Absolutism in France The Age of Louis XIV and the foundations of the French Revolution.

Absolutism in France

The Age of Louis XIV and the foundations of the French

Revolution

• Typically, the English and French monarchies of the 17th and 18th centuries are seen in juxtaposition.

• While the power of the English monarch declined in favor of the relatively peaceful rise of Parliament (OK there was that little Civil War) – the French monarchy grew in power at the expense of a legislature that could give a strong foundation to the nation in times of crises.

• NOTE: Great Britain still has a monarch today while France does not!!!!!

Henri IV

• Henri IV r. 1589-1610• Former Protestant and

politique• “Paris is worth a Mass”• Edict of Nantes• After years of Guise-

Bourbon-Valois warfare – Henri IV sought to end the possibilities for internal strife by weakening noble and local power.

• Regional governors• Noble families• Parlements – especially

the Parlement de Paris

• Henri IV also began the economic transformation of the nation as modern capitalism and trade developed.

Duc de Sully

• Henri IV’s finance minister – the Duke of Sully began the move toward a strong centralized mercantilist economy– Government monopolies –

salt, mines, etc.– Infrastructure– Corvee – involuntary drafting

of workers for road building– Can a nation based upon

feudal obligations develop a capitalist/merchant class – whose power lay in money rather than land or birth???

Louis XIII

• In 1610, Henri IV was assassinated and the throne went to his nine year old son from his wife Marie de Medicis.

• Like her aunt, Marie de Medicis tried to rule as regent – balancing various forces in the nation in order to keep her son’s hold on power safe.

• 1611 – Treaty of Fontainebleau – peace treaty with Spain – also:– Later marriage of Louis XIII

with the Spanish Infanta– Later marriage of Elizabeth of

Bourbon to the Spanish Infante

Cardinal Richelieu

• Marie de Medicis looked to Cardinal Richelieu for advice – especially advice as how to keep the French nobles from assuming power during her son’s minority.

• His personal desire was to make France the strongest nation in Europe.

• POLITIQUE – a Catholic he nonetheless helped the Protestants in the Thirty years’ War in order to combat the Habsburgs.

Richelieu and the consolidation of royal power

• 1. stepped up attacks of governors and parlements• 2. one law – one king – one faith• 3. disobedient nobles imprisoned and some even

executed• 4. nobles began to fear the king and act subserviently• 5. sought to move against Huguenots – in part due to

religion – but also because they acted as independents within a nation

• 6. Peace of Alais 1629 – weakened the Edict of Nantes – denied Huguenots the right to maintained garrisoned cities – separate courts, etc.

• 7. used the arts and print media to promote ideas of nationalism - - raison d’etat – government propaganda

• Louis XIII married Anne of Austria – daughter of Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria

• Louis XIII’s – sister Henrietta Maria married Charles II of England

• Louis XIII died 1643

Louis XIV – The Sun King - L’etat c’est moi!

• Louis XIV was only five years old when his father died.

• The French nobles leapt at the chance to regain the power they had lost under Richelieu’s rule.

• Anne of Austria put the power of the government into the hands of Cardinal Mazarin – who continued Richelieu’s programs

The Fronde

• 1649-1652 – the nobles and the parlements – especially the Parlement of Paris – rose in opposition to the growth of absolutism.

• Mazarin was forced to flee France and Louis XIV and Anne of Austria had to flee Paris.

• The near anarchy eventually led the people to want a strong monarchy – Louis XIV and Mazarin returned to Paris and the nobles were weakened.

• Louis vowed never to be a “king of straw”

The Divine Right of Kings

• Louis accepted the 17th century concept of the divine right of kings – despite the beheading of his uncle Charles I of England.

• Louis XIV was educated by Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet

• Bossuet believed in GALLICIAN LIBERTIES and the divine right of kings as Old Testament based.

Versailles

• Fearful of the Fronde and distrustful of the people and Parlement of Paris – Louis XIV built a palace outside Paris at Versailles.

• Versailles and the court protocol that developed around it was used to emasculate the French nobles.

• The “Sun King” used money, fear and egos to manipulate the nobles into surrendering power to the crown – this all came at an expense:– Money from the treasury went to noble– Nobles became weak and spent more time promoting

themselves to the king than in developing their own natural abilities

Rule from Versailles

• The King’s Councils:– Council of State – four or five handpicked

advisors who met several times a week to discuss matters of state

– Council of Dispatches – addresses the intendents and matters from the provinces

– Council of Finances – taxation and trade

• Louis married the Spanish Infanta Marie Therese – his first cousin – the daughter of Philip IV of Spain.

• This marriage led to the War of the Spanish Succession.

Jansenism

• Louis continued Richelieu’s demand that France have one religion – as a sign of unity.

• Cornelius Jansen – Bishop of Ypres – developed a view of salvation that denied the Jesuit teachings of free will.

• While France had traditionally been anti-Jesuit – Louis XIV accepted the papal ban on the Jansenists.

• Many Huguenots had been returning to the Catholic Church because of Jansenism – but Louis’s actions only polarized the religious controversy and made many Huguenots leave France.

Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

• Peace of Nijmegen 1678-1679 – halted Louis XIV’s aggression in Europe

• Louis then turned inward in an assault on the Huguenots – hounded, banned, excluded from professions, selective taxation etc – all attempts to get the Huguenots to convert. Troops quartered in Huguenot towns.

• 1685 – Edict of Nantes revoked – school and churches closed – nonconverting laity sent to the galleys as slaves – Protestant children baptized by priests.

• BLUNDER? Thousands of Huguenots left France for Germany, Holland and England. In Germany, the Huguenots helped to develop early Prussian industry, in Holland and England the Huguenots joined the armies that fought against Louis XIV.

French Administrative Bureaucracy

• The Marquis of Louvois (1641-1691)

• Louis’ war minister• Superior tactician• Discipline• Limited military

commissions• Meritocracy• Four year enlistment• Single men• Good pay

• Sebastien Vauban (1633-1707) – military engineer

• Expert at fortification and besieging

• Trench warfare• Military tactics used

through WWI

• Jean-Baptiste Colbert• *******************• Centralized French

economy• Developed mercantilism• Regulated imports and

exports through tariffs• New national industries• Bureaucracy simplified• Increased TAILLE

War, War, what is it good for?

• War of Devolution 1667-1668• Treaty of the Pyrenees 1659 – Marie Therese

renounced her claim to the Spanish throne in exchange for a large dowry to be paid to Louis XIV

• Dowry not paid• Philip IV of Spain – Marie Therese’s father died

in 1665 and left the throne to his “sickly” son Charles II “Carlos the Unfortunate”

Philip IV Charles II

• Because the dowry had not been paid, Louis claimed that his wife Marie-Therese was due some land – specifically Flanders and other areas of the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium). He claimed the land “devolved” to his wife/him after Philip IV’s death.

• French troops invaded Flanders.• TRIPLE ALLIANCE – England, Sweden, and the

United Provinces of Holland battled Louis and forced him to accept TREATY OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE 1668

Louis XIV and the Netherlands

• 1670 – Louis and his cousin Charles II of England signed the Treaty of Dover – becoming allies against the Dutch. Triple Alliance over.

• Louis invaded the Netherlands 1672 – aimed at Holland.

• Sun King eclipsed by Dutch cheese• Louis’ invasion had the unforeseen side effect of

bringing down the Dutch government and bringing to power in Holland William, Prince of Orange – great-grandson of William the Silent and grandson of Charles I of England – husband of Mary Stuart.

• William of Orange became Louis XIV’s greatest critic and led the wars against him.

• 1673 William of Orange united HRE, Spain, Lorraine and Brandenburg against the “Christian Turk” Louis XIV

• Peace of Nimwegen 1678-1679 – Spain lost Franche-Comte

League of Augsburg

• Louis maintained his army at a high level of alert and preparedness after the Peace of Nimwegen.

• Louis’ military and the seizure of the free city of Strasbourg led to the creation of the LEAGUE OF AUGSBURG in 1686 to stop French advancement into Germany.

• 1689 – League of Augsburg: HRE, Spain, Sweden, United Provinces, Bavaria, Saxony, Palatinate, and England (now under William and Mary)

Nine Years’ War 1689-1697

• France and the League of Augsburg were at war – but like previous wars with Louis – it ended with a virtual stalemate.

• Peace of Ryswick – 1697 – Holland’s borders secured and French expansion into Germany halted.

• France and England began struggle for control of North America.

WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION 1702-1714

• 1700 – Charles II of Spain died (Louis’ brother-in-law and cousin) leaving no children.

• Louis and Leopold HRE had claims to the throne – but Marie Therese had renounced her claim in the Treaty of the Pyrenees 1659.

• Louis and Leopold each wanted his grandson to be named the new king of Spain – most of Europe feared a Bourbon monarch in France and Spain.

• Charles II of Spain had left his throne to Philip of Anjou – grandson of Louis XIV

• Louis quickly sent Philip to Madrid to be crowned Philip V – sent French troops into the Netherlands and stated that Spanish lands in the Americas were open to French ships.

The Grand Alliance

• 1701 – the Grand Alliance (England, Holland, HRE) was formed to stop Louis from placing Philip on the throne of Spain.

• Grand Alliance wanted – Flanders neutral as a barrier between France and Holland – Leopold wanted his fair inheritance

• To cause problems in England, Louis XIV officially recognized the son of James II of England and Mary of Modena as James III of England.

• France was ill prepared for war – economically and militarily

• England had far superior forces and technology

• John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough led the alliance after the death of William III.

• 1704 – Battle of Blenheim – Churchill routed the French

• France hit with famine, revolts, etc.

Treaty of Utrecht Treaty of Rastadt

• July 1712 – Treaty of Utrecht – peace with England

• March 1714 – Treaty of Rastadt – peace with Holland and the HRE

• 1. Philip V was king of Spain• 2. thrones of Spain and France could never be

united• 3. Gibraltar given to England – allowing for

English domination of the Mediterranean Sea.• 4. Louis recognized House of Hanover’s right to

succeed to the English throne.

Legacy of Louis XIV

• 1. French empire in America

• 2. Grandeur of France

• 3. Spent badly needed money on wasteful wars

• 4. controlled and manipulated the French nobles, bourgeoisie and peasantry – leaving them all with grievances against the crown.

• 5. England emerged from these wars and the time period as a united GREAT BRITAIN and poised to assume dominance of the seas – the French recognition of the right of the Hanoverians to assume the throne of England and Scotland removed the main source of funding to the Jacobite cause.

• 6. the financial weakness of the French monarchy was a contributing factor in the French Revolution