french absolutism the reign of louis xiv. religious turmoil in france 1562-1598 catholics and...

FRENCH ABSOLUTISMTHE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV

RELIGIOUS TURMOIL IN FRANCE• 1562-1598 Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants) fought

8 religious wars; chaos!

• 1559: King Henry II of France died, leaving 4 sons and wife Catherine de Medicis-she was in charge

• 1572: St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris sparked 6 week nationwide slaughter of Huguenots

• Occurred during Catherine’s daughter’s marriage to Huguenot Prince, Henry of Navarre

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY MASSACRE

HENRY OF NAVARRE• Descended from medieval

king Louis IX

• Inherited throne 1589 after Catherine and son died

• Became Henry IV, first king of Bourbon dynasty in France

• Converted to Catholicism

HENRY IV• 1598: Edict of Nantes: declaration of religious tolerance;

Huguenots can live in peace in France and set up own houses of worship in some cities

• He focused on rebuilding France and its prosperity

• 1610 fanatic stabbed him to death

LOUIS XIII AND CARDINAL RICHELIEU

• Henry IV’s son took over:Louis XIII

• Weak King but appointed strong minister: Cardinal Richelieu: became the real ruler of France

• Richelieu took 2 steps to increase power of Bourbon monarchy

• Moved against Huguenots by saying Protestant cities could not have walls

• Ordered nobles to take down fortified castles as part of weakening their power

• He also started the Thirty Years War

LOUIS XIV, THE BOY KING

• 1643 Louis XIV, son of Louis XIII, becomes king

• real ruler is Richelieu’s successor: Cardinal Mazarin

• Greatest triumph was ending Thirty Years War; • nobles hated him because increased taxes and power of

the central gov’t• 1648-1653 anti-Mazarin riots, Louis never forgot fear and

anger at nobility

LOUIS XIV COMES TO POWER• 1661 Mazarin dies, Louis XIV takes full control of gov’t

• excludes nobles from councils, weakening them

• increased power of government agents called intendants: collected taxes, administered justice

LOUIS XIV AND THE ECONOMY• Louis focused on economy-minister of Finance, Jean

Baptiste Colbert, helped him greatly

• Colbert believed in theory of mercantilism: an economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver by selling more goods than they bought

• Colbert tried to make France self-sufficient, expanded manufacturing, gave tax benefits and government funds to French companies

• High tariff on goods from other countries

• After Colbert died Louis enacted a policy that slowed France’s economic progress, canceled the Edict of Nantes in 1685 so Huguenots fled, including many skilled workers

THE SUN KING’S GRAND STYLE

• Louis spent a fortune on luxuries for himself

• Palace of Versailles immense, like a small royal city, showed Louis’s wealth and power

• Versailles was center of the arts-made opera and ballet more popular

• Supported arts more than any other monarch: purpose of art was to glorify king and promote values that supported his absolute rule(instead of glorify God(Middle Ages) or humanism(Renaissance))

LOUIS CONTROLS THE NOBILITY• Louis had the nobles wait on him, dress him, etc. at his palace, he

took note of who was there

• This increased royal authority because

• 1) nobles were totally dependent on Louis • 2) took nobles from their homes, giving more power to intendants

LOUIS FIGHTS DISASTROUS WARS

• France was the most powerful country in Europe

• 1667 Louis invaded Spanish Netherlands to expand boundaries

• 1680s European-wide alliance formed to stop France, defensive strategy

• 1689 William of Orange became king of England-joined League of Augsburg: included Austrian Hapsburg emperor, kings of Sweden and Spain, leaders of smaller European states=equaled France’s strength

• France weakened by series of poor harvests, constant warfare, new taxes to finance wars

THE WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION

• 1700 Charles II of Spain dies, had no kids, promised throne to Louis’s 16 year old grandson, Phillip of Anjou

• 1701 England, Austra, Dutch Republic, Portugal, and other German and Italian states joined together to prevent this union because threatened by increase in power: War of the Spanish Succession

• ended 1714, Treaty of Utrecht: Phillip could stay king as long as thrones of France and Spain not united

LOUIS’S DEATH AND LEGACY

• 1715 Louis died in bed-people rejoiced in France

• Mixed legacy:

• Positive: France was military leader, helped it gain colonies

• Negative: huge debt over wars and Versailles, the poor upset by high taxes, abuse of power=REVOLUTION!