Early Europe was a time of great metamorphosis. As Louis XIV, Napoleon, and Elizabeth I developed and shaped society, the essence of modern European history was created. By analyzing Louis Perhaps the irresponsibility of the monarchs was the main cause of the abolition of the monarchy. Louis XIV, representative of the supreme ruler in the 17th century, built a flourishing, but rather momentary empire. His title, "the Sun King", highlighted his superiority over his men and his country. The successes of this most dominant monarchy in the Bourbon dynasty were invaluable, including the expansion of French territories, the centralization of religion, and the completion of Versailles. As for rights, Louis was a loyalist and advocate of absolutism, the belief that one should be responsible to no one but God, which can be found in his words: "L'État — c' est moi" (I am the State!). Without a doubt, all rights were handled by him, from the highest court to the provision of basic necessities. However, did this style of centralization of power prove worthy of the majority or the peasants, who made up more than 80% of the population? If an in-depth description were made, it would be easy to recognize the heavy duties that weigh on the lower classes. "...peasants own less than half the land and often starve... One of the ironies of French agriculture is that peasants often grew insufficient grain to feed their families and were forced to buy bread with their earnings." (Ashley 75) How difficult......middle of paper......Napoleon. New York: American Heritage Pub.; Harper & Row Book Trade Distribution, 1963. Print.Jones, Colin. Voices of the French Revolution. Topsfield, MA: Salem House, 1988. Print.Levin, Carole. The Reign of Elizabeth I. New York: Palgrave, 2002. Print.Neale, J. E. Elizabeth I and Her Parliaments, 1559-1581. New York: St. Martin's, 1966. Print.Neely, Sylvia. A concise history of the French Revolution. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.Nelson, Craig. Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, revolution, and the birth of modern nations. New York: Viking, 2006. Print.Price-Groff, Claire. Queen Victoria and nineteenth-century England. New York: Benchmark, 2003. Print.Riggs, Kate. The French Revolution. Mankato, MN: Creative Education, 2010. Print.Somerset, Fry Plantagenet. The kings and queens of England and Scotland. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1990. Print.