french absolutism
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AbsolutismWorld History
Chapter 7
Absolutism
a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by any other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites
French Absolutism
Henry IV of
Navarre
Pont Neuf, Paris
Henry IV of Navarre
• Bourbon• “Le Bon Roi Henri”• State of France = mess
(religious wars)• Wedding of Henry IV to
Margot de Valois (MOB = Catherine de’ Medici)
Wars of Religion
• Catholics vs. Huguenots
• Huguenot = French Protestant
• Henry IV = Huguenot = trouble
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
• St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacreo August 24, 1572oOver 3,000
Huguenots massacred
oCatherine de Medici (plotter??)
• Henry IV – converted to Catholicism
Edict of Nantes
• 1598• Ends French Wars of Religion• Grants religious tolerance to Huguenots• Huguenots could:
– Worship freely without persecution– Fortify their towns and cities
• Greatly resented by Catholics
Reforms of Henry IV• Government involved in all aspects of life
in France foundation for absolutism• Government under Henry IV:
– Justice Dept.– Built & improved roads– Built bridges– Revived agriculture– Built royal bureaucracy– Decreased power of nobles
Demise of Henry IV• May 14, 1610 • François Ravaillac stabbed Henry IV to
death• Ravaillac imprisoned,
then drawn & quartered
The Assassination of Henry IV
Henry IVof
NavarreTomb
Basilique St. Denis, Paris
Louis XIII
• Son of Henry IV and Marie de’ Medici (Henry’s 2nd wife)
• Inherited throne at the age of 9
• Mom claimed regent
Cardinal Armand Richelieu
• Chief advisor to Louis XIII• Laid foundation for absolutism• Main goals:
o Destroy power of nobles • Defeated private armies• Destroyed fortified castles• Brought them to court
o Destroy Huguenots • Outlawed armies• Still let them practice religion
Cardinal Jules Mazarin
• Chief minister to Louis XIV
• Picked up where Richelieu left off
• Barely escaped with life during La Fronde
Louis XIV• Son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria
– Louis XIV’s birth considered a miracle– Queen Anne childless after 23 years of marriage– Prayed to Virgin Mary– Val-de-Grâce (Benedictine Convent) built in gratitude
Louis XIV• Louis XIV became
king at age 5• Reigned for 72 years
(54 personally)• Name - synonymous
with absolutism
La Fronde
• An uprising of the nobles, peasants, urban poor, and merchant classes
• Louis XIV (child) and Mazarin nearly died
• Major impact on Louis XIV and how he viewed the nobility
“L’etat c’est moi”
• “I am the state”• Believed in divine right
o King - answerable to God aloneoNever called a meeting of Estates General
• Sun = Louis’ symbol (center of the universe)• Defined absolutism
Louis XIV
The Sun King
Reign of Louis XIV
• Expanded bureaucracy• Built up Army• Revoked Edict of Nantes• Patron of the Arts• Built Le Château de Versailles
Expanded Bureaucracy
• Appointed intendantso Public officials (“civil service”)
• Usually upper and middle class• The intendants
o Justice (oversaw courts)o Police (protection & military affairs)o Finance (taxes & financial affairs)
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
• Chief Financial Minister of Louis XIV
• Financial whiz• Economy & trade
flourished• France still in debt
(why???)
Colbert’s Tomb
St. EustacheParis
Built Up Army
• Paid, fed, trained, & supplied over 300,000 soldiers
• Built Hôtel des Invalides (military hospital)
Hôtel des
Invalides
Paris
Revoked Edict of Nantes
• October 1685 – Edict of Fontainebleau • Perhaps his biggest mistake• Protestantism made illegal• Exodus of over 100,000 Huguenots (to
Great Britain, Prussia, Dutch Republic, etc.)
Revoked Edict of Nantes
• France lost skilled workers with the exodus, thus negatively affecting France’s economy
• Also damaged Louis XIV’s reputation – bordering Protestant nations became more hostile
Patron of the Arts
• Louis XIV strongly supported the arts• Brought to court
– Playwrights & authors– Artists– Composers & musicians
Portrait of
Molière
Musée Carnavalet, Paris
Place de la Victoire
Louis XIVTomb of the Sun
King
Basilique St. Denis Paris