“In the 17th century, European governments devoted more attention to the public image of the ruler than at any time since the later Roman Empire.
Among these governments, it was the French who were the most concerned
with the ways in which the king was represented. The most elaborate and
self-conscious attempts at projecting a favorable image of the ruler were
those made by a group of officials, artists and men of letters, during the reign
of Louis XIV, especially in the period of his personal rule, which lasted for
more than half a century (1643—1715). The term “propaganda” is all the
more appropriate to describe these favorable images because the government
was concerned not only to present the king in a heroic light but also to spread
official interpretations of specific events of the reign.
Peter Burke, Fabrication of Louis XIV, 1992
a) Explain ONE piece of evidence that supports Burke’s argument
regarding the power of absolute monarchs in Europe.
b) Explain ONEpieceof evidence that undermines Burke’s argument
regarding the power of absolute monarchsin Europe.
e) Explain ONE example of a new monarchin the 15th or 16th
centuries that provoked a similar political system to those described
by Burke.