The reign of Louis XIV lasted an astounding length of seventy-two years. Louis XIV was born on September 16,1638. His reign started when he was only four years old when his father Louis XIII died on May 14, 1643. Louis XIV chose the sun as his emblem. The sun was associated with Apollo, god of peace and arts, and was also a heavenly body that gave life to all things. Like Apollo, Louis XIV brought peace and was a patron of the arts.

Louis XIV's father Louis XIII ruled with Cardinal Richelieu, who served as First Minister. When Louis XIII died Cardinal Richelieu also died shortly after the King's death. Richelieu's successor, Cardinal Mazarin, governed the country until Louis XIV grew up. He always wanted to be able to rule alone. So when his first Minister Mazarin died, he decided against ruling with a First Minister. Only a limited share of power was allowed to the able comptroller general of finances, Jean Baptiste

Colbert. Colbert believed in an active economic role for the State, he promoted manufacturing and commerce, built up the navy, and developed the French colonies overseas.

When it came to foreign affairs, Louis XIV's consistent aim was to glorify France. Louis's army consisted of one hundred thousand solders in peacetime and four hundred thousand solders in wartime. In four wars he displayed before all of Europe his ability as a military leader. In 1667, Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands. His quick victories impelled England, Holland, and Sweden to check France and force the Peace of Aix-la-Chapellein in 1668. Louis gained twelve fortresses in Flanders and soon isolated the Dutch by buying England and Swedish neutrality. In 1672 Louis sent an army against Holland. For six years the Dutch aided by Spain and Austria, staved off French attacks. The treaties signed at Nijmegen, in 1678, did not dismantle Holland but gave Louis the Franche-Comte region and more forts in Flanders. When Louis's armies were battling Dutch Protestants, Louis had been denying religious liberty to the Protestants of France. In 1685, determined to force conversion of the Protestants, Louis revoked their Charter of Liberties. The Edict of Nantes forced more than two hundred thousand into exile and ignited the Camisard's revolt. The overconfident Louis sent an army into the Rhineland in 1688 to claim the palatinate for his sister-in-law Elizabeth Charlotte of Bavaria. This war of the League of Augsburg revealed serious problems in Louis's army. Louis's last military venture was the War of Spanish Succession from 1701 to 1713. This stemmed form his acceptance to the Spanish throne on behalf of his grandson, Phillip. Louis's armies, opposed by

Some common words found in the essay are:
Louis XIV, Palace Versailles, louis xiv, Louis XIV's, France Louis's, Edict Nantes, Colbert Colbert, France Previously, Le Norte, Minister Mazarin, Peace Aix-la-Chapellein, palace versailles, louis xiv's, patron arts, hundred thousand, louis xiii, hundred thousand solders, protestants louis, louis's armies, cardinal richelieu, louis sent, father louis xiii, louis xiii died, louis sent army,
Approximate Word count = 1176
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)