Transcript Chapter 4 Age of Absolutism

Section 2 France Under Louis XIV
Age of Absolutism: France
 During the 1500s France was in a state
of civil war between the Catholics and
the Huguenots (French
Protestants/Calvinists). France had
been ruled by the Valois dynasty since
1328. By 1559 France’s long series of
wars with Spain, for control of Italy had
come to an end. Spain was the clear
winner.
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
 In 1559 Henry II, the King of France (Valois
dynasty) died, he was succeeded, in turn by
three of his sons. Henry’s three sons were weak
and during their reigns the real ruler was their
mother Catherine de Medici. During
Catherine’s time of power the civil war between
Catholics and Huguenots continued. Under
pressure from his Mother King Charles IX
ordered the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre
in which 12,000 Huguenots were killed.
French Civil War
 During the civil war two noble families opposed
each other. The Bourbon family was Huguenot
and the Guise family was Catholic. Catholic King
Philip II of Spain sent support to the Guise family.
It appeared that the Guise family might be
victorious and win control of France. Many French
people (both Catholics and Protestants) were
outraged. They did not want France’s long time
enemy Philip II of Spain, to be able to pick France’s
king. This popular opposition turns the tide
against the Guise family.
Henry of of Navarre/Henry IV
 When the last Valois king died (stabbed to
death) the heir to the throne was the
Bourbon prince Henry of Navarre. Henry
of Navarre becomes King Henry IV. Henry
IV was a Huguenot but he converts to
Catholicism so that Catholics would consent
to his becoming King ( Catholics were the
majority in France).
Edict of Nantes
 In 1598, Henry IV issued the Edict of
Nantes. This Edict allows Protestants
to worship in areas where
Protestants/Huguenots were a
majority. It also granted Huguenots
civil rights. The Edict of Nantes ends
years of religious strife in France and
allows France to rebuild itself.
Bourbon Dynasty
Henry IV was the first king of the
Bourbon Dynasty, that rules
France until the early 19th century.
Under the Bourbon Dynasty France
was also an absolute Monarchy.
Cardinal Richelieu
 Louis XIII was the son of Henry IV and becomes
king in 1610. At the time he was too young to rule.
At first Louis’ mother ruled as his regent, but when
he became old enough, Louis gave complete
control of the government to Cardinal Richelieu.
 Richelieu worked to build an absolute monarchy
by reducing the power of both Nobles and the
Huguenots. Richelieu took away the Huguenot’s
right to independent fortified towns. He also
ordered many nobles to take down their fortified
castles.
Thirty Years War
 Richelieu also worked to weaken the power of the
Austrian and Spanish Hapsburg family. He involved
Catholic France on the side of the Protestants in the
Thirty Years War. The Thirty Years War was fought
between Protestant and Catholic princes in the Holy
Roman Empire. The Catholic princes supported the
Holy Roman Emperor who was a Hapsburg. In the end
France’s power was strengthened by the war and the
Hapsburgs were weakened. In this war Richelieu did
much to make France the supreme Power in Europe.
Louis XIV
Louis XIV, the most powerful
of the Bourbon monarchs,
becomes king in 1643, at the age
of five. Until Louis XIV was 23
his Regent Cardinal Mazarin
ran the government.
Cardinal Mazarin
 Mazarin represented France at the peace conference at
the end of the Thirty Years War. The terms of the
Treaty of Westphalia made France the strongest
nation in Europe.
 Many French people hated Mazarin and his harsh
policies. In 1648 there was a revolt led by the French
Nobles called the Fronde. The Fronde failed because
its leaders distrusted each other more than they
mistrusted Mazarin. The Fronde did leave an impact
on Louis XIV. During his reign Louis did everything
he could to weaken the power of the Nobles. When
Louis was 23 Mazarin died and Louis took control.
The Sun King
 Louis XIV’s reign was the longest in European history.
Louis dominated France for 54 years. He was called the
Sun King because European Royalty and Nobility revolved
around him. Louis was the source of all political authority
in France. This was the reason for his quote; “I am the
state.” Jacques Bossuet’s book on the Divine Right of
Kings supported Louis’ position, that kings need account
to no one except God.
 Because of his childhood experience during the Fronde,
Louis moved the court and the palace to Versailles outside
of Paris.
Louis weakens the power of Nobles
 Louis weakens the power of the Nobles
by having them wait on him instead of
using them for important government
service. Louis worked to make the
Nobles completely dependent upon his
approval. He also chose his top
advisors not from the Nobility but from
the middle class.
Jean Colbert and Mercantilism
 Jean Colbert was Louis’ leading economic advisor. He
believed the government had to direct the economy.
He followed the economic philosophy of
Mercantilism, that a country’s economic strength was
determined by its gold and silver reserves. To increase
its gold and silver reserves a nation had to carry on a
favorable balance of trade. Colbert worked to
accomplish this by encouraging manufacturing and by
using a protective tariff to keep foreign products out
of France.
Problems for Louis XIV
 During Louis’ reign the poor carried most of
the tax burden. Some areas were over taxed.
 Louis XIV saw the Huguenots as a threat to his
absolute monarchy. In 1685, he had the Edict
of Nantes repealed. Huguenots could no
longer practice their faith in France. 100,000
Huguenots left France. Many of France’s best
skilled workers and business leaders were
Huguenots. When these Huguenots left
France it did great damage to the French
economy.
War of Spanish Succession 1702-1713
 Charles II of Spain had no heir so he willed his throne
to Louis XIV’s grandson Philip. England, the Dutch
Netherlands, and Austria came together to prevent
France and Spain from coming under one ruler. This
was a war to maintain the Balance of Power. The idea
of Balance of Power was that you could use alliances
of countries to maintain a balance, so that no one
country or group of countries would be strong enough
to invade other countries. Most Europeans believed
that Spain and France under the same King would
upset this balance.
Treaty of Utrecht
 At the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Philip V was
recognized as the king of Spain on the condition that
France and Spain would never be united under one
crown.
 The war of Spanish Succession created opposition to
Louis XIV’s rule. Louis’ policies brought France near
financial ruin and created class conflict between the
nobility and the poor.
 Louis XIV of France was the great grandson of Philip
II of Spain.