it was the desire for system and order, for unity and obedience,
that first claimed Louis' attention. He believed with a political
theorist of his day "that the king alone is sovereign in
his kingdom and that sovereignty is no more divisible than the
point in geometry." all power had to be gathered in his hands.
he denied the great nobles a significant role in the government,
but to win their loyalty he brought them to court and treated
them to a series of entertainments. He heaped on them titles,
honorary positions, and pensions. To their younger sons went the
richest ecclesiastical benefices. When court life became dull,
there was usually a war on which king and noble could embark in
search of honor and glory. No noble could hope for advancement
without winning favor at court, and royal generosity was a heavy
financial drain on France. Louis finally tamed the French nobility,
but in doing so he became their captive. From the time of his
reign, the fortunes of king and great noble were so closely bound
together that they could not be separated. Their alliance led
to their mutual destruction in the Revolution.
Great Moments in History is a collection of ten momentous events in World and American history, covered by live, on-the-spot newscasters. These are "first-hand" dramatizations enhanced by full-range, professional sound effects.
