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The Rise of Louis XIV

The Rise of Louis XIV. Young Louis XIV with his brother, Philippe, and their governess. Henry IV and Sully: 1589-1610. Review: Henry of Navarre issued Edict of Nantes (1598) to pacify French Wars of Religion

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The Rise of Louis XIV

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  1. The Rise of Louis XIV Young Louis XIV with his brother, Philippe, and their governess

  2. Henry IV and Sully: 1589-1610 • Review: Henry of Navarre issued Edict of Nantes (1598) to pacify French Wars of Religion • Royal intendents supervised nobles to keep them in line with royal policy and end sinecures • Sully • Established state monopolies • Began a canal system • Introduced royal corvée tax (labor) to create a national force of drafted workers • Although much loved as a kind, compassionate king, he was assassinated 1610: stabbed by assassin who believed Henry had betrayed Catholic majority Assassination of Henry IV (“of Navarre”)

  3. Louis XIII and Richelieu: 1610-1643 • Louis XIII only 9 years old: shrewd Cardinal Richelieu appointed as adviser • Balanced Catholic and Protestant powers adjacent to France to secure borders • Centralizing policies were effective, but created resentment • Stepped up the campaign against separatist provincial governors and parlements • Only one law existed: disobedient nobles executed or imprisoned • Weakened Edict of Nantes by removing political privileges of Huguenots • Replaced local authorities with “state” agents • Reduced local sources of patronage, thereby weakening local nobles • King during much of 30YW

  4. Young Louis XIV and Mazarin: 1643-1715 • 1643: Louis XIV only 5 years old: Unpopular Italian Cardinal Mazarin appointed as adviser • 1649: Uncle (in-law) Charles executed in England • 1649-1652 The Fronde: • backlash led by Paris parlement against centralizing royal policies • Chaos and near anarchy: regional parlements competed for power • Louis fled for a few months, then returned to power • Louis learned dangers of heavy-handed politics

  5. The Mature Louis XIV • Master of propaganda and creation of a successful royal image • Ensured that nobles would benefit from his growth of national authority • Never limited nobles’ local authority • Worked with regional parlements, except often for Paris • Divine right rule: allegedly said “L’etat, c’est moi”

  6. Louis XIV and Versailles • Versailles created new model for royal head of state, removed from Paris • Opulent non-fortified model ensured that mimicking nobles would lose fortifications • Provided setting for cult of personality, where nobles competed for his attention • Created culture in which only physically present nobles could compete • Provided rituals and finery to entertain nobles, while government took place w/o them • (Fountains were powered by water from Seine elevated by waterwheels into tanks, but only when the king looked at them) • Councils of appointed non-nobles ran economy, military, foreign affairs, etc • Daily meetings, much like today’s CEOs or presidents with their cabinets • Non-noble backgrounds of councilors: entirely dependent on Louis

  7. Policies of Louis XIV • Revoked Edict of Nantes: unify France under Catholicism • Achieve secure international boundaries for France • Spanish Netherlands • Eastern French border with HRE • Southern border with Spain • Colbert: controller general of finances • Tightly managed economy, including imports, exports, taxes, nationalized industries, tariffs, and simplified bureaucracy • Increased the taille direct tax on peasantry • Mercantilism: increase exports, decrease imports, expand colonies, amass bullion Louis XIV, portrayed as blessed by angels

  8. Louis XIV and Louvois • Louvois, war minister • Soldiering became respectable: good salaries, improved discipline • Promotion by merit • Intendents monitored army nationally • Army became publicly supported, as its discipline grew and it ceased threatening populace Louvois giving commands

  9. Conclusions • Louis XIV expanded powers of national government through • personal cleverness and strength of personality • administrative efficiency built on previous regimes • dependence on intelligent advisors • Versailles lifestyle, cooperation with parlements, and support of local government • Co-opted nobles into his increase in national authority • Weakened nobility’s power to resist him militarily • Prevented consolidation of any types of national resistance Louis XIV and Moliere

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