How Did Louis Xiv Deserve The Uniformity Of Religion

The reign of Louis XIV is often associated with the image of an absolute monarch and a centralized regime. However, his desire of absolutism and indulgence of war “disturbed and harried mankind during more than fifty years of arrogant pomp” which ultimately aggravate the burden of French and lead to the overthrow of absolute monarch of France.
Louis held his simple views regarding religion that catholic church is an essential tool for maintaining the control of people and that it should serve the country as well as his bidding. In 1685 Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes; during the persecutions hundreds of thousands of Protestants left France, migrating to Holland, Germany, and America (Palmer 185). He had a profound belief in the uniformity of religion necessary to the strength and dignity of his ruling. However, the exile of Protestants brought a heavy depression to French economy since they were the emerging bourgeoisie and skilled craftsmen who held the knowledge of important techniques and styles. In the meanwhile, the religious intolerance of Louis XIV antagonized France against all the Protestant countries in Europe with the result that the
Although he developed the strongest standing army in Europe, France antagonized all other strong forces in Europe during more than fifty years of his ruling, and eventually bankrupted the French Government. “It produced poverty, misery, and depopulation….Recurring famines and tax increases provoked peasant uprisings” (Palmer 189). From the War of Devolution until the Treaty of Utrecht, Louis gained a slight portion of land in Europe, but he drained the wealth of France and aggravated the burden on French peasants. Endless wars eliminated the chances of creating a prosperous economy system in France and weakened his absolutism with huge debt. France was no longer the dominating power of