Lesson 2F.2.1

2F.2.1 Louis XIV in decline, 1685–1715 Quiz: AQA History, Unit 17

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 2F.2.1, Louis XIV in decline, 1685–1715: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA History (7042), Unit 17: 2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which 1697 treaty ended the Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance?

    • The Treaty of Utrecht
    • The Treaty of Nijmegen
    • The Treaty of Rastatt
    • The Treaty of Ryswick

  2. Which Dutch ruler became King of England after the Glorious Revolution of 1688?

    • Frederick Henry of Orange
    • William III of Orange
    • William II of Orange
    • Maurice of Nassau

  3. Which anti-French alliance was formed at Augsburg in 1686 by Protestant states, the Empire and Spain?

    • The League of Augsburg
    • The Holy Alliance
    • The Concert of Europe
    • The Triple Alliance

  4. Which French prince was named heir to the Spanish throne in the will of Charles II in 1700?

    • Louis, the Dauphin
    • Philip, Duke of Anjou
    • Leopold, Archduke of Austria
    • Charles, Duke of Berry

  5. Which 1704 battle was a major Allied victory over French and Bavarian forces during the War of the Spanish Succession?

    • Oudenarde
    • Blenheim
    • Malplaquet
    • Ramillies

  6. Which treaty of 1713 ended the War of the Spanish Succession?

    • The Treaty of Westphalia
    • The Treaty of Utrecht
    • The Treaty of Rastatt
    • The Treaty of Ryswick

  7. What did the Treaty of Utrecht give Britain from Spain?

    • Gibraltar and Minorca
    • The island of Sicily and the city of Milan
    • The Spanish Netherlands and Naples
    • Cuba and Puerto Rico

  8. Who was Louis XIV's morganatic second wife, whose influence at court grew in his later years?

    • Madame de Maintenon
    • Madame de Pompadour
    • Louise de La Valliere
    • Madame de Sevigne

  9. Which Protestant rising in the Cevennes between 1702 and 1704 reflected continuing religious resistance?

    • The Camisard revolt
    • The Fronde
    • The Vendee revolt
    • The Jacobite rising

  10. Who succeeded Louis XIV as King of France in 1715?

    • Louis XV
    • Philip V
    • Louis XIII
    • Louis XIV's brother, Philippe

  11. Who was appointed regent of France after the death of Louis XIV?

    • Louis, Duke of Maine
    • Madame de Maintenon
    • Louis, Duke of Burgundy
    • Philippe, Duke of Orleans

  12. What did the Parlement of Paris do to Louis XIV's will in 1715?

    • It annulled the will's provisions that gave special power to the legitimated princes
    • It transferred the crown to Philip V of Spain without conditions
    • It confirmed the will in full and placed the regency in Maintenon's hands
    • It ordered the Estates-General to meet and choose a new regent

  13. Which new tax was introduced in 1695 to pay for the war, applying to all subjects regardless of their rank?

    • The capitation
    • The gabelle
    • The vingtieme
    • The taille

  14. Which spiritual movement, associated with Fenelon, was condemned by Rome in 1699?

    • Gallicanism
    • Pietism
    • Quietism
    • Jansenism

  15. Which principle asserted the independence of the French Church from papal control?

    • Gallicanism
    • Quietism
    • Jansenism
    • Ultramontanism

  16. Which coalition, formed in 1689, united the Dutch Republic, England, the Empire, Spain and others against France?

    • The Concert of Europe
    • The League of Cambrai
    • The Grand Alliance
    • The Holy Alliance

  17. Which best explains France's position at the end of the Nine Years' War in 1697?

    • France had been bankrupted and was forced to make the Dutch Republic a French province
    • France had won a decisive victory and extended its frontiers to the Rhine
    • France had made peace on the terms of the Grand Alliance and lost its navy entirely
    • France remained the strongest European power but was financially strained and had lost ground in key areas

  18. Which best evaluates the legacy of Louis XIV by 1715?

    • His reign left France without any strong institutions and without a court culture of any note
    • His reign was marked by a successful reform of the Church and the abolition of the Parlements
    • His reign ended with France at peace and a balanced budget, in contrast to the wars of the previous century
    • His reign left France with a strong state and a court culture admired across Europe, but with heavy debts and unresolved problems

  19. Which best explains the financial strain on France by 1715?

    • Trade with Asia had brought in massive profits that were never taxed
    • Repeated wars, rising military costs and weak tax collection created a large debt burden
    • The king's policy of religious toleration cost the state heavily in lost taxes
    • The king had abolished all taxes on land and the cost of the Crown fell on merchants

  20. Which best evaluates the 'pressure from below' on the regime in the later years of Louis XIV?

    • Protest was limited to the nobility, which supported the king's policies throughout
    • Popular discontent had no effect on the government, since the peasants accepted royal authority completely
    • Social divisions, regional resistance and popular protests, fuelled by taxes and famine, were serious problems for the state
    • Revolts were confined to Paris and had no impact on the provinces

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