-The French Monarchy-

I. Henry of Navarre (Henry IV) A. Henry IV, a Huguenot, inherited the French throne during a period of religious wars in France 1. Catholics had been fighting against Huguenots (Protestant- Calvinists) in France for over thirty years

2. To improve stability, Henry IV converted to Catholicism a. “Paris is well worth a mass” 3. In 1598 Henry IV signed the Edict of Nantes which gave Huguenots rights in certain parts of France a. Freedom to worship b. The right to have fortified towns

B. Henry IV helped increase the power of the French Monarchy 1. He built a powerful national army 2. He improved the royal courts 3. He encouraged trade because it allowed him to collect more taxes

II. Cardinal Richelieu A. After Henry IV’s assassination, ten year old Louis XIII became king 1. During the reign of Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu ran France

B. Like Henry IV, Richelieu sought to increase the power of the French Monarchy 1. He suspended the Huguenots rights to have armed towns a. They were still free to worship 2. He had all fortified castles belonging to nobles destroyed 3. He supported mercantilism and encouraged entrepreneurs 4. He allowed merchants to purchase titles of nobility

III. Cardinal Mazarin replaced Richelieu A. Louis XIII died one year after Richelieu 1. Louis XIII’s five year old son inherited the throne B. Because of Louis XIV’s young age, Cardinal Mazarin ran France

C. Mazarin’s policies were similar to Richelieu’s; he wanted to increase royal power D. Many nobles and townspeople began to resent increasing absolutism 1. Their revolt in 1648 became known as the Fronde 2. The rebels were not united and were crushed by Mazarin’s forces

IV. Louis XIV – “The Sun King” A. When Mazarin died, Louis was twenty-three 1. He stepped forward and decided to run France himself B. Louis believed in divine right 1. He felt that God had chosen him to rule and that he was accountable only to God

C. Louis XIV’s power was absolute 1. L’etat C’est Moi – “I am the state” 2. The Estates General was not called once during his reign 3. Important government positions were given to people from the middle class, bourgeoisie, not nobles

D. Versailles 1. Louis detested Paris and chose to build his huge luxurious castle eleven miles from Paris at Versailles

2. Hundreds of nobles lived with Louis XIV at Versailles a. They personally catered to his needs including bathing and dressing the king 3. Versailles weakened the nobility because nobles were not at home where they could organize resistance to Louis’ absolutism

E. Jean Colbert was a member of the bourgeoisie who was chosen by Louis XIV to improve the French economy 1. Colbert improved tax collection 2. He promoted imperialism in India and North America

3. He supported mercantilism and protected French industries by limiting imports through tariffs 4. Colbert regulated French industries a. He assigned inspectors to monitor quality b. Improved quality led to greater exports and more money for the French economy

F. Louis XIV and Religion 1. Louis XIV did not consider himself subject to the pope 2. Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and outlawed the Protestant religion

a. Although forbidden to emigrate, thousands of Protestants left France b. Many of the Huguenots who fled were talented, wealthy members of the middle class c. Emigration hurt the French economy while helping the Netherlands, England, and the English colonies the Protestants moved to

G. Wars of Louis XIV 1. Louis wanted to extend France to its natural borders which meant pushing eastward to the Rhine River 2. War of Spanish Succession a. Louis XIV’s grandson inherited the Spanish throne

b. Other European powers feared the potential unification of the French and Spanish thrones c. That would upset the balance of European power d. After a long war, France was forced to sign the Treaty of Utrecht which allowed Louis’ grandson to become the king of Spain but prohibited the uniting of the French and Spanish thrones

3. By the time of Louis XIV’s death in 1715, wars had left France bankrupt