1. Chapter Five – Section Two The Reign of Louis XIV

2. Absolutism Objective
Summarize the development of absolute and constitutional monarchies in Europe from 1500 to 1800

3. Chapters in Brief
France was torn by eight religious wars between Catholics and Protestants from 1562 to In 1589, a Protestant prince, Henry of Navarre, became King Henry IV. He changed religions in 1593, becoming Catholic to please the majority of his people. In 1598, he issued an order called the Edict of Nantes. It gave Huguenots – French Protestants – the right to live in peace and have their own churches in some cities. Henry built the French economy and brought peace to the land. He was followed by his son, a weak king. However, that son had a very capable chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu. He ruled the land for him and increased the power of the crown. The cardinal ordered that Huguenots

4. Chapters in Brief
could not build walls for their cities. He also said nobles had to destroy their castles. As a result, Protestants and nobles could not hide within walls to defy the king’s power. Richelieu used people from the middle class – not nobles – to work in his government. That also cut nobles’ power. French thinkers had reacted to the religious wars with horror. They developed a new attitude – skepticism. Nothing could be known for certain, they argued. Doubting old ideas was the first step to learning the truth, they said. In 1643, Louis XIV, age four, became king. Cardinal Mazarin ruled for him until Louis was 22. Louis became a powerful ruler, with total control. Louis determined never

5. Chapters in Brief
to let nobles challenge him. He froze the nobles out of his government. He gave more power to government officials and made sure that they answered only to him. He also worked hard to increase the wealth of France. His chief minister of finance, Jean Baptiste Colbert, tried to build French industry. Colbert aimed to convince French people to but French-made goods and not those from other countries. He urged people to settle in the new French colony in Canada. The fur trade there brought wealth to France. Louis enjoyed a life of luxury at his court. He build a huge and beautiful palace at Versailles near Paris. He also made sure that nobles had to depend on his favor in order to

6. Chapters in Brief
advance in society. Louis made France the most powerful nation in Europe. France had more people and a larger army than any other country. However, Louis made some mistakes that later proved costly. After winning some wars against neighboring countries, he became bolder and tried to seize more land. Other nations joined together to stop France by the late 1680s. The high cost of these wars combined with poor harvests to produce problems at home in France. The final war fought in Louis’s time lasted from 1700 to In this War of the Spanish Succession, France and Spain attempted to set up united thrones. The rest of Europe felt threatened and joined in war against them. Both France and Spain were forced to give up some of their American and European colonies to England, the new rising power.

7. Setting the Stage… 1559 – King Henry of France died
left 4 sons; three ruled – one after the other
all proved incompetent
real power behind the thrown was their mother = Catherine de Medici
tried to preserve royal authority, but growing conflicts between Catholics and Huguenots rocked the country
1572 – St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris
massacre occurred when many nobles were in Paris attending the marriage of Catherine’s daughter to Prince Henry of Navarre
most nobles died, but Henry survived

8. Henry of Navarre Edict of Nantes - French Huguenots could
Descendant from King Louis IX
1589 inherits the throne of France – becomes Henry IV – first king of the Bourbon dynasty
gave up Protestantism and became a Catholic
1598 – Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes - French Huguenots could
live in peace and set up
their own houses of
worship
Huguenot - a French Protestant
French monarchy back to peace and financial
strength
stabbed to death in his carriage by a
religious fanatic

9. Henry IV

10. Louis XIII weak King gets help from a strong minister: Richelieu
(RIHSH uh loo)

11. Cardinal Richelieu the true ruler of France during Louis XIII’s reign
Two ways of Increasing Power
1. no walls around Protestant
cities
a. defy the king
b. hide behind the
strong defenses
2. weakens the nobles
powers
a. increased middle class
of government agents
b. no need to use noble
officials

12. Cardinal Richelieu wanted to make France the strongest state in
Europe = greatest obstacle
The Hapsburgs - rulers of Spain, Austria,
the Netherlands and parts of the Holy
Roman Empire
to limit Hapsburg power, Richelieu
involved France in the Thirty
Years War

13. >>L’etat c’est moi>>
Louis XIV
>>L’etat c’est moi>>
(lay-tah say mwa)
“I am the state”
most powerful ruler in French history

14. Louis XIV (continued) A Boy King becomes king in 1643
Cardinal Mazarin (MAZ*uh*RAN0 has
all of the control until 1661
increased taxes
ends Thirty Years War
strengthens the central government

15. Louis XIV (continued)
Louis is 22 when he takes control of the government himself
he weakened the powers of the nobles by excluding them form his councils
more power given to intendants – those who collected taxes and administered justice
to keep power, he made sure the local officials communicated with him regularly

16. Louis XIV (continued) Economic Growth
Minister of Finance- Jean Baptiste Colbert (kawl-behr) assists Louis in economics politics, and culture
Goal = to make France self-sufficient
government funds and tax benefits to French
companies
put a high tariff (tax) on imported goods
encouraged people to migrate to Canada
to increase the fur trade
Colbert dies in 1685
Louis slows economic progress
cancels the Edict of Nantes (no peaceful worship / own churches)
thousands of Huguenot artisans and business people flea France

17. Louis XIV (continued) Control of the Nobility
Louis is dressed by the four highest
nobles out of 100
Palace of Versailles strategy
built in the countryside--it drew
nobles away from their homes
made them dependent on the king
this gave more power to the intendants (French officials)

18. The Palace of Versailles
11 miles away from Paris
everything was immense
palace itself stretched for 500 yards
like a royal city
5,000 acres of gardens, lawns, and woods
1,400 fountains
in 2003, it cost $2.5 billion

23.                                                                                           
Venus Room Ceiling

24.                                                                                           
Venus Room

25. Venus Room

26. Diana Room
Louis XIV’s
Billiards Rooms

27. Billiards - Louis XIV’s favorite game

28.                                                                                   
Diana Room

29. (during Louis XIV’s reign filled with silver furniture)
                                                                                          
Mars Room Ceiling
(during Louis XIV’s reign filled with silver furniture)

30. Apollo Room = Throne Room
                                                                   
Apollo Room = Throne Room

31. War Room or Council Room
                                                                           
War Room or Council Room

32.                                                                            
King’s Bedroom

33.                                                                            
Council Room

34. King in Council

35. Dog Room - where Louis XIVs favorite dogs slept
                                                                           
Dog Room - where Louis XIVs favorite dogs slept

36.                                                                                           
Gold Plate Room

37.                                                                                           
Louis XIV’s Library

38. Louis XIV’s Dining Room
                                                                           
Louis XIV’s Dining Room

39.                                                                               
Louis XIV’s Games Room

42. Hall of Mirrors
one wall has
17 tall
mirrors
the opposite
wall has 17
windows that
open onto the
gardens
gilded statues
crystal
chandeliers
painted
ceiling

43. Chapel

44. Louis Fights Disastrous Wars
Attempts to Expand
under Louis XIV, France is the most powerful
country in Europe
invades the Spanish Netherlands
gains 12 towns
invades the Dutch Netherlands
stopped by the flooding of the countryside because the Dutch opened their dikes
fighting stops with the Dutch = Treaty of Nijmegen
gains a region called Franche-Comte
Louis’ luck runs out with the additional wars – a European-wide alliance formed to stop France

45. Louis Fights Disastrous Wars
War of the Spanish Succession
the French people want peace; Louis wants Spain
Charles II (of Spain) dies - Louis XIV’s
16 year old grandson - Philip of Anjou – is promised
to get the throne
increase in the Bourbon dynasty’s power = other countries felt threatened
England, Austria, Dutch Republic, Portugal, German, and Italian states united to stop the combination
– War of Spanish Succession
ends with the Treaty of Utrecht
Philip of Anjou gets to remain king, but cannot unite kingdoms with France

46. Louis’s Death and Legacy
Louis’s last years were more sad than glorious
regretted the suffering he had brought to France because his wars had ruined France
died in 1715 in bed
news of his death prompted rejoicing throughout France
LEGACY
Positives
Negatives
France was powerful
constant warfare = debt
military leader of Europe
Palace = debt
ranked 1st in: art, literature, statesmanship
Absolute power leads to revolution

47. Louis XIV Legacy
** Louis XIV is the long-ruling Bourbon monarch known as the Sun King and was responsible for the construction of the Palace of Versailles **

48. Essential Question
Many historians think of Louis XIV as the perfect example of an absolute monarch. Do you agree?
Justify your answer.
Answer the question in three complete sentences in your summary section.

49. Absolutism Objective
Summarize the development of absolute and constitutional monarchies in Europe from 1500 to 1800