Absolutism was the idea that the monarch of the country had unlimited authority, which was granted to him by reason known as the divine right of kings. The epitome of absolutism in both theory and execution took place in France under the aegis of King Louis XIV. It became the custom to anoint kings with holy oils when they were crowned, and thus a natural assumption from this symbolic act. But the king was the representative of God placed on earth to fulfill the duties of protecting the people on earth. The extreme view of this belief would be something akin to blasphemy, raising a mortal king to the status of an almost demigod.
In the court of Louis XIV this last thing is done in the court of Versailles. The theoretical construction of absolute power would have placed the sum total of all authority within the throne, but the political situation at Versailles was such that Louis understood that order could only be fully established by working with his nobles. Absolute power in the case of Louis meant that the authority of distant nobles must be kept under close control in order to maintain order throughout the state. At the same time, one of the last aims which belonged to the establishment of absolutism in France was the restriction of privileged interests, which in the recent past had become an obstacle to the exercise of royal power.
The spoils of both the nobles and the clergy, as well as the political influence of certain regions which had little threat of autonomy, presented continuous obstacles to Louis’s dream of absolute authority. A strong, centralized monarchy was necessary to realize the limits of its power without the intrusion of these special interests. The best method to achieve this goal was not a coercive technique in the way of extinguishing those obstacles, but the secret weapon of those who covet absolute power even today: propaganda.
The brilliance of Louis’ claim to unrestrained power lies in the fact that he could convince the citizens that the strongest central monarchy was the most effective way to secure domestic peace. Real or imagined threats to the security of citizens remain the most effective way for citizens to sacrifice liberties and freedom even in these times. The talent of Louis XIV was that he was able to persuade the nobles and even the clerics by his power and by his power, and he placed in his hands the authority of the road to a firm force to resist the threats from within and without. The final result of French absolutism was that Louis clearly wanted to gain control and power over many assets.
The move brought the absolute military authority of France over the entire empire of the crown. Perhaps even more importantly, the king and the court had the ability to pass laws and make laws. And, perhaps even more important, the move to monarchy placed the absolute ability to collect and spend revenue directly in the hands of the king. The creation of a bureaucratic complex, which depended on a strong central government, still preserved the power of self-management, which the absolutist form of government so desperately needs to ensure that even eyes exist that can be ruthlessly confused. process engineers to find corruption and illegal activities.
