to this experience.

[Georg Ebner]

We shouldn't modernize a LOUIS XIV. to a holdless-hysterical psycho-path!

[Storebought]

How effective were Louis's wars of expansion? Was France really that much more defensible after his expansions -- at high monetary cost -- into (modern) Belgium and Germany?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

I don't know, if one of your formative experiences was fleeing the Palais Royal dressed as a commoner along with your mother and the effeminate Italian guy who ran your government while rebels sacked Paris, you might also get ideas about moving your capital to a hunting lodge outside of town (so next time Paris revolts you're not locked in with the mob) and forcing the nobles to spend their time there to keep an eye on them. Also running your government yourself so you don't need to rely on effeminate Italian clergymen in the future.

The Fronde, especially coming on the tail of the French Wars of Religion, was a pretty huge sign that France as it had been run simply did not work.

What's wrong with effeminate Italian clergymen? They certainly did a better job running the country than Louis XIV.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

How effective were Louis's wars of expansion? Was France really that much more defensible after his expansions -- at high monetary cost -- into (modern) Belgium and Germany?

France never was really able to break out and that is because he always checked by alliances that could wear him down and force peace with only minimal territory changing hands.

I guess the most successful of these wars the last one in that it put a Bourbon on the Spanish throne and would lead to Spain and France being more often than not (though not always) allied against Britain over the course of the 18th century, including the American Revolution.

This was countered at the beginning of the previous war, with England being moved to the status of being a firm opponent with the William III coming to the throne. Charles II and Louis had allied against the Dutch in the 1670's and one of the ways that William defeated them, was by allying with Austria and Spain, forcing an end to the conflict.

So, long wars, very costly for all involved, but no one was really ever able to claim complete dominance as a result of them.

[Simfan34]

Good riddance to one of the worst rulers France ever had.

I don't know, if one of your formative experiences was fleeing the Palais Royal dressed as a commoner along with your mother and the effeminate Italian guy who ran your government while rebels sacked Paris, you might also get ideas about moving your capital to a hunting lodge outside of town (so next time Paris revolts you're not locked in with the mob) and forcing the nobles to spend their time there to keep an eye on them. Also running your government yourself so you don't need to rely on effeminate Italian clergymen in the future.

The Fronde, especially coming on the tail of the French Wars of Religion, was a pretty huge sign that France as it had been run simply did not work.

What's wrong with effeminate Italian clergymen? They certainly did a better job running the country than Louis XIV.

In what way? They certainly did not keep it peaceful.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Where...ON EARTH...is...THE PIC??

Styley

Sacrilège...

Well, funded one of the bases of Modern France, other base being...

The Street against The Castle, and so it goes for about 2 centuries...

All French politics for you...

What's wrong with effeminate Italian clergymen? They certainly did a better job running the country than Louis XIV.

lol, Jospin lover forever.