What was the greatest accomplishment of Louis XIV's reign?

Question

Also, what was his greatest failure? And was he a good or bad king?

Answer 1

i think achieving a sort of absolutism that no one else had achieved...

Answer 2

You know the expression:"It's good to be the king"? Well, it came from Mel Brooks' humour about this Sun King's 54 year reign of absolute rule. He spread French culture throughout Europe. Mansart created Versaille and the most opulent, over the top society in the history of the world for its obedience to Louis' hedonism. Moleire, Racine, and La Fontaine filled the arts with genius during this era. Louis was a freak....a culture freak..a costume freak, a sexually promiscuous freak (except during his religious period), and except for a revolt or two, his rule was very accepted.
"Louis's reign can be characterized by the remark attributed to him, “L'état, c'est moi” [I am the state]. Louis continued the nobility's exemption from taxes but forced its members into financial dependence on the crown, thus creating a court nobility occupied with ceremonial etiquette and petty intrigues. The provincial nobles also lost political power. Louis used the bourgeoisie to build his centralized bureaucracy. He curtailed local authorities and created specialized ministries, filled by professionals responsible to him. Under his minister Jean Baptiste Colbert industry and commerce expanded on mercantilist principles and a navy was developed. The war minister, the marquis de Louvois, established the foundations of French military greatness." to be found:
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0859352.html

http://www.louis-xiv.de/index.php?t=art&a=painters Le Brun undertook the artistic direction of the splendor of Louis' reign for over 20 years. Louis had his religious bouts with Rome and some famous pamphlets were published on the subject. Asside from his devout period, he really was a secularist much too involved in ostentatious self indulgence. But, he pulled it off and no one dared to question his right to do so....which really is remarkable.Louis starts out fighting against Spain, and many years later, he is fighting again in the War of the Spanish Succession There were several other wars in between with Austria, Britain, the Netherlands repeatedly, etc. He really had much better control over his countrymen and not with his European neighbors.
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0859354.html.

To answer your question if he were a good or bad king, if you were a provincial noble or Dutch, you'd hate him. If you were in his favor, you'd think him to be a great king. History seems to admire him for his ability to hold his country totally obedient. To modern democratic peoples, he would seem to have been insanely wasteful and flamboyant. Anyone who could hold the throne for that long had to be amazing though.

Answer 3

his greatest accomplishment was having a band named after him!

Answer 4

Sounds like a homework question.

Answer 5

I don't know

Answer 6

That he was beheaded.