1. France Under Louis XIV
Chapter 4 Section 2
pp.

2. Rebuilding France
From 1560s to the 1590s they had religious wars that tore France apart
Worst Incident
Began on St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24, 1572
Huguenot and Catholic nobles gathered to celebrate a royal wedding
When violence interrupted, it led to the massacre of 3,000 Huguenots
Symbolized the complete breakdown of order in France

3. In 1589, a Huguenot prince inherited the French throne as Henry IV
Knowing that being a Protestant would face many problems with a Catholic land he became a Catholic
To protect the Protestants he issued the Edict of Nantes in 1589
It granted the Huguenots religious toleration and let them fortify their own towns and cities
His goal as a prince was to put a chicken in every pot
Royal officials
administered justice
Improved roads
Built bridges
Revived agriculture

4. Henry IV was assassinated in 1610
His nine year old son Louis XIII took over the throne
In 1624 Louis appointed a chief minister, Cardinal Armand Richelieu
He sought to destroy the power of the Huguenots and Nobles

5. Louis XIV, the Sun King
After Louis became king, disorder came against France
This was called Fronde
Nobles, merchants, peasants and the urban poor people rebelled
Louis used the sun as the symbol for his absolute power
He argues, just as the sun stands at the center of the solar system, the Sun King stands at the center of the nation
He is quoted by saying, L’eta, c’est moi
I am the state
He expanded the bureaucracy and appointed intendants, royal officials, who collected taxes, recruited soldiers, and carried out his policies in the provinces
The army was the strongest under his rule
He has a finance minister named Jean Baptiste Colbert
His policies helped make France the wealthiest state in Europe

6. Versailles, Symbol of Royal Power
Louis XIV turned a royal hunting lodge into the immense palace of Versailles
Became the perfect symbol of the Sun King’s wealth and power
Louis perfected and elaborate ceremonies that emphasized his importance
Every morning he had a ritual known as the levee, or rising
At night they did the ceremony in reverse

7. Successes and Failures
Louis XIV ruled France for 72 years
He poured vast resources into wars to expand French borders
Led by the Dutch or the English alliances fought to maintain the balance of power, a distribution of military and economic power that would prevent any one nation from dominating Europe
In 1700 Louis’s grandson Philip V inherited the throne of Spain
In 1685, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes because he saw France Protestant minority as a threat to religious unity
100,000 Huguenots fled France

8. Vocab
Intendant- official appointed by French King Louis XIV to govern the provinces, collect taxes, and recruit soldiers
Levee- morning ritual during which nobles would wait upon King Louis XIV
Balance of power- distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming to strong

9. Review
Henry IV of France- Huguenot [protestant]- Converted to Catholicism to rule France and be accepted
Louis XIV- Sun King ruled France for 72 years- built Versailles, changed styles of all of Europe
Palace of Versailles- Hunting lodge turned into the grandest of all European Palaces by Louis XIV.
Balance of Power- Distribution of Military power- try to keep peace- you have big army, I have big army
War of Spanish Succession- Fought to stop the unification of France and Spain
Edict of Nantes- Toleration of Huguenot’s in France, created by Henry IV