9781422285831

In 1643 Louis XIV came to the throne. Known as the Sun King, he believed in the “divine right of kings,” claiming that the only being above a king was God. During his autocratic reign, war with France’s European rivals was almost constant. By the end of his rule, France was nearly impoverished . The excesses under Louis XIV fuelled discontent, which led to a major turn- ing point in the country’s history. In 1789 the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy and the country was governed as a republic. The motto “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” (freedom, equality, fraternity) was coined and has shaped the country’s approach to democracy ever since. Between the start of the Rev- olution and 1794, some 20,000 people had been executed. Executions were considered a diversion with people jostling for the best places to watch. It is no wonder this period was known as the Reign of Terror. France’s rival powers—Austria, Britain, Naples, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Spain—would try to contain its growing ambitions in Europe. However, their forces suffered a defeat at Toulon by the revolutionary army that increased the renown of Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the most famed rulers in world history. Napoleon I became emperor of France in 1804, establishing the First French Empire. Napoleon created a constitution with a system of laws aimed at eliminat- ing discrimination and corruption. He also promoted education in the arts and science and, following a meeting with the Pope, restored respect for religion. In 1682, Louis XIV relocated his court to Versailles, not far from Paris. It was so admired that other European kingdoms tried to copy its design.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: FRANCE