Louis XV

King of France from 1715 to 1774, whose long reign saw royal debt grow and France lose territories in the Seven Years’ War.

Louis XIV: King of France from 1643 to 1715, whose wars and court-centered monarchy expanded royal power and debt. Louis XV inherited the throne and fiscal legacy of his great-grandfather.
Ancien Régime: The political and social order of France before the Revolution of 1789. Louis XV governed within this system of hereditary monarchy and legally distinct estates.
French Revolution: A period of political and social upheaval in France beginning in 1789 that ended the monarchy and transformed the state. The revolution followed the fiscal and political crises inherited from Louis XV’s reign.
John Law's financial system: A French experiment in paper money and public finance organized by Scottish financier John Law from 1716 to 1720. Its collapse during Louis XV’s minority damaged confidence in financial innovation.
Louis XIV's absolutism: The concentration of political authority in the French monarchy under Louis XIV. Louis XV inherited its institutions without matching his predecessor’s sustained personal rule.
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans: French regent who governed during Louis XV’s minority from 1715 to 1723. He directed the kingdom until Louis XV began ruling personally.
French royal finances: The monarchy’s revenues, borrowing, and expenditures under France’s ancien régime. War costs and an unequal tax system constrained the crown throughout his reign.
French colonial empire: The overseas territories and possessions controlled by France across different periods. French losses in the Seven Years’ War sharply reduced the empire Louis XV had ruled.
Damiens' assassination attempt: Robert-François Damiens’s 1757 attempt to kill Louis XV, which wounded the king. The attack exposed the vulnerability of royal authority and prompted severe punishment.
Louis XV's reform attempts: Measures proposed or enacted under Louis XV to restructure royal administration, taxation, and the courts. These efforts show that the reign was not simply a continuation of inherited institutions.

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