first minister. He decided to rule alone with Jean Colbert as his financial advisor. Colbert encouraged industry and foriegn exports and rebuilt the French navy. After all that had happened to Louis during his childhood he proved to be a hardworking king. Louis had an idea to build a palace at Versailles, which became the showplace of Europe. He spent millions to turn it into a marvelous building filled with gold and emeralds. Itwas meant to awe people, so that when people went there they would be intimidated by him. It was the social place to be in Europe and other countries wanted to go there as well. The nobles were now trying to win the favor of the king. They had to spend time every year at Versailles. The extravagance of the court meant a heavy burden of tax forthe common, who were reduced to a misery so great that they eventually rose up inrebellion.This helps ideas of enlightenment, which came into full effect under Louis XVI. To crush power, Louis XIV had the Parlement de Paris made up of judges. They registered kings edicts and had them written down. Louis had a passion for fame and a desire to increase French territory. He ignored the oppurtunities to gain an empire in America and got France into wars that ruined the country financially and paved the wayfor the outbreak of the French Revolution. The first wars he had France fight in brought some land, but in the end other European countries were becoming allies against him. People began to feel that life would be better if things would change. Louis wanted to prevent any recovery of the Hapsburg dynasty's power. While battling, Louis had been denying religious liberty to the Huguenots and tightening control over his Catholic clergy. He was determined to force the Huguenots to convert, so he revoked the Edict of Nantes. Protestantism became illegal again. This had a negative effect on France. religious persecution and violence rose again. Many Huguenots ...
