The Trial of Louis XIVLouis XIV is widely known as the king executed at the end of the French Revolution. The general public executed him for what they believed to be treason, for a multitude of underlying, but unpopular, legal reasons. But does the failure of his reign as king justify his premature death? We have the opportunity to explore this further with reliable, modern and unbiased facts, which ultimately conclude that Louis XIV is innocent of the charges against him. The first accusation focuses on Louis XIV's absolutist rule over France and how he would strip citizens' rights. Absolutism is the principle of a government where a single leader controls everything. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAccording to Thomas Hobbes, the use of absolutism leads to a unified and powerful government where it is the duty of the ruler to protect the people in exchange for total submission. It is not done to suppress the rights of the people, but rather for the people to help the king secure their rights. Louis XIV's objective was to strengthen the power and economy of France, even if it meant sacrificing the rights of some. According to Hobbes, when a government is divided into branches (military, legislation, etc.) where separate individuals control different parts, dissension between them can cause the government to malfunction, because all branches are necessary to fully function. When there is a single power, there can be no disagreement between the leaders of the branches responsible for maintaining order in the state. Even though Louis XIV was an absolutist monarch, he supported the long-term well-being of his people. Louis is also accused of irresponsible spending of tax money, which ultimately only benefited him. He is well known for being the king who built the Palace of Versailles, which served as offices for bureaucrats, living quarters for royals and nobility, and a workplace for servants. It had many practical uses for government and benefited many more people. Louis also used tax money to build new roads. This promoted trade and benefited the subjects. He also invested in domestic industry, to increase exports and further strengthen the French economy. Although he invested some of the money in the arts for personal reasons, the majority of the funds were reinvested into the economy. Finally, Louis was accused of hate crimes and discrimination against Huguenots, which stemmed from the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. This is an edict which allows Huguenots to freely practice their religion in 150 fortified towns. According to absolutist belief, a country must be united by all means to become as powerful as possible. This includes religious beliefs that still divided Catholics from Huguenots in France. Louis imposed Catholic baptism on all Huguenots and ordered them to fully convert. The existence of the Huguenot religion represented a risk of religious wars in France, causing massive bloodshed and a negative economic impact. Louis was willing to sacrifice the well-being of a generation of Huguenots for the lasting well-being of France. Louis knew that the destruction of the Huguenot religion would lead to a unified and formidable nation. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Louis XIV was one of the greatest absolutist monarchs of all time. Contrary to popular belief, it is..