Louis XIVs France Model of an Absolute Monarchy

CH. 15: State Building and the Search for order in the Seventeenth CenturyLouis XIVs France Model of an Absolute Monarchy

French Monarchs of 17th CenturyLouis 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 RichelieuCardinal Richelieu (Prime Minister to Louis XIII) strengthened the monarchys authorityreduced the power of Huguenots- became subjects- eliminated private armies and fortified citiesreduced the power of rebellious nobles- any threat was stamped outintendants- royal officiers- sent to do represent the monarch in provinces- govt workers became final authority over provincial governors

Louis XIV and Cardinal MazarinCardinal Mazarin (Prime Minister to Louis XIV)Anne of Austria (Louiss 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 kingStability lays in the crownMazarin dies in 1661 and Louis XIV declares himself sole ruler of France

Louis XIV 1643-17151661 at age 23 Louis declares himself sole ruler of the StateLtat, cest moi The state is myself = sovereign rulerGrand Monarque / Sun King / builder of VersaillesRead Voice pg. 448 and discuss

6Court Life of Louis XIVNobility cherish closeness to the kingHonorMilitary appointmentsMonetary PensionsRead excerpt from Saint-Simon describing Louis XIV

Louis XIV dancing the role of Apollo

The Salon of Germain Boffand

The Royal Court at Versailles

10Hall of MirrorsRoyal Gardens

11The Hunt

Hunting with Louis XIV12Forty Years of WarfareDutch War, 1672-1679Louis XIV (+ Charles II, England) vs. William III of OrangeLike England Louis wants to break Dutch monopoly on tradePeace of Nimwegen, 1679 Louis gains some land for France BUT William III now set on destroying himRise of Mercantilism - Jean Baptiste ColbertFive Great Farms (tariff union) = reduce internal tariffsCommercial Code: improved communications;specified type and quality of goods backed by govt. assurances;gave subsidies, tax exemptions;founded monopolies & colonies; built up navy; established the French East India Company

Forty Years of WarfareWar of the League of Augsburg, 1689-1697Louis XIV vs. Austria (Dutch)Louis has the largest army and wins Alsace BUTFrance is in financial ruinLittle Ice Age = famine and disease = 1 million people perish

Forty Years of WarfareWar of Spanish Succession, 1701-1714Spain in state of declineWeak and feeble-minded king Charles IITreasury was emptyMilitary weakGovernment inefficient-Years of civil warsCharles II has no heir he could choose Louis XIVs grandson Philip or stay within the Habsburg family and choose HREmperor Leopold IHe chooses Philip and the rest of Europe rises up against the idea of Bourbons ruling in both France AND Spain!!

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

17A Unified French State = Collective Identity as FrenchMeasures to secure unity under the kingCapitation tax levied on ALL citizensIndirect taxation increases IntendantsEfficient tax collection; dissemination of royal decrees; gatherers of local informationLessened power of parlements may NOT criticize the king BUT are SECURE in their positions as ENFORCERS of the LAWArmy seen as protector of the State and peopleReligious Unity under CatholicismEdict of Fontainebleau REVOKES the Edict of Nantes = Huguenots again driven from FranceBUT rocky relationship with the Pope due to Four Gallican Articles

Louis XVIntroduces professional police force to protect the people instead of armyPoor reliefhospitals for poor, orphaned and elderlyIsolation of undesirables or beginning of modern welfare system?ReligionParlement of Paris accuses pope of violating Four Gallican Articles and interfering in matters of the French stateParlement regains some of its lost powerDuke of Orleans (Louis XVs regent) allows parlements right to criticize royal policies