Policy

Policy

The peak of absolutism

Also known as Louis the Great, Louis XIV strengthens the monarchy which becomes absolute monarchy by divine right. On April 13, 1655, the king decreed 17 edicts aimed at replenishing the state coffers. The legend says that on this occasion, he would have declared to the reluctant parliamentarians the famous but disputed:“The State is me! ". In fact, he never said so. He even said the opposite on his deathbed in 1715:“I am leaving, but the State will always remain”. Louis XIV dissociates himself from the State, of which he defines himself as, only, the first servant

The elimination of Fouquet

On the death of Mazarin on March 9, 1661, Louis XIV's first decision was to abolish the post of Prime Minister and to personally take control of the government, but the king's entourage was not convinced of his stature as a man. of state. Louis must prove himself and prove his authority. Six months later, on September 5, 1661, the day of his 23rd birthday, the king, following the advice of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, had Nicolas Fouquet arrested by d'Artagnan and also abolished the post of superintendent of finances. Even if Fouquet did commit some embezzlement, he did not commit more than Mazarin or Colbert. He was even quite effective during the eight years he spent in his post and, thanks to him, the finances of France recovered somewhat from the expenses linked to the Thirty Years' War and the Fronde of 1648. But the king needs to show who runs the country and eliminate the one he considers too ambitious. After three years of a trial rigged by the king, Fouquet was replaced by Colbert in 1665. The personal reign of the Sun King began.
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The first part of the reign of Louis XIV is marked by major administrative reforms and mainly the increase in tax pressure. This is how the transition from a judicial monarchy (where the main function of the king is to dispense justice) to an administrative monarchy (the king is at the head of the Administration) takes place. Finance, led by Superintendent Colbert, will supplant justice as the first concern of the Council from above. The one who should normally have been in charge of justice, the chancellor, who, under Louis XIV will be François-Michel Le Tellier, will himself abandon justice to devote himself mainly to war affairs. He created the Louis Code in 1667, a sort of civil code, the Criminal Code in 1670, the Forest Code, the edict on the classes of the navy in 1669, the commercial ordinance in 1673.

Over time, two clans will set up alongside him and live together while competing with each other. The Colbert clan will manage everything related to the economy, foreign policy, the navy and culture while the Le Tellier-Louvois clan will have control over defence. The king thus adopted the motto "Divide to conquer better". By having two rival clans under his orders, it is certain that they would self-control and that this would prevent any excesses allowing one of his ministers to succeed in a coup against him.

Until 1671, the Colbert clan dominated but, when the preparations for the Dutch war began, the reluctance of Colbert, who was reluctant to again embark on large expenditures, began to discredit him in the eyes of the king. In addition, the age difference between Colbert (52 years old at the time) and the king (33 years old) means that the king naturally approaches Louvois who is only 30 years old and has the same passion:war. Until 1685, the Louvois clan was the most influential.