King Louis XV was born at Versailles on February 15, 1710. Louis XV succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of 5. He commanded on his own in the year 1723, although he was many times influenced by his mistress, Marquise de Pompadour.
During his reign, he was involved in 3 wars. They were the War of the Polish Succession, the War of Ausrian Succession, and finally the Seven Years' War. In the first war, France gained the province of Lorraine. The second was never resolved. Finally, the third lost most of its overseas possesions to the British.
When King Louis gained control of the throne at age 5, he had an advisor helping him along the way, this mans name was Andre Hercule de Fleury. Fleury was one of the main causes of France's financial problems. The factors left after the previous kings' reign left a dent in the monarcy and financial policies. They tried a new tax system, which failed. They also attempted to reform the parlement, that too failed. As King Louis' reign grew, the aristocracy added in their influence. By this time, the country was near bankruptcy. When the financial problems could not be solved, the French Revolution began soon after King Louis XV's reign.
Along with the major problems to deal with, he had also established secret diplomacy. He basically stationed secret French agents around in major European capitals to pursue political objectives. This too backfired on King Louis. He ended up losing possesions in North America and India.
King Louis XV died May 10, 1774. He had many downs during his reign, but he created new policies and led a path for King Louis XVI to take over with. |
