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Article: A king at four: not long after Anne of Austria posed with her son Louis, Louis XIII died and the young dauphin became king of France.(Louis XIV)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- April 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Louis XIV WAS ONE OF EUROPE'S GRANDEST and most powerful rulers. During his 72-year rule, France became the leading power in Europe and set the tone for all the other monarchies. The country's future, however, did not look so rosy in 1643 when Louis became king at age four and a half, and no one could have predicted Louis's success. France had been through 100 years of conflict. Louis's grandfather, Henry IV, had come to power when his predecessor, Henry III, was assassinated. Before that, there had been an entire generation of civil wars called the Wars of Religion. Nobles supporting a Catholic kingdom had fought nobles advocating toleration for the Huguenots, ...