When Louis XlV became king, what measures did he take to strengthen the nation as a royal power?

Question

a) He expanded the bureaucracy, strengthened the French army, and followed mercantilist policies to bolster the economy.

b) He withdrew from the government affairs, did away with the government's bureaucracy, and gave power to the people.

c) He built a strong army and launched successful attacks on many surrounding countries to expand France's borders.

d) He created a government composed entirely of French bourgeoisie and widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Answer 1

A and C are correct, and D is partl correct. In order to bring the aristocracy in line, Louis required that all nobles spend a good part of the year living at Versailles. This was expensive and depleted their resources, it kept them under his eyes and kept them busy with meaningless ceremony, and it made it difficult for them to plot against him. In the meantime, he put highly competent commoners into important administrative positions.