1. The Royal State Absolutism in Western Europe (1589-1715)  Derived from the assumption of “Divine Right of Kings”  Absolutism was most successful in France under Louis XIV Characteristics of Western European Absolutism  Sovereignty of the state was embodied in the ruler  Monarchs were not subordinate to national assemblies  Established nobility (Nobles of the Sword) was brought under control of the monarch who limited their power.  New nobles purchased their titles from the monarch (Nobles of the Robe) and were loyal to the crown.  Bureaucracies were composed of officials appointed by the crown and who were accountable to the king.  Absolute states maintained large standing armies to protect against foreign aggression.  Secret police weakened political opposition

2. Bourbon France

3. Establishment of the Bourbon Dynasty  Between 1562 and 1589, civil war broke out in France between Catholics and protestant Huguenots (French Calvinists).  In 1589. a Huguenot leader Henry Bourbon seized control of the French throne and became Henry IV.  He established the Bourbon dynasty that would rule France for the next two hundred years.  Following the civil war, France was in chaos. Henry began rebuilding the country into the strongest nation in Europe.

4. Henry IV 1589-1610  Henry converted to Catholicism to gain support of the country’s majority.  Issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598 proclaiming toleration of Huguenots.  His finance minister the Duke of Sully, instituted mercantilist policies and began major economic reforms and public works programs to enrich the nation and rebuild from the damage of the civil war.  In 1610, Henry was assassinated by an fanatic monk as he rode in his carriage.

5. Louis XIII 1610 - 1643  Henry was succeeded by his ten year old son who became Louis XIII.  His mother Marie de Medici served as his regent and arranged his marriage to a Hapsburg princess, Anne of Austria. She dismissed Sully leaving France without strong leadership.  With this void in leadership Huguenots and nobles took advantage to strengthen their own positions and threaten royal authority.  In 1521 Marie appointed a strong chief minister Cardinal Richelieu to aid the king.  Louis had little interest in ruling and spent most of his time at his hunting lodge at Versailles.  Richelieu ran the country on behalf of Louis and re-strengthened the monarchy.

6. Hunting Lodge of Louis XIII (Versailles)

7. Cardinal Richelieu Richelieu was a member of the clergy and a shrewd politique. He had three main goals: 1. Reassert royal power over the nobility. 2. Destroy the political power of the Huguenots. 3. Build France into the most powerful nation in Europe

8. Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) To achieve his goals Richelieu (intendants)  Sent royal officials (intendants) into the provinces to strengthen royal authority. (bourgeoisie)  Appointed members of the middle class (bourgeoisie) to government positions rather than nobles. Huguenots (Peace of Alais, 1629).  Weakened the power of the Huguenots by destroying their walled cities that had been allowed under the Edict of Nantes. He still allowed their freedom of religion to avoid another civil war. (Peace of Alais, 1629).  Enriched the monarchy by imposing heavy taxes on the lower classes. Thirty Years War  Entered the Thirty Years War on the side of German protestants to weaken Frances rivals.

9. Foreign Affairs under Richelieu and Louis XIII  Richelieu revived French opposition to the traditional rival Hapsburg rulers in the Holy Roman Empire.  In 1635, Catholic France entered the Thirty Years War on the side of the protestants rather than the Catholics.  Hapsburg power was severely weakened by the war. It ended in 1648 with the signing of the Peace of Westphalia.  Although Richelieu (1642) and Louis (1643) died before the war ended, France emerged as Europe’s most powerful country  Richelieu was succeeded by Cardinal Mazarin who continued his policies Cardinal Mazarin r. 1642-1661 r. 1642-1661

10. Louis XIV “The Sun King” 1643 - 1715 Louis XIV as a Child Louis XIV  In 1643, following the death of Louis XIII, his five year old son became king as Louis XIV. Cardinal Mazarin  His mother, Anne served as his regent aided by Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin continued the policies of Cardinal Richelieu During his childhood French nobles rebelled against royal power (1648-1653) in what was known as The Fronde. Louis would never forget this and he become the ultimate absolute monarch. Sun King. Louis XIV would become one of the strongest and most colorful monarchs of all time. He was known as the Sun King.

11. Louis XIV “The Sun King” Through the Years

12. Louis XIV “The Sun King” 1643 - 1715 Louis’ Reign is noted for:  Absolute Rule  Blossoming of French Culture  Religious Persecution  Strong Economic Policy  Ongoing warfare

13. Louis XIV “The Sun King” 1643 - 1715 Divine Right  Louis claimed Divine Right  Exercised unlimited power Estates General  Never convened the Estates General during his reign.  Forced the nobles to live at Versailles so he could keep them busy, watch them, and assure their loyalty and allegiance. Absolute Rule Louis XIV The Sun King

14. Louis XIV “The Sun King” 1643 - 1715 Versailles  Built Versailles into the most magnificent palace in the world.  France became the center of art and culture in Europe.  French became the most widely spoken language in Europe.  The greatest cultural and political figures of the time visited the court at Versailles. Blossoming of French Culture

15. The Palace of Versailles Original Hunting Lodge of Louis XIII

16. The Palace of Versailles

17. The Gardens and Fountains of Versailles

18. The Palace of Versailles The King’s Chamber The Queen’s Chamber The Theatre

19. The Palace of Versailles The Hall of Mirrors

20. Louis XIV 1643 - 1715 Jean Baptiste Colbert,  In 1661, Louis appointed Jean Baptiste Colbert, to oversee and stimulate the French economy. mercantilist Bullionism  Colbert was an ardent mercantilist and a strong advocate of Bullionism.  He established French colonies abroad and strengthened the French Navy and commercial fleet. taille,.  He restructured the tax system including the taille, which led to drastic increased revenue.  He ordered construction of new roads and canals to improve trade.  Supported new industries with government funds, reduced internal tariffs, and government supported monopoly powers.  Despite the heavy spending of the crown, Colbert was able to keep the French government solvent  Louis did not replace Colbert after his death in 1683. Due to other royal expenditures the French economy began to spiral downward. Strong Economic Policy Jean Baptiste Colbert 1661-1683

21. Louis XIV 1643 - 1715 Edict of Nantes Edict of Fontainebleau  In 1685, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes with the Edict of Fontainebleau  He ordered the destruction of Huguenot churches and closing of protestant schools  Only Catholicism was tolerated as a state religion.  Huguenots persecution was sanctioned by the king.  Over the next two decades hundreds of thousands of Protestants left France, taking with them skills and knowledge vital to the French economy.  Many of Frances wealthiest merchants left. This would later deeply hurt France economically and contributed to the economic growth in other European states.  18 th century Enlightenment philosophes stressed religious toleration which was eventually restored during the latter part of the century. Edict of Tolerance  The Edict of Tolerance was issued by Louis XVI in 1787, just prior to the French Revolution. Calvinist, Huguenots, Lutherans, and Jews were given legal recognition and right to open worship. Religious Persecution Persecution of Huguenots

22. The Wars of Louis XIV  It centered over who would assume the Spanish throne when the last Spanish Hapsburg Charles II died without an heir in 1700.  HRE Emperor Leopold I favored his son Charles. Louis favored his grandson Philip of Anjou. Treaty of Utrecht  The war raged for 13 years and ended with the Treaty of Utrecht  Louis’ grandson became Spanish king but France lost territory including colonies in North America.  A balance of power was re-established in Europe  European countries feared the growing power of Louis and France.  During his reign Louis fought four major wars and many smaller skirmishes against these countries.  The wars were initially successful but continuously drained the country’s treasury. The War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714).  The last of these was The War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714).  By the time of Louis’ death in 1715, France was facing severe financial crisis.  Louis great grandson Louis XV inherited the French throne.  He and his successor Louis XVI were crippled by debt, war, and civil unrest. They were much weaker rulers than the “Sun King”.  France moved closer to revolution. It finally erupted in 1789.

23. The Daily Dressing of the Sun King

24. Louis XIV “The Sun King” 1643 - 1715 Louis XIV The Sun King The King's daily routine The Duke of Saint-Simon, who kept the memorials of Versailles, wrote of Louis XIV: With an almanac and a watch, you could be three hundred leagues from here and say what he was doing. The King's day was timed down to the last minute so that the officers in the service of the monarch could plan their work as accurately as possible. From the rising ceremony to the retiring, he followed a strict schedule, as did all the members of the Court, all regulated like clockwork.

25. Louis XIV “The Sun King” The Grand Levee: The Dressing of the King The King's daily routine 7.30-8 am "Sire, it is time", the first Valet awakens the King… Doctors, familiars and a few favorites who enjoyed the privilege of the Grand Entries followed in succession into the bedchamber of the King who was washed, combed and shaved.  The officers of the Chamber and the Wardrobe then entered for the Grand Levee during which the King was dressed and breakfasted on a bowl of broth. Only the most important personalities in the kingdom were admitted to observe this ritual. The number of attendants is estimated at around a hundred, all male.

26. Louis XIV “The Sun King” Louis XIV The Sun King The King's daily routine 10 am: As they left the King's apartment, a procession formed in the Hall of Mirrors. Followed by his courtiers, the King crossed the whole breadth of the Grand Apartment. This was the moment when the crowd gathered along the passage of the royal cortège was at last able to catch a glimpse of the monarch. Some were even able to speak to him briefly or pass him a written request. The King sat in the tribune of the Royal Chapel to attend mass, for about thirty minutes. The choir of the "Chapel Music", renowned throughout Europe, sang a new work each day.

27. Louis XIV “The Sun King” The King's daily routine 11 am: Back in his Apartment, the King held council in his cabinet… Five or six ministers worked with the monarch who spoke little, listened much and then made his decision. 1 pm: In his bedchamber, the King dined alone, sitting at a table facing the windows. Louis XIV received all the men of the Court… who were present at the Levee. 2 pm: The King gave his orders announcing his intentions for the afternoon in the morning. If he wished for a promenade, it was in the gardens, either on foot or in a carriage with the ladies. If he chose to hunt it took place in the grounds when the King preferred to shoot, or in the surrounding woodland when he rode with hounds. The King’s and his Cabinet

28. Louis XIV “The Sun King” The Grand Public Supper The King's daily routine 6 pm: Often Louis XIV let his son preside over the indoor entertainments, like the evenings in the apartments. Meanwhile, he would sign the many letters prepared by his secretary and then go to the apartments of Madame de Maintenon where he would study an important dossier aided by one of his four secretaries of State. 10 pm: The crowd squeezed into the antechamber of the King's apartments to attend the Grand Public Supper. The King would sit at the table, surrounded by members of the royal family. At the end of the meal, the monarch walked through his bedroom and into the salon to salute the ladies of the court. Then he withdrew to his cabinet to converse more freely with his family and a few close acquaintances. 11:30 pm: The retiring, a public ceremonial where the King withdrew to his bedroom, was a shortened version of the Levee.