CH. 15: State Building and the Search for order in the Seventeenth Century Louis XIV’s France –Model of an Absolute Monarchy

French Monarchs of 17 th Century Louis the XIII and Louis XIV were only boys when they came to the throne- royal ministers played an important role in governing France and maintaining authority Louis XIII – became king at age 8 in 1610 (d. 1643) Louis XIV – became king at age 6 in 1643 (d. 1715)

Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu Cardinal Richelieu (Prime Minister to Louis XIII) strengthened the monarchy’s authority reduced the power of Huguenots- became subjects- eliminated private armies and fortified cities reduced the power of rebellious nobles- any threat was stamped out intendants- royal officiers- sent to do represent the monarch in provinces- gov’t workers became final authority over provincial governors

Louis XIV and Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Mazarin (Prime Minister to Louis XIV) Anne of Austria (Louis’s mother) turned authority over to Mazarin (foreigner, originally from Italy) Nobles reacted to his control and further centralization of France Fronde – Civil Wars led by nobility against the king Stability lays in the crown Mazarin dies in 1661 and Louis XIV declares himself sole ruler of France

Louis XIV – at age 23 Louis declares himself sole ruler of the “State” L’état, c’est moi “The state is myself” = sovereign ruler Grand Monarque / Sun King / builder of Versailles Read “Voice” pg. 448 and discuss

Court Life of Louis XIV Nobility cherish “closeness to the king” Honor Military appointments Monetary Pensions Read excerpt from Saint- Simon describing Louis XIV Louis XIV dancing the role of Apollo

The Salon of Germain Boffand

The Royal Court at Versailles

Hall of Mirrors Royal Gardens

The Hunt Hunting with Louis XIV

Forty Years of Warfare Dutch War, Louis XIV (+ Charles II, England) vs. William III of Orange Like England – Louis wants to break Dutch monopoly on trade Peace of Nimwegen, 1679 – Louis gains some land for France BUT William III now set on destroying him Rise of Mercantilism - Jean Baptiste Colbert Five Great Farms (tariff union) = reduce internal tariffs Commercial Code: improved communications; specified type and quality of goods backed by gov’t. assurances; gave subsidies, tax exemptions; founded monopolies & colonies; built up navy; established the French East India Company

Forty Years of Warfare War of the League of Augsburg, Louis XIV vs. Austria (Dutch) Louis has the largest army and wins Alsace BUT France is in financial ruin Little Ice Age = famine and disease = 1 million people perish

Forty Years of Warfare War of Spanish Succession, Spain in state of decline Weak and feeble-minded king – Charles II Treasury was empty Military weak Government inefficient- Years of civil wars Charles II has no heir – he could choose Louis XIV’s grandson Philip or stay within the Habsburg family and choose HREmperor Leopold I He chooses Philip and the rest of Europe rises up against the idea of Bourbons ruling in both France AND Spain!!

Forty Years of Warfare Results of War of Spanish Succession Ended with Treaty of Utrecht, 1714 Austria gains Northern AND Southern Italy; Spanish Netherlands NOW AUSTRIAN Netherlands Kingdom of Prussia formed Philip is king of Spain BUT the same Bourbon MAY NOT RULE in BOTH France and Spain France is bankrupt Famine strikes again! FRANCE enters state of DECLINE while ENGLAND begins to RISE

A Unified French State = Collective Identity as French Measures to secure unity under the king Capitation – tax levied on ALL citizens Indirect taxation increases Intendants Efficient tax collection; dissemination of royal decrees; gatherers of local information Lessened power of parlements – may NOT criticize the king BUT are SECURE in their positions as ENFORCERS of the LAW Army seen as protector of the State and people Religious Unity under Catholicism Edict of Fontainebleau REVOKES the Edict of Nantes = Huguenots again driven from France BUT rocky relationship with the Pope due to Four Gallican Articles

Louis XV Introduces professional police force to protect the people instead of army Poor relief “hospitals” for poor, orphaned and elderly Isolation of undesirables or beginning of modern welfare system? Religion Parlement of Paris accuses pope of violating Four Gallican Articles and interfering in matters of the French state Parlement regains some of its lost power Duke of Orleans (Louis XV’s regent) allows parlements right to criticize royal policies