How did Louis XIV strengthen royal power?
What successes and failures did Louis XIV experience? 2 Rebuilding France: Rebuilding France From the 1560s to the 1590s, religious wars between Huguenots (French Protestants) and the Catholic majority tore France apart. To protect Protestants, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted Huguenots religious toleration and let them fortify their own towns and cities. Henry then set out to heal the shattered land. Under Henry, the government reached into every aspect of French life. By building the royal bureaucracy and reducing the power of the nobility, Henry laid the foundations for royal absolutism. 2 How Did Louis XIV Strengthen Royal Power?: How Did Louis XIV Strengthen Royal Power? Louis took the sun as the symbol of his absolute power and was often quoted as saying, “L’etat, c’est moi”—”I am the state.” During his 72-year reign, Louis did not once call a meeting of the Estates General. Louis expanded the bureaucracy and appointed intendants, royal officials who collected t
