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OT HARD D D D D TO IMAGINE.
AND THE TRUTH IS, AN OVERBLOWN
EGO IS PART OF WHAT MAKES A
LEADER A LEADER.
IT MAY ALSO BE THE SECRET TO
LONGEVITY, BECAUSE MASSIVE EGO
PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE LIFE
OF LOUIS XIV, THE LONGEST
REIGNING MONARCH IN HISTORY.
LOUIS XIV BECAME KING OF
FRANCE IN 1643 WITH THE DEATH OF
HIS FATHER, NAMED-- YOU GUESSED
IT-- LOUIS THE XIII.
LITTLE LOUIS WAS JUST SHY OF HIS
FIFTH BIRTHDAY, AN AGE AT WHICH
MOST CHILDREN TODAY ARE MORE
INTERESTED IN PLAYING GAMES
THAN WITH SETTING GOVERNMENTAL
POLICY.
BUT THE YOUNG LOUIS WAS THE
LEADER OF FRANCE'S 19 MILLION
SUBJECTS, AND ACCORDING TO ITS
CONSTITUTION, HE EVEN OWNED
THEM.
HE WAS FREE TO DO WITH THEM AS
HE PLEASED.
BUT IN REALITY, FOR YEARS,
LOUIS' OFFICIAL DUTIES WERE
HANDLED BY CARDINAL JULES
MAZARIN, FRANCE'S PRIME
MINISTER.
WHEN MAZARIN DIED IN 1661, 22-
YEAR OLD LOUIS HAD AN EPIPHANY:
GOD HAD MEANT HIM TO BE KING.
THIS CONCEPT OF DIVINE RULE
WOULD BE PASSED ON TO ALL FUTURE
KINGS.
LOUIS SET ABOUT TRANSFORMING
HIMSELF INTO THE SUN KING,
AROUND WHOM THE WORLD WOULD
REVOLVE.
LOLOLOLOLOLOUIS' BIGGEST STEP WE
THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OUT OF
PARIS TO THE PALACE OF
VERSAILLES.
>> Brundage: THE PALACE OF
VERSAILLES WAS THE VISIBLE
SYMBOL OF THE KING'S ALL-SEEING
POWER.
THE SUN KING RESIDED THERE;
HIS POWER RADIATED EVERYWHERE.
>> Rowe: LOUIS REVELED IN THE
BEAUTY OF ART AND LITERATURE,
BUT HIS INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR
WAR WAS DECIDEDLY UGLY.
>> Brundage: LOUIS' MILITARY
CAMPAIGNS WERE UNDERTAKEN IN
PART TO CREATE A GREATER SENSE
OF PATRIOTISM AND ATTACHMENT TO
THE CROWN BY THE COMMON PEOPLE,
AND IN THAT, IT CERTAINLY
SUSUSUCCEEDED.
>> Rowe: LOUIS' 50 YEARS OF WAR
ALSO PUT FRANCE ON THE MAP AS A
WORLD POWER, BUT LOUIS
OVERESTIMATED HIS OWN STAMINA.
IRONICALLY, THE ONE-TIME BOY
KING HAD GROWN OLD.
HE COULD NO LONGER RULE HIS
EMPIRE EFFECTIVELY, AND FRANCE
WAS WEAKENED.
HE DIED IN 1715, AFTER RULING
FRANCE FOR 72 YEARS-- THE
LONGEST REIGNING MONARCH IN
HISTORY.
>> Rowe: THROUGHOUT HIS REIGN,
LOUIS USED HIS POWER FOR BOTH
GOOD AND EVIL.
HE LOVED ART, SO HE FINANCED
PAINTERS, BUT HE ALSO HAHAHAHAHE
PROTESTANTS, SO HE DID ALL HE
COULD TO OPPRESS, PERSECUTE AND
KILL THEM.
LOUIS AND FIDEL-- CLEARLY, A
COUPLE OF GUYS WITH POWER