AP EURO Unit #1 – Age of Absolutism Lesson #3 Louis XIV (FRENCH ABSOLUTISM)

AP EURO

Unit #1 – Age of Absolutism

Lesson #3Louis XIV

(FRENCH ABSOLUTISM)

Create a chart:Who fought What

happenedWho won Results

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Phase IV

Essential Questions

1. What was the purpose and success of Versailles?

2. What made Louis XIV worthy of the title THE SUN KING?

Divine Right

• “By the grace of God”• God chose the ruler• Kings spoke with God’s voice• Bishop Jacques Benign Bossuet: "the king,

Jesus Christ, and the Church, God in His three names"

How does this concept create stability?

Will the Church support this concept?

Foundations of Absolutism

• Most monarchs espoused this idea• The French kings got away with it• Kings remained ceremonial • Allowed their “favorite” to run the

government– Duke of Sully ran Henry IV’s government– Cardinal Richelieu ran Louis XIII’s government– Cardinal Mazarin ran Louis XIV’s government

Why would using a “favorite” be a good idea for a king’s safety?

Henry IV (1553-1589-1610) (born-king-died)

• Married (1572) age 19 (to Margo)– 27 miserable years– Had a lot of mistresses

• Separated (1589) (annulled 1599)• Henry III killed (1589)• Coroneted as a Catholic king (1593) age 41• Edict of Nantes (1598)• Married Marie de Medici (1600)• “a man of vision and courage”

Why was Henry so beloved if he was more an enemy of the French monarchy?

Henry IV (1553-1589-1610) (born-king-died)

• Not popular becoming king• Beloved by the time he died• Highly concerned for welfare of France

– regularized finances– promoted agriculture, drained swamps– public works, encouraged education– protected forests from devastation; ordered plantings– new system of tree lined highways– constructed new bridges and canals– renewed Paris as a great city– added wings to the Louvre, built Place Royal– promoter of arts for and by all classes

Louis XIII (1601-1610-1643)

• Nine years old• Power in the hands of Richelieu• Anti-Hapsburg policy

– Entered Thirty Years War on Protestant side• Anti-Huguenot policy

– Retracted privileges promised in Edict of Nantes• Anti-Nobles policy

– Tried to control Nobles– Created resentment among Nobles– Led to THE FRONDE

• “Louis the Chaste” (no mistresses)

Louis XIV (1638-1643-1715)

• Was only five• Nobles rebellion: THE FRONDE

– Anarchy for three years (1649-1652)– Louis would never forget– Would evoke grandeur of the position

• THE SUN KING– When he was a child – danced as the sun– Became his symbol

• L’etat c’est moi• Suppression of Jansenists (1660)

– Catholics who opposed Free will• Revocation of Edict of Nantes (1685)

– 10% of France Huguenot (1.7 million)– 200,000 abandoned nation

3m bio on Louis XIV

What is his obvious attitude toward religion?

How will this be bad?

How will this create stability?

“One king, one law, one faith”

Versailles

3m Cribs - Versailles

Describe Versailles

Why would Louis design such and expensive and elaborate palace?

What does this have to do with the Fronde?

Versailles• Promote image of divine• ~2 billion to build

– Millions to maintain– As many as 10,000 people– Four building phases – 1685 – 36,000 builders, 6000 horses, 2x size of CR South

• Meant to inspire awe• Created a whole culture• Hierarchy, power, prestige to even be there• Nobles who may have led the Fronde now WANTED to be

there– Bigger rooms to higher rank– All had to turn in room key daily

• Special day to be near the king

2m “this… is Versailles”

Mercantilism• International trade should benefit only the nation

– Create colonies– Wealth is finite – control as much as possible– Preserve bullion & Maximize exports

• Jean-Baptiste Colbert – finance minister– Centralized economy– Raised the $$ Louis squandered in wars

• Marquis du Louvois – war minister– Good salaries– Highly disciplined– Promotion by merit

Louis XIV’s Four Wars

• Meant to create awe of France• Often to punish enemies• Ultimately destroyed France• Louis saw himself as a warrior• Louis went in a GREAT MAN• Wars destroyed French treasury• And Louis died a year later…

War of Devolution (1667-1668)

• Louis claimed Spanish Netherlands– Belgium

• Louis never got 500,000 crown dowry

• Triple Alliance formed to repel French army– England– Sweden– United Provinces

• Leopold (HRE) pushed for peace– Saw this as a dangerous escalation

• Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle– No real change

Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678)

• Meant to punish the Dutch– Had prevented French victory– Had Louis seething

• Treaty of Dover– Ended Triple Alliance– France bought English support with gold

• France and England declared war on Dutch– Quick French victories– 180,000 French troops– Dutch flooded land

• England dropped out• HRE, Spain, Prussia joined Dutch• War ended – not much change• France clearly the dominant nation

Nine Years War (1688-1697)

• King William’s War• League of Augsburg

– Grand Alliance– England, Spain, Sweden, Austria– United Provinces, Bavaria, Palatinate, Saxony

• Glorious Revolution (England)• French army – now 400,000• Peace of Ryswick – France got Alsace and

Lorraine

William III

War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

• Queen Anne’s War• Spanish King Charles “the

sufferer”• Philip of Anjou• Grand Alliance• France not ready• Famine and revolts in France• Peace of Utrecht (1713)

– Philip did get to be King of Spain

– But, they could not unite with France

– And Louis had to accept the Glorious Revolution