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Origins of French Absolutism

Origins of French Absolutism. 1515-1681. INTRODUCTION. The French «Nation» The French Wars of Religion (1560-94) The Massacre of Saint Bartholomew (1572) The Edict of Nantes (1598) Le dieudonné (The God-given) The Fronde Civil Wars (1646-1658)

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Origins of French Absolutism

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  1. Origins of French Absolutism 1515-1681

  2. INTRODUCTION • The French «Nation» • The French Wars of Religion (1560-94) • The Massacre of Saint Bartholomew (1572) • The Edict of Nantes (1598) • Le dieudonné (The God-given) • The Fronde Civil Wars (1646-1658) • «Je serai mon propre premier-ministre.» (1661) • Revitilising the French state • Bringing the nobles to heel : Versailles, Lully and Molière

  3. 1. The French «Nation» • In 1515 is anything but. • The history of France is really just a history of nation building • Which leaves nobody happy and everybody «nasty, brutish and short.»

  4. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • 1515 : François I becomes king • Known as «Valois-Angoulême» because he is a descendant of the youngest son of Charles VI • He is married to the only child of the last king, Louis XII of the Orléans branch of the House of Valois (the second eldest son of Charles VI

  5. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • François I decrees that all the business of government will be in French • Only French is to be spoken at court • Decrees that no part of the French state can ever be separated from itself : it’s part of the «body politic» • It is eternal and cannot be dissolved • «Le roi est mort, vive le roi!»

  6. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • He and his heirs, therefore, will rule over a state that has a common language, but little else. • It is a loose association of territories, jealous of their own prerogatives, exemptions, andstatus • Each major area of the country has it’s own «Parlement»

  7. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • Institution which grew out of the medieval «Conseil du roi» or «King’s council» • It had rights of consultation and deliberation. • Which means it could sit around and chit chat about laws, but not make them

  8. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • Parlements therefore were not legislative. • BUT…they could refuse to register the laws of the King, and if they did that • The King was forced to invoke a lit de justice, literally a bed of justice. • Basically, the King went to a parlement and forced it to register the acts of government. • The most powerful parlement in the land was of course, the one in Paris.

  9. 1. The French «Nation» Cont'd • Thus the special character of «France» makes it prone to internal struggles • Everything works okay as long as you a) have a strong king • b) Your nobles are occupied; and • c) the king lives a long time.

  10. 2. The French Wars of Religion • François I will be succeeded by his younger son, Henri II in 1547 • Henri II had the robust constitution of the Valois : he should have reigned for a long time • But he dies in a tragic jousting accident in 1559.

  11. 2. The French Wars of Religion • His death was predicted by Nostradamus • He dies in a horrible jousting accident in the rue Saint Antoine (get off at Bastille Metro Station) • They pull spikes out of his eye that are 9cm long • He lives in unbearable pain for NINE MORE DAYS

  12. 2. The French Wars of Religion Cont'd • He is succeeded by his «3 idiot sons» a) François II (1559-60) b) Charles IX (1560-74) c) Henri III (1574-1589)

  13. 2. The French Wars of Religion Cont'd • Meanwhile, as you already know, Calvinism is spreading throughout France. • As you have seen, it gives the nobility something to do…

  14. 3. The Massacre of Saint Batholomew • in 1572, in an attempt to preserve peace in the kingdom Catherine de Medici (wife of Henri II…) …arranges a marriage between her Catholic daughter Margeurite (Margot)… …and the Protestant Henri de Navarre (He of the «Paris vaut bien une messe» fame.)

  15. 3. The Massacre Cont'd • Neither bride nor bridegroom wants it • Charles IX, who is the king at this time, has to put his hand on the back of his sister’s head to get her to agree. • But the marriage is solemnized on August 18, and there are 3,000 or so Protestants in Paris to celebrate the new marriage. About a week later, there will be 3000 or so less…

  16. 4. The Edict of Nantes • The massacre scars the French national psyche for centuries to come • Every part of the country was affected by it, because the Protestants came from everywhere • So to bring peace back to France Henri III names his brother-in-law, Henri de Navarre, his heir should Henri III die heirless (i.e. without a son) • He doesn’t intend to do this, but he is assassinated in 1589 by a crazy monk • And thus there are 11 more years of religious warfare

  17. 4. The Edict of Nantes Cont'd • By 1594, France is in a stalemate. • Henri de Navarre has conquered all he needs too, except Paris, the capital • It’s obvious to all that he won’t be able to do it without a long, long seige. • So he agrees to convert, and is crowned Henri IV. • But for Protestants, he grants an edict of toleration, allowing Protestants freedom of conscience and freedom of association, the Edict of Nantes (a Protestant city)

  18. 4. The Edict of Nantes Cont'd • Henri IV is the most beloved of French monarchs • The French remember him with much more love than Louis XIV • He brings peace to the land and a «chicken in every pot», to his people • He has good sense, is surrounded by good councilors, puts France’s finances back in the red • And is assassinated in 1610. 

  19. 5. Le dieudonné • Henri IV is succeeded by his son Louis XIII. He marries the Spanish Infante, Anne of Austria. The hate each other, and after 5 miscarriages refuse to see each other for 23 years

  20. 5. Le Dieudonné Cont'd • But, by a freak weather incident (a thunderstorm), in 1638 the King is forced to stay with his wife. And 9 months later, a gift from god, ledieudonné Louis, is born. And a year after that, a brother!Philippe

  21. 6. Le Fronde (The Slingshot Wars) • Louis XIII will die in 1643, and leaves therefore a 5 year old monarch, a widow, and, unfortunately, an elder brother, Gaston d’Orléans

  22. 6. Le Fronde (The Slingshot Wars) • He’s been waiting for 25 years to be king, and then it’s all ruined • He’s angry. • He’s bitter. • He’s also not very smart

  23. 6. Le Fronde (The Slingshot Wars) • He starts a series of civil wars with a) aid from Spain • And b) by promising nobles greater power if he is made King. • So there is civil war on and off in France from 1644-1654 approx.

  24. 6. Le Fronde (The Slingshot Wars) • The nobles don’t take much convincing because France is being run by Anne of Austria • And this man : Cardinal Mazarini, an Italian. (Frenchified to Mazarin) • Who wants to be told by a woman and an Italian what to do? (after all, we all know what Italians like to do ;) )

  25. 6. Le Fronde Cont'd • What matters most about the Fronde is the psychological damage it will do on the young king, Louis XIV • At one point, the Paris mob break into the Louvre and threaten the royal family • At another, they are forced to flee the city by the Paris Parlement. • And throughout his early years, the king and his family are forced to live in abject poverty • Louis XIV will never forget this

  26. 6. Le Fronde Cont'd • Consider: “The King had Monsieur (his brother) sleep in his bedroom even tho it was so small that only one person could get through at a time. In the morning, when they woke up the King, without thinking, spat on Monsieur’s bed, who immediately and on purpose spat on the King’s. The King, a little angry now, spat in Monsieur’s face. Monsieur then leapt on the Kings bed and pissed on it; the King did the same on Monsieur’s bed…and soon after they grappled and started to fight…”

  27. 7. «Je serai mon propre premier-ministre.» (1661) • Louis XIV never forgave a) Paris or b) his nobility for the humiliation they subjected him to. • And so when, in 1661, Cardinal Mazarin died, Louis decided to reign alone.

  28. 8. Revitilising the French state • He creates a standing army • He expands the navy, develops and expands France’s overseas colonies, creates new academies for dancing, painting, etc. • Promotes industry and the development of manufacturing in France (Goblens for tapestry, Sevre for porcelain • He creates offices and promotes from within the ranks of the upper bourgeoisie, and en-nobles them (la noblesse de la robe)

  29. 9. Bringing the Nobles to heel : • By promoting the bourgeoisie, Louis excludes the nobility from participation in government. • However, he builds them a pleasure palace, Versailles, from which he will rule. • It takes over 20 years. • The court is officially installed in 1680. • Now, if anyone wants anything, they have to be at Versailles. • And if you want to be at Versailles, you’d better be dressed appropriately. ;)

  30. 9. Bringing the Nobles to Heel Cont'd • Louis XIV’s two most feared rebuffes were : • «I never see him» and «I don’t know him.»

  31. 9. Bringing the nobles to heel Cont'd • Versailles was built in 4 stages: • 1664-68 2. 1669-72 3. 1678-84 4. 1699-1710

  32. 9. Bringing the nobles to heel Cont'd • But he also built… Marly (1679-84) Le Grand Trianon (1687-1701)

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