Louis XIV of France - Legacy

Legacy

According to Philippe de Dangeau's Journal, Louis on his deathbed advised his heir:

"Do not follow the bad example which I have set you; I have often undertaken war too lightly and have sustained it for vanity. Do not imitate me, but be a peaceful prince, and may you apply yourself principally to the alleviation of the burdens of your subjects."

Some historians point out that exaggerating one's sins was a customary demonstration of piety in those days. Accordingly, in assessing him, they do not place much emphasis on Louis's deathbed declarations. Rather, they focus on his success in placing a French prince on the Spanish throne. This, they contend, ended the threat of an aggressive Spain which historically interfered in domestic French politics. These historians also emphasise the effect of Louis's wars in expanding France and creating more defensible frontiers, preserving France from invasion until the Revolution. Arguably, Louis also indirectly applied himself to "the alleviation of the burdens of subjects." For example, Louis patronised the arts, encouraged industry, fostered trade and commerce, and sponsored the founding of an overseas empire. Moreover, the significant reduction in civil wars and aristocratic rebellions are seen by these historians as the result of Louis's consolidation of royal authority over feudal elites. In their opinion, his early reforms centralised France and marked the birth of the modern State. They regard the political and military victories as well as numerous cultural achievements as the means by which Louis helped raise France to Europe's pre-eminent position. Such was the case that France served as an example of political organisation for much of Europe during the Enlightenment. Europe came to admire France for its successes, power and sophistication. And European began to emulate French manners, values, goods and way-of-life. French even became the lingua franca of the European elite.

Louis's detractors have argued that his considerable foreign, military and domestic expenditure impoverished and bankrupted France. However, his supporters distinguish the State, which was impoverished, from France, which was not. As evidence in support, they cite the literature of the time, such as the social commentary, Lettres Persanes by Montesquieu.

Alternatively, Louis's critics attribute the social upheaval culminating in the Revolution to his failure to reform French institutions while the monarchy was still secure. But, other scholars opine that there was little reason to reform institutions which largely worked well under him. They also maintain that events occurring almost eighty years after his death were not reasonably foreseeable to Louis and that in any case his successors had sufficient time to initiate reforms of their own.

Louis has often been criticised for his vanity. Saint-Simon, who claimed that Louis slighted him, criticised him thus:

"There was nothing he liked so much as flattery, or, to put it more plainly, adulation; the coarser and clumsier it was, the more he relished it."

For his part, Voltaire saw Louis's vanity as the cause for his bellicosity:

"It is certain that he passionately wanted glory, rather than the conquests themselves. In the acquisition of Alsace and half of Flanders, and of all of Franche-Comté, what he really liked was the name he made for himself."

But, Louis has also received praise. The anti-Bourbon Napoleon described him not only as "a great king," but also as "the only King of France worthy of the name." Leibniz, the German Protestant philosopher, commended him as "one of the greatest kings that ever was." And Lord Acton admired him as "by far the ablest man who was born in modern times on the steps of a throne." Finally, Voltaire also dubbed his reign "an eternally memorable age," calling it "le Grand Siècle" (the "Great Century").