Video spoilers history, starting with the blitzkrieg on Poland

The sky screen continues to play:

[The phrase "I am the state" is not only a declaration of his ruling philosophy, but also marks the beginning of the peak of French monarchy.]

[He firmly believed that the king's power was granted by God and that the king's power should not be challenged.]

【After taking power, Louis XIV demonstrated terrifying administrative efficiency. 】

[He abolished the position of Prime Minister and personally handled government affairs, working more than 12 hours a day.]

[From military affairs, diplomacy to economy and culture, he personally takes care of everything. ]

【He established a strict bureaucratic system to keep power firmly in his own hands. 】

【He weakened the power of the nobility and abolished the Paris Parlement's right to advise. 】

【He established an unprecedented system of rule:】

【He invented the 'sealed letter' system. 】

[The provincial officials received an order in an envelope that contained a second envelope, and only the king's confidants knew when it would be opened.]

[The most ingenious thing is the 'supervisory officer' system. ]

[These bureaucrats, who were directly responsible to the king, replaced the local power of the hereditary nobility and allowed central government orders to reach every corner of France for the first time.]

[But the real control is in the details.]

[The courtiers at Versailles discovered that the king could remember who had stood in the wrong place at a banquet five years earlier.]

[He asked the nobles to hand over documents in a specific posture, just to test their obedience.]

[Even the mistresses' competition for favor had to follow the 'promotion rules' he set.]

[As the Duke of Saint-Simon wrote in his memoirs: He turned himself into the clockwork of the nation, making everyone move to his rhythm.]

[And these efforts have paid off.]

【France's national strength is growing day by day, and with the help of tax system reform, the country's fiscal revenue has increased. 】

[The army was strengthened and a large standing army was established. ]

【Thanks to Louis XIV's efforts, France's national strength increased rapidly and began to emerge on the European stage. 】

[In order to further strengthen centralization, Louis XIV decided to summon the nobles from their respective territories to the Palace of Versailles. ]

【And when Louis XIV decided to expand the Palace of Versailles. 】

[Even his architect, Le Vau, thought this was a crazy idea.]

[Originally this was just a hunting lodge for Louis XIII, surrounded by swamps and lacking water. ]

[But it was its isolation that the king was attracted to.]

【Stay away from the mobs of Paris and the conspiracies of the Louvre. 】

【The project was a national project from the beginning.】

【Louis ordered that other large-scale construction be banned nationwide in order to concentrate craftsmen.】

【The army was called in to move the stone.】

【Scientists invent new type of water pump to drain swamps.】

[At the Water Theater celebration in 1682, Louis XIV dressed up as the sun god Apollo and announced in front of the artificial waterfall that Versailles would become the new center of the empire.]

[At that moment, 36000 candles were lit at the same time, symbolizing the royal power of 'the sun never sets'. ]

[The Sun King, from this moment on, is truly worthy of his name! ]

[The Palace of Versailles gradually became a grand, magnificent palace. ]

【Louis XIV invited the nobles to live in the Palace of Versailles. 】

[On the surface, they were given endless glory and privileges, and allowed to enjoy a luxurious court life.]

[Theoretically, the nobles who came here were all well-known and respected nobles that the king admired.]

[Ordinary nobles are not qualified to come. ]

[But what is less known is that this palace is also a sophisticated cage of power. ]

【At the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV established a set of complicated and strict etiquette system. 】

[The nobles' daily lives were bound by these etiquettes. From getting up, dressing, eating to participating in various court activities, there was a set of strict rules. ]

[For example, nobles had to bow in a specific manner when meeting the king.]

[There are strict requirements for the placement of tableware and the order of eating at the dining table. ]

[Nobles who do not follow royal etiquette will be embarrassed in front of other nobles across the country.]

【Everyone is scrambling to follow Louis' etiquette. 】

【But these rituals are not only a symbol of status. 】【They are also a means for Louis XIV to control the nobility. 】

[The nobles spent a lot of energy and financial resources on pursuing fashion and trying to figure out what their superiors wanted.]

[In this way, Louis successfully turned the nobles into his vassals, making them gradually lose the ability to resist in their luxurious life.]

Outside the sky.

Song.

Zhao Kuangyin saw that Louis XIV had effectively solved the problem of local aristocratic separatism in France without any military action.

I also think that Louis XIV's methods were very shrewd.

Zhao Kuangyin pointed at the picture on the sky curtain and said:
"According to what Tianmu had given me before, I know that there are many feudal lords of all sizes in Europe."

"Each feudal lord legally owns their land, fortress, taxes and army."

“It’s really not easy to centralize power!”

"But Louis XIV's move directly controlled the local nobles."

"It has the essence of me giving up my military power over a cup of wine."

"Yes, if nothing unexpected happens, France, which has centralized power in the local areas, will also see its national strength take off under the leadership of Louis XIV, right?"

The sky continues.

【For the ultimate in luxury, the Palace of Versailles. 】

【Louis also put a lot of effort into it.】

[He invited the most outstanding artists, architects and garden designers in Europe at that time to participate in the construction and decoration of the Palace of Versailles. ]

[Inside the palace, exquisite sculptures, gorgeous murals, and dazzling chandeliers complement each other. ]

【Every detail shows luxury and refinement. 】

[The Versailles Palace Gardens, carefully designed by landscape architects, are truly unique. ]

[The garden covers a vast area and has a symmetrical layout. Fountains, sculptures, and flower beds are arranged in an orderly manner, and winding paths lead to the distance, like a beautiful painting. ]

【Louis XIV often held grand banquets and dances in the garden. 】

【Invite royal family members and nobles from various European countries to participate and show the cultural charm of France to the world. 】

【After some construction. 】

[Versailles became the fashion base of Europe at that time. Even the founding of Germany had to "borrow" the Palace of Versailles to hold a ceremony. ]

[And to this day, the Versailles style still influences modern people's aesthetics. ]

[In the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV not only ruled the country, but also personally defined what French style was. ]

[The king knew that real power came not only from the army and taxes, but also from absolute power over culture.]

[In 1661, he founded the Royal Academy of Dance and personally participated in the formulation of the five basic foot positions of ballet.]

[To this day, dancers around the world still use this system.]

[In 1680, Louis merged the theater troupes in Paris to form the Comédie-Française.]

【And designated Moliere's comedies as the 'quintessence of the nation'. 】

Even dining etiquette was standardized by him:

[At a banquet in Versailles, knives and forks must be placed in a specific order, and the rim of the glass must be wiped with a napkin before drinking champagne.]

[These details quickly became popular in Europe and became a passport to "upper society."]

【What is exquisite is his domination of language. 】

[In 1694, the Dictionary of the French Academy was first published. This official dictionary deleted all "vulgar" street language.]

【Only keep words that conform to the court aesthetics. 】

[Louis’ intention was clear: to make French the common language of European aristocrats and to make Versailles a beacon of the civilized world.]

【And he did exactly that.】

[For the next few hundred years, French remained the language of the upper class court and aristocratic society.]

[Royals and nobles from other countries do not even speak their own language, but mainly speak French. ]

[It can even be said that even Louis XIV and Napoleon failed to unify Europe. ]

【But the court etiquette and French language standards established by Louis XIV, together with Napoleon's Code, unified Europe culturally. 】

[In the game, it is a cultural victory. ] (End of this chapter)