1. French Absolutism
The Rise of LOUIS XIV

2. Introduction The 17th century was a period of great transition
European climate cooled providing less food
Governments spent more mostly on armies and raised taxes on the poor to pay for it
France and Spain gained control over the papacy
England and Germany establish national churches

3. Absolute Monarchs
a) controlled the church b) controlled the law courts c) abolished freedoms and liberties d) maintained permanent armies e) used secret police and spies f) established huge bureaucracies focused on the king g) secured the cooperation of the nobility

4. Limits of Absolutism Not total rule because they lacked the resources
But it did foreshadow totalitarianism in 2 respects: i) glorification of the state over all else ii) use of war and expansionism to divert attention from domestic problems

5. Foundations of French Absolutism
Henry IV ( ) and his adviser the Duke of Sully laid the foundations for absolutism in France
Sully: a) revived the paulette tax - a tax on hereditary positions b) started a highway system c) and dreamed of an international organization to keep the peace d) also indirect tax on salt and sales
But the number of taxes actually declined – and revenues increased

6. Henry died; Marie de Medici ruled for the boy-king Louis XIII
In 1624 she appointed Cardinal Richelieu her Council of Ministers

7. Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu
Richelieu: a) subordinated all offices to the monarchy b) weakened the power of the nobles c) recruited for the army d) supervised tax collection doubling what was collected e) checked on nobility f) regulated economic activity
Richelieu’s policy was to weaken the Hapsburgs who surrounded France

8. Louis XIII Continued
1631 France joins Sweden in the Thirty Years’ War against the Catholics
Richelieu wrote Political Testament which said power is based on revenue
French monarchs couldn’t tax at will so they would never have complete control
“raison d’etat” - what is done for the state is done for God

9. Richelieu persuaded the king to appoint Jules Mazarin Richelieu's as his successor
Richelieu and Louis both died
Queen Anne of Austria governs for her son Louis XIV

10. Mazarin and Louis XIV
Mazarin continues Richelieu’s policies of war with Spain, selling offices, and restricting the nobles.
This leads to a civil war - The Fronde ( )
The war was between the king and the sword nobility known as the frondeurs

11. The Fronde
Immediate Cause: The Parliament of Paris refused to loan the State money, in response Mazarin orders the leaders arrested
Louis XIV was forced to flee Paris, Mazarin was forced to flee France
Violence continued for 12 years and had three significant results: a) government would have to compromise with the nobility, but comes out much strengthened b) the economy was ruined and would take years to rebuild c) Louis XIV would never forget the trauma

12. Louis XIV Under Louis (Sun King) absolutism reached its height
1661 Mazarin died and Louis took control of the economy
Never relied on one councilor
Reigned for 72 years

13. Louis XIV Continued
Married Maria Theresa because of a diplomatic arrangement with Spain
Had complete control over all classes of society
Ruled from Versailles where he required the nobility to reside for several months each year
60% of revenue was spent on the maintaining of Versailles
Never called the Estates General
Other monarchs imitated Louis and French replaced Latin as the language of the educated
But his weakness was always finances
He appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert Controller of Finances

14. Louis Weakens the Nobles and Towns
Nobles were immune from Royal Taxes
Louis wanted to make sure nobles did not become “overmighty”
He forces nobles to come to Versailles to keep an eye on them, but sold offices to capable people to help his bureaucracy
Stationed troops in towns to “keep order” they were also good for business
Makes local authorities like mayors royal officials
Censured the press

15. Colbert He appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert Controller of Finances
Colbert believed the wealth of the country should serve the state
He applied the theory of mercantilism to France
Mercantilism - government policies for the regulation of economic activities by and for the state
Colbert sent 4,000 people to Canada
Commercial class prospered while agriculture declined
Because of war, bad harvests, deflation of currency, and emigration Colbert’s goals were never attained

16. Louis XIV and Religion 1685 Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes
Closed schools, destroyed Protestant churches, and exiled those who would not renounce their faith
“one king, one law, one faith” “un roi, une loi, une foi”
The revocation won Louis enormous praise

17. Kept France at war for most of his reign
Louis XIV’s Wars
Kept France at war for most of his reign
Appointed Marquis de Louvois secretary of State for War
Louvois created a professional army A) feed the troops b) an ambulance corps c) standard weapons and uniforms d) rationalized training for an 18th century army e) regulated promotion

18. Louis Expands his Empire
1667 Louis invaded Flanders with no success
1672 he invaded Holland but the Dutch saved themselves by flooding their land
1681 he seized Strasbourg and parts of Lorraine
1689 William of Orange becomes king of England
William joined the League of Augsburg, but neither side won
Claude Le Peletier, Colbert’s successor devalued the currency and sold offices and titles to the nobility

19. More Money Issues
Between bad harvests sent the price of wheat skyrocketing
1694 Lord Pontchartrain imposed the capitation (personal tax) to raise money
The War of Spanish Succession a) old territorial disputes b) dynastic question of Spanish throne

20. War of Spanish Succession
Causes: a) old territorial disputes b) dynastic question of Spanish throne
1700 Charles II was king of Spain - he was insane
Charles died in 1700 and left the throne to the grandson of Louis XIV, Philip of Anjou
The Dutch and British refused to accept French control of the Spanish colonies and Netherlands

21. War of Spanish Succession Continued
English, Dutch, Austrian and Prussians formed the Grand Alliance
Even though they were all fighting the French internal conflicts developed among the alliance
Two soldiers dominated: Eugene, prince of Savoy representing the HRE John Churchill representing England

22. PEACE OF UTRECHT Philip of Anjou remains king of Spain
Spain and France must never unite
France gave Austria Spanish Netherlands
France gave England Nova Scotia, Hudson Bay, Newfoundland
France recognizes the Hohenzollern rulers of Prussia
Spain gave England Gibraltar
Spain gave England -asiento- the rights to the slave trade

23. The Treaty Represented the balance of power principle
Saw the decline of Spain
Saw the rise of the British Empire
Marked the end of French expansionism

24. French Classicism
Poussin was the greatest classicist painter Rape of the Sabine Women

25. Absolutism and Classicism
Absolutism and Classicism melded
Art glorified the king
Lully, Couperin, and Charpentier created great orchestral works
Moliere and Racine wrote powerful plays on controversial issues
Les Femmes Savantes - Tartuffe, mocked intelligent women