1. Refresh
List 3 similarities and 3 differences between Elizabeth I and Philip II

2. Absolutism
Louis XIV

3. Henry IV Huguenots: French Protestants
: Eight religious wars were fought between French Catholics and Huguenots
1572: 6 week nationwide slaughter of Huguenots
1589: Huguenot Henry IV becomes King of France, begins Bourbon Dynasty
Edict of Nantes (1598): declared Huguenots could live in peace in France and worship freely
Some hated his compromises – stabbed to death by a fanatic in 1610

4. Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu: Became the ruler of France as Louis XIII’s Chief Minster
Louis was 13 when he took the throne
Increased power of Bourbon Monarchy
Moved against Huguenots - did not trust Protestants
Saw Protestantism as an excuse for conspiracies against the king
Forbade any Protestant cities from having walls
Weakened the Nobles’ power
Nobility in control provinces: collected taxes, administered justice, appointed local officials and made alliances with foreign governments
Richelieu took away government rights of and Increased power of government agents
Nobles maintain social prestige
Began the Thirty Years’ War to limit Hapsburg’s power

5. Louis XIV Considered the strongest Bourbon Monarch
Reigned for 72 years (longest ever in Europe)
Set the style for European monarchies
Lavish and powerful
Louis becomes king at age four in 1643
France led by Cardinal Mazarin while Louis XIV was young
Ended the Thirty Years’ War
Hated by French Nobility for increasing taxes and strengthening central government
Riots tore France apart –Louis never forgot his fear or anger of Nobility
For many years people of France accepted oppressive

6. Power At 22, Louis takes full control of France
Weakened Nobles, strengthened the power of government officials
Jean Baptiste Colbert: Minister of Finance
Fixed a near bankrupt French economy
In less than six years a debt of 22 million French pounds had become a surplus of 29 million.
Wanted France self-sufficient and manufacture everything it needed
Recognized importance of colonies – encouraged people to migrate toward Canadian colony
After Colbert, Louis XIV slowed economic progress
Louis cancelled the Edict of Nantes
Many skilled Huguenot artisans and businessmen flee

7. The Sun King Louis spent a fortune to surround himself with luxury
Nearly 500 cooks, waiters, and other servants at his regular feasts
Controlled every aspect of the nobility
100 privileged nobles waited each morning to help him dress - only four granted honor
Lesser Nobles waited within palace halls hoping to be noticed
Royal attention determined whether a noble succeeded or failed
Having nobles at the palace
1. Increased their dependency on Louis XIV
2. Took them from their homes, giving power to government officials

8. Arts Built the Palace of Versailles
Would cost $2.5 billion today
Demonstrated wealth, power and glory of France
10,000 people lived and worked at Versailles
Versailles was a center of the arts during Louis’s reign
Made ballet and opera increasingly popular
Under Louis, the chief purpose of art was not to glorify God (middle ages) or to glorify human potential (Renaissance)
Purpose of art was to glorify the king and his absolute rule

10. 1660: France had four times the English population and ten times the Dutch
French military was far ahead of other states’ in size, training and weaponry
Louis attempted to expand French borders
Europe unites against France
With the small and middle sized countries united - they could equal French strength
Constant war, poor harvest and taxes all led to French suffering
War

11. War of Spanish Succession
1700: Spanish throne given to Louis XIV’s grandson Philip V
The two greatest powers in Europe ruled by Bourbon monarchs
Europe threatened by Bourbon power
England, Netherlands and Austria vs. France & Spain
Peace Agreement:
Recognize Philip V as ruler of Spain but Spain and France can’t become one empire
France loses many colonies to England
France’s bankrupt, increased poverty and discontent with Louis XIV

12. Effects France was a military power Brilliant cultural period
Lavish buildings, decorated palaces and churches; great playwrights and artists
Final years more sad than glorious
Realized costly wars had ruined France and brought suffering to the people
Warfare and building Versailles created staggering debt
Poor resented having the tax burden
Corrupt, complicated, unjust tax system was not changed
Poor carried the tax burden
Nobles, clergy and government officials exempt from paying taxes
Louis XIV abuse of power
Nobility AND peasantry (most of France) want change in system
revolution on the horizon