Louis XIV ( Louis XIVSeptember 5, 1638-September 1, 1715), King of the Bourbon Dynasty of France (reigned 1643-1715), was one of the longest-serving monarchs in the world.

I am the country; what constitutes the greatness and dignity of a king is not the scepter in his hand, but the method of holding it; only the monarch has the right to think and make decisions, and others have only the obligation to implement it. -Louis XIV

Louis XIV was God's favorite. He suddenly came into the world after his parents had been married for 23 years and had no children. He was the third king of the Bourbon Dynasty in France. His grandfather, Henry IV, laid a solid foundation for the Bourbon Dynasty. During his father, Louis XIII, under the control of political expert Richelieu, he began to devote himself to competing for European hegemony. In 1643, five-year-old Louis XIV was carried on the throne of king by his mother Anna, beginning his 72-year long imperial career.

As one historian put it, in the face of Louis XIV, the "Sun King", even the most arrogant emperor would be dwarfed. What are the conditions for a famous monarch who fully enjoys authority and glory? Let's take a look at Louis XIV, who is "the most perfect embodiment of despotism".

First, he must fully control the power of the country. After Louis XIV ascended the throne as a child, he was regent by the Queen Mother Anna, and the real power was in the hands of Cardinal and Prime Minister Massalin. Since he was a child, Masarin instilled in him the idea of absolute monarchy and taught him to be strict and arbitrary in the future. Between the age of 10 and 15, he had two "stone catapults". The displacement of being forced to escape from Paris left his heart unforgettable and strengthened his determination to strengthen the power of the monarch. After taking power in 1661, he worked hard to govern politics and took everything personally. He firmly controlled the power in his hands, no longer appointed the prime minister, and refused to convene three-level meetings. After being criticized by the High Court many times, he cancelled the High Court's power to criticize the king's edicts. He made many wonderful remarks about absolute monarchy, such as "I am the country","Only the monarch has the right to think and make decisions, and others have only the obligation to implement", etc. The Palace of Versailles and the Bastille were his two governing tools, soft and hard. The patrol and the dragon cavalry were his minions reaching out to all parts of the country.

Secondly, he must have a prominent personality, outstanding talent, and have a long enough time in office. Louis XIV lived a romantic life, was versatile, and was familiar with astronomy, geography, anatomy, etc. He reigned for 72 years (actual time in power was 54 years), making him the longest reigning emperor in European history, and he also left a particularly profound impression on his country.

The great career of a great emperor requires at least one financial expert and several powerful generals. For Louis XIV, Colber seemed to be a special gift from God. The finance director's reforms not only reversed the huge losses left by his predecessor, but also gave Louis XIV a rich treasury to support his energy. The generals, represented by the "Gemini" of Durenne and Prince Condé, spread the prestige of the "Sun King" to all parts of Europe through artillery fire. In fact, by the end of his life, Louis XIV's empire, which had lost these talents, had obviously declined.

There were four major wars waged by Louis XIV: the "Queen's Legacy War" with Spain in 1665-1668, the Dutch War in 1672-1679, the War of Augsburg with the Emperor of Austria in 1688-1697, and the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701-1713. We can see that more than half of Louis XIV's years in power were in a state of war. In these wars, France was always in a situation of fighting more with less, perhaps because of the failure of Louis XIV's diplomacy, and perhaps because of the concept of "balance of power" inherent in Europe. In the first two wars, France was mainly victorious, gaining some territories in the South Netherlands. In the last two wars, France was mostly defeated, but it also saved some face. His successful succession to the Spanish throne by his grandson was perhaps Louis XIV's greatest gift to his Bourbons. Although he failed to expand France's territory, Louis XIV's wars changed the landscape of Europe and the world. His focus was on the Netherlands. After more than half a century of attrition, the seventeenth-century maritime hegemony of the Netherlands was significantly weakened, and too much focus on continental strife also slowed the pace of French expansion overseas. As a result, the British benefited from the fishermen. Louis XIV's era was the era when the British gradually established their maritime hegemony.

As a generation of famous monarchs, there is also a need for a flourishing academic culture and iconic buildings as a whitewash. Look at the following names: Corneille, Molière, Racine, La Fontaine, and you can see the cultural prosperity of Louis XIV's era. Their achievements cannot be regarded as Louis XIV's achievements, but there is also a certain relationship with Louis XIV's sponsorship of culture as "the greatest patron of the arts in France's history". Louis XIV's greatest contribution to the development of science was his establishment of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris (the predecessor of the French Academy of Sciences), and his generous sponsorship. The Academy of Sciences attracted leading scholars such as Hobbes, Cassini, and Huygens at that time. Later, the era of the Industrial Revolution produced countless fruits that changed the face of human science. Louis XIV's fame was also due in part to the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles, a masterpiece in the history of world architecture that cost 10 years and countless dollars.

During the era of Louis XIV, due to France's hot international status, French replaced Latin as the common language of European diplomacy. The ability to speak fluent French was a fashionable symbol in the upper classes of all countries.

Louis XIV believed that a unified religious belief would benefit his rule. In 1685, he promulgated the Edict of Fontainebleau, abolishing the national policy of religious tolerance established by his grandfather Henry IV in the Edict of Nantes 87 years ago and resuming the persecution of Protestants. Among the Protestants were a large number of skilled craftsmen, who fled abroad with their skills to benefit foreign countries. This was the price Louis XIV paid for his autocracy. However, during the era of Louis XIV, France made a great achievement in its overseas undertakings. The French aristocrat Lassalle surveyed the Mississippi River Basin in North America and announced to the world that the entire Mississippi River Basin belonged to King Louis XIV of France, and named it Louisiana.

Another very interesting thing about Louis XIV's influence on history. Because he was short, he put on special 15 cm high shoes to enhance his sense of majesty. As a result, the whole country competed to follow suit and developed into high heels that later became popular around the world. Of course, today high heels have become women's patents, which may have been unexpected by Louis XIV, the initiator. Louis XIV was obsessed with ballet all his life and personally participated in ballet performances many times. Under his advocacy, the art of ballet became more and more perfect and gradually became a fashionable art that became popular in Europe.

Louis XIV used his words and actions to reinterpret the concept of "monarchy" in Europe. While democratic constitutionalism achieved a series of victories in the British Isles, there was a wave of strengthening absolute monarchy on the European continent. Strengthening absolute monarchy had its positive significance in Europe at that time, which was conducive to further eliminating the feudal separatism of local lords and preparing conditions for the formation of a nation-state. However, the endless wars during the Louis XIV period, the extravagant and wasteful life in his later years and the spread of corruption caused France's financial situation to deteriorate again, and also caused people of insight to increase their doubts and reflections on autocratic monarchy. Although there were more than 70 years before the death of Louis XIV and the outbreak of the French Revolution, most historical critics believe that there is an inevitable connection between the two.

Due to the tremendous energy emitted by the "Sun King" over a period of more than half a century, he was ranked 24th in this list.

Comments: Louis XIV's imperial career can be summed up in the words "great success". However, as a leader among the "great success" emperors of the past dynasties, Louis XIV's competitive spirit also promoted the development of history, such as strengthening the centralization of power in line with the historical trend of the time, flourishing academic culture, etc. Comparison and vanity can sometimes become the driving force for historical development.