MAIN DIRECTIONS OF FOREIGN POLICY ACTIVITY LOUIS XIV

The article, based on the analysis of historiographical materials, provides a comprehensive generalization of the main directions of Louis XIV's foreign policy during his reign. His personal contribution to the development of the foreign policy situation in the French Empire was clarified, and his place in French foreign policy during this period was determined. The goal of Louis XIV's foreign policy was not only to expand but also to extend the French border to the north and east. This was to protect the interior and capital of Paris from external aggression. Louis XIV is considered to have been involved in many wars and armed conflicts to strengthen France's position in the world. The main directions of the struggle against the Habsburgs have been clarified. In foreign policy, Louis XIV always sought to make France the leading power in Europe. In his youth, Louis XIV wanted to raise his authority in international politics. He immediately stated his intentions in matters of etiquette, not important at first glance, but important for the era. Louis XIV sought to resolve by force military-strategic issues and ensure the security of France and its borders. The king's foreign policy and diplomacy played a secondary, ancillary role: paving the way for the army, consolidating its conquest through negotiations or mitigating the effects of defeats, rescuing from disasters. The king's diplomatic service, with extensive experience, acted vigorously and often assertively. But it could not change the tragic consequences for France of the aggressive policy of Louis XIV, which led to severe defeat. Military victories greatly enhanced the prestige of the Kingdom of France in Europe and allowed Louis XIV to pursue a policy of aggression against his neighbors with impunity. As a result of the foreign policy of King Louis XIV, France was forced to give up a large number of occupied territories in Western Europe. Despite a wide range of the most contradictory assessments of the life and work of Louis XIV, all of them can be summarized as follows: he was a great king, although he made many mistakes during his long reign, he brought France to the rank of major European powers.