Louis With his interest in the arts he changed French culture from medieval to exquisite. Louis didn't want to have any remnants of feudalism, he wanted an absolute monarchy. His goal was for the monarchy to become the most important political authority. Louis XIV was a very powerful monarch who symbolized absolute monarchy and helped France gain great power. Louis four years. Due to the fact that Louis was so young, his royal responsibilities were assumed by his mother and Cardinal Joules Mazarin. His mother and Mazarin proposed a new fundraising plan, which would require high court magistrates to forgo four years' salaries. (Steingrad.) The judges and nobles of the French Parliament did not agree with these policies. In opposition to their disagreement, the government arrested several members of parliament. This then led Parisians to protest and block the streets. This was called the Parliament Frond, which lasted throughout 1648 until the following year. After the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661, Louis XIV finally took personal control of the government. Louis would go on to rule France for fifty-four years after being crowned in his early twenties. He decided not to have a prime minister and therefore assumed full responsibility for Mazarin's government. He replaced the controller general of finances, Nicolas Fouquet, with Jean-Baptiste Colbert because he suspected... middle of paper... lives rather than starve. Louis' death was caused by gangrene, which spread throughout his body. He lay in agony for three weeks before dying at Versailles shortly before his seventy-seventh birthday. (Bio.) His reign lasted seven decades, making it the longest of all European kings. His last words were addressed to his nephew: “Why are you crying? Did you imagine that I was immortal?" (Bio.)The Sun King had a great influence on France and its power. He oversaw the construction of the Palace of Versailles, which included approximately 37,000 acres of land. He loved war and spent a year on two during his reign. Louis XIV made France one of the greatest powers in Europe. Unfortunately, his construction of the palace left France with terrible debts rebellion.