Louis tried to rule under a political theory known as absolutism, an ideology that supports a single ruler controlling all aspects of governance. He promoted the divine right of kings, or the belief that royalty derived their right to rule directly from God. Louis XIV exemplified this viewpoint when he said “l’état, c’est moi,” a French phrase meaning “I am the state.” During Louis’ time, many parts of France were being ruled locally by nobles who often had their own fighting forces. Louis saw this as a threat to his power, so he began constructing the Palace of Versailles, with the intention of residing there alongside his nobles. By doing so, Louis could ensure that he was the only person who had any power over the people of France. While living in Louis’ court, many of the nobles were introduced to court rituals and etiquette, rather than the violence they were accustomed to when dealing with problems amongst themselves. Louis’ methods proved to be very successful in uniting France under one king.
Not only did Louis unite France under one king, he also took measures to govern France under one law. Domestically, Louis hand-picked intendants to supervise the collection of taxes and the provisioning of the army in each region; this use of a nationwide bureaucracy allowed him to rule all of France under one law. The Head of Royal Finances, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, promoted a new economic doctrine known as mercantilism. This allowed France to do whatever was necessary to strengthen their nation’s economy. This meant enacting high foreign tariffs to regulate import and support primarily France’s economy. Colbert also tried to strengthen New France by sending thousands to work at trading companies there. As well as uniting France’s economic policy under one law, Louis took measures to centralize one standing army for the purpose of defending France in case enemies attacked. Although by moving all of the nobles to Versailles Louis minimized the risk of being overthrown, he still felt that he should take precautionary measures. Louis’ aggressive economic strategy and attempts to increase his territory earned him many enemies in Europe; he ended up fighting the War of Devolution, the Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg and the War of the Spanish Succession. Although Louis made many enemies in the process, he was successful in uniting France under one law and economic regime.
As well as governing France under one law, Louis was also somewhat successful in his goal of ruling France under one faith. The Jansenists – Catholics whose practices represented Protestantism – were the first victims of Louis religious persecution. Louis began enforcing decrees against Jansenism, as well as closing down Jansenist theological centers. Louis’ repudiation of the Edict of Nantes instated by his grandfather was a second example of his will to govern France with religious conformity. By repudiating the Edict of Nantes, Louis hoped that the Huguenots would convert to Catholicism and he would no longer have to worry about Protestantism in France. However, this proved only to have a negative impact for Louis, as he ended up driving thousands of Huguenots to pack up and move abroad. In some ways, Louis was successful in governing France under one faith, although some of his decisions drove many people away.
Louis was an absolute monarch who established his power over all of France. His greatest contribution, the Palace of Versailles, stands today as a remembrance of Louis’ methods in ensuring that France was run under one king, one law, and one faith. Louis was successful in his mission in many ways, although his religious intolerance led many people to flee France and seek asylum elsewhere.