Peter The Great And Louis Xiv In The Period Of Absolutism

Constitutional states were trying to formulate ways to share power and authority, but absolute monarchies found ways to increase state power. Absolutism stood on a theoretical foundation known as the divine right of kings (Bentley, 643). An absolute monarch has unrestricted power in political, philosophical, and theological matters. King Louis XIV and Peter the Great were two of the most significant monarchs of the Age of Absolutism.

Louis XIV became king at the age of four after the death of his father, Louis XIII (BBC.com). As a child he was neglected by his parents because they favored his older brother (lumenlearning.com). After Cardinal Mazarin’s death in 1661, Louis XIV broke tradition and astonished his court by declaring that he would continue to rule without a chief minister. Louis is often remembered for his bold and infamous statement “L’État, c’est moi” (“I am the State”) (history.com). King Louis XIV was a very confident and conceited man who viewed himself as a direct representative of God which meant he had divine right to hold absolute power of the monarchy, in order to illustrate his power he became known as le roi soleil (“sun king”) (history.com). The main center of attention at Versailles, royal hunting lodge near Paris, was the sun king. Nobles living at Versailles mastered intricacies of court ritual and attended banquets, concerts, operas, balls, and theatrical performances, while Louis and his ministers ran the state. In exchange for absolute rule, Louis provided the nobility with luxurious accommodations and he always kept them entertained. Louis and his advisers were able to control a large standing army that kept order throughout the land. They also promoted economic development by supporting the establishment of new industries, building roads and canals, abolishing internal tariffs, and encouraging exports. In order to expand French boundaries and establish France as the preeminent power in Europe, they engaged in a series of wars (Bentley, 643-44). Louis XIV worked extremely hard to tighten and centralize control of France and its overseas colonies (history.com). While establishing a more orderly and stable French government, Louis XIV constructed a more centralized administration that included the middle class as its foundation (biography.com). Many historians view Louis XIV as the “Perfect Absolutist”, which is not a compliment. Louis XIV strongly promoted science, art and technology in France but, he led France into many expensive wars. In order to cover the costs of wars, he raised taxes. (reference.com). He let the power get to his head which drove to, in 1685, revoke the Edict of Nantes, which King Henry IV signed in 1598, that granted French Protestants civil liberties. Louis XIV then had Protestant churches effectively banned from France and the civil liberties of the French Protestants revoked, resulting in many converting to Catholicism and others fleeing the country (study.com). Louis XIV had a great way of demonstrating his power to the people, which is why it is accurate to refer to him as the “Perfect Absolutist”.

Peter the Great inherited a nation that was extremely underdeveloped. He had a desire to make Russia into a great military power like those that had emerged in Western Europe recently. In 1697-1698 Peter the Great led a large party of Russian observers on a tour to learn about Western Europe administrative methods and military technology. Peter was able to reform the army by offering them better pay and he also drafted peasants who would serve for life as professional soldiers. In order to have a successful army, he provided them with extensive training and equip them with modern weapons (Bentley, 646). Peter was working very hard to make his nation more advanced. He began to order aristocrats to study geometry so that they would be able to calculate how to accurately aim cannons and then he began the construction of a navy (Bentley,646). Peter created a strong navy, was able to reorganize his army according to Western standards, secularized schools, administered greater control over the reactionary Orthodox Church, and he introduced new administrative and territorial divisions of the country (biography.com). Peter wanted to facilitate tax collection and improve administrative efficiency so he overhauled the government bureaucracy. Western Europe inspired Peter so much, that he commanded his aristocrat subjects to wear their fashions and ordered men to shave their traditional beards. A great symbol of his policies was St. Petersburg, which was a newly built seaport that Peter opened in 1703 to serve as a magnificent capital city and haven for Russia’s fledgling navy (Bentley,646). Under Peter's rule, Russia was able to become a great European nation. In 1721, he proclaimed Russia an empire and gained the title of Emperor of All Russia, Great Father of the Fatherland, and 'the Great.' Peter proved to be a very effective leader, but he was also known to be cruel and tyrannical (biography.com). Peter the Great's westernization projects in Russia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries were an imitation of Peter the Great's favorite region, Western Europe (study.com). With all of the great reforms he made for his nation and the amount of power he had, he does deserve to be known as Peter the Great.

Louis XIV and Peter the Great had many similarities and differences in each of their reigns. Both of them found ways to exhibit their power. Louis XIV built the residence of Versailles, but Peter the Great built a seaport called St. Petersburg. Louis and Peter were both able to control large armies that would greatly impact their countries. Both Peter and Louis raised taxes in their countries during their reign. They both wanted to weaken the authority of the nobility class in order to obtain absolute power, but they had different goals. Louis XIV’s main goal was to destroy the French Protestants. Peter the Great’s main goal was to make Russia more like Western Europe in every way possible. Peter the Great and Louis XIV were certainly two of the most significant Monarchs of the Age of Absolutism because they were able to demonstrate a great level of control over their people in their own ways.

In conclusion, Louis XIV and Peter the Great were both two of the most significant monarchs of the Age of Absolutism. They both made many reforms that would benefit their countries. They were both able to obtain absolute power in their states. Louis XIV and Peter the Great both proved that they deserve the titles they have received from historians. Both of them were able to demonstrate how people handle absolute power differently and what they do in common.