Some of the Significant Aspects of the Reign of Louis XI

Louis XI(1423-1483) of France ruled from 1461 until his death in 1483. He was a pretty committed king, and overall was successful during his reign when it came to obtaining his goals. Like every other king his reign was not perfect, and he had to deal with issues that jeopardized his reign. With that being said, what were some of the most significant aspects of Louis’ reign?

Louis was committed to centralizing France; for a while France had been very decentralized due to war. He believed that centralization would bring forth a stronger France. An aspect of Louis was the fact that he was a pious man. He also lived pretty simply compared to most kings. He wasn’t the most skilled when it came to war, he was far better at bribing, spying, etc.

Due to the fact that he wanted to centralize France, eventually representatives of five hundred noble families formed a league against him. His own brother, who was a duke, was at the head of this revolt against him. In 1465 Louis was forced to make concessions, and had to give up Normandy to his brother. He soon was able to regain it back though. In the end Louis was able to accomplish his goal of centralizing France.

In short, the most significant aspects of Louis XI reign were, being able to regain back his losses after a revolt against him, and being able to achieve his goal of centralizing France.