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Age of Absolutism 1600 – 1715

Age of Absolutism 1600 – 1715. What were the characteristics of absolute monarchy in the 17 th and 18 th centuries?. What led to the Rise of Absolutism ?. Policies and centralization of the “ new monarchies ”

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Age of Absolutism 1600 – 1715

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  1. Age of Absolutism1600 – 1715 What were the characteristics of absolute monarchy in the 17th and 18th centuries?

  2. What led to the Rise of Absolutism? • Policies and centralization of the “new monarchies” • Internal chaos and conflict caused by religious wars in France, Germany, etc. • Interstate competition states’ needed a strongcentral gov’t in order to survive!!! • Middle-class support for a strongstate • Decline in noble political/economic power

  3. Characteristics of Absolute Monarchy royal standing army hereditary rule centralized royal bureaucracy Divine Right emphasis on royal “Grandeur” weakening of noble powers royal control of religious authorities royal control of finances & taxes

  4. Age of Louis XIV

  5. Louis XIV • Lived 1638 – 1715 • r. 1642 – 1715 • Bourbon Dynasty • Assumed full power in 1661 • “the Sun King” • Best example of absolute monarchy • Golden Age of French power and culture

  6. Before Louis:Cardinal Richelieu • Power behind the throne – PrimeMinisterfor Louis XIII • Expanded royal power • Attacked noble privileges, forced nobles out of power • Reduced autonomyof Huguenots(example – Siege of La Rochelle) • Made France Europe’s #1 power • Set the stage for absolutism

  7. Before Louis:Cardinal Mazarin • Richelieu’s hand-picked successor • Italianorigins • ContinuedRichelieu’s policies • Governedfor Louis XIV w/ his mother, Anne of Austria • Policies angered French nobles major rebellion

  8. The Fronde1647 – 1653 • Major rebellion of French nobles and cities • Led by “nobles of the sword” – ancient noble families • Caused by anti-noble royal policies and war weariness • Threatened royal power • Eventually failed due to infighting among rebel factions • Defeat crippled noble power for 100 yrs.  stronger king

  9. The Fronde

  10. The Fronde

  11. Louis XIV: The Early Years • Shared power with Mazarin until…Mazarin died in 1661 • Louis assumes FULL power over the gov’t • Never appoints a new Prime Minister

  12. Absolutism of Louis XIV Centralized Government • Ruled through Councils of State • Comprised of talented royal appointees • Each responsible for a key area of gov’t, answered to Louis • Intendants:royal officials that enforced royal laws in the provinces, collected taxes, raised troops • Royal Bureaucracy: royal officials appointed by Louis that administered the gov’t (military, colonies, taxes, finance, etc.) • Firmer control of towns/cities reduced privileges, appointed town officials, posted military garrisons in key cities

  13. Louis’ Government Council of Foreign Affairs Council of War Council of Colonies Council of Finance Provincial Intendants Royal Bureaucracyroyal appointees and venal office holders Professional Royal Army Colonial Governors Tax Collectors Customs Officials Ambassadors Local Officials

  14. Louis XIV in a Council of State

  15. Absolutism of Louis XIV Legislative Powers • Louis had the theoretical right to make laws (royal edicts) • But…all laws had to be “registered” by 13 regional parlements in order to take effect • This REALLY annoyed Louis

  16. Absolutism of Louis XIV What’s a parlement? High courts of appeal in charge of criminal and civil cases; controlled by nobles who either bought or inherited their judgeship – before a royal edict took effect it had to be “registered” by the parlement – checked the king’s lawmaking powers

  17. Parlementof Paris

  18. ParlementsThroughout France

  19. Absolutism of Louis XIV I AM THE STATE • In 1673, at the height of his power, Louis ordered the Parlement of Paris to register laws first, then complain • Weakenedparlements  ended a check on his law-making power • Reduced power of provincial estates – made royal powers more uniform across France

  20. Absolutism of Louis XIV Weakening the Nobility • Louis feared the great noble families • Worked to control the nobility • Gave nobles privileges, tax exemptions • Sold noble titles to loyal supporters • Noble dominated gov’t posts made ceremonial • Elaborate court life & ceremony = distraction • Palace of Versailles

  21. Absolutism of Louis XIV Palace of Versailles • Built b/t 1669 & 1686 • Louis moved in – 1683 • Peak of Baroque style • Constant parties, ceremony, gambling, etc. • 50,000 residents (10,000 nobles) • Entertained & sequestered the nobility

  22. Absolutism of Louis XIV Palace of Versailles • 10,000 key nobles were “encouraged” to live at Versailles  Louis could watch them • Showed off royal power/wealth • Center of court life • Elaborate ceremony emphasized royal power • Courtly life distracted nobles • Phony court titles for nobles in place of realpolitical power  played nobles off against each other

  23. Versailles

  24. Versailles

  25. Versailles

  26. Versailles

  27. Versailles

  28. Versailles

  29. Absolutism of Louis XIV Justifying Absolutism • Paternalism – “father of his nation” • Royal Grandeur – ceremony separates the king from everyone else, shows his power • Divine Right of Kings • Bishop Jacques Bossuet • Right to rule from God thru hereditary monarchy • Based on Christian & Roman ideas on kingship

  30. Royal Grandeur

  31. Royal Grandeur

  32. Royal Grandeur

  33. The Sun King

  34. Major Policies: Economic Policy • Based on MERCANTILIST ideas • Jean-Baptiste Colbert: mercantilist & main economic advisor • Improved tax collection + efficientgov’t/less expenses = big revenues for monarchy • State-run industries & state monopolies • Founded colonies to improve trade • Expanded navy to protect trade • Built internal improvements: canals, roads

  35. Jean-Baptiste Colbert • Favored mercantilism • Goal: self-sufficiency • Built up French navy – 1st step to trade & colonies • Built harbors, naval bases, arsenals • Encouraged art & science • Paris Observatory • Royal Academy of Science • Reduced royal debts & added new revenues – funded Louis’ army & wars

  36. A New Navy

  37. Royal Academy of Science

  38. Canal du Languedoc

  39. Colbert’s Canals

  40. Colonial Expansion

  41. Quebec City 1700

  42. Major Policies: Religious Policy • Resented and undermined Huguenots’ autonomy • Revocation of the Edict of Nantes • 1685 • Demands ALL French subjects MUST be Catholic • Forbid Protestant worship, forced baptism • Churches, schools closed, burned • 200K Huguenots fled to Protestant states: many were merchants  blow to French economy • Louis looked like a Catholic tyrant hurt France’s reputation across Europe

  43. Edict of Nantes Just Been Revoked

  44. Persecution of the Huguenots

  45. Huguenot Migration

  46. Louis XIV’s Persecution of the Huguenots • …More and more Louis tried to impose uniformity in religious affairs. In the 1680s he intensified persecution of Protestants; his actions made the Edict of Nantes nothing but a scrap of paper. Finally in 1685 he declared that the majority of French Protestants had been converted to Catholicism and that therefore there was no need for the edict. It was revoked. Now Louis launched a reign of terror. He refused to allow French Protestants to leave the country. He promised that those who remained could worship privately, free of persecution, but never kept the promise. Their churches were torn down, their gatherings forbidden, their children made to attend mass. The Waldensians in Savoy were massacred, and six hundred Protestants “caught making assemblies” were executed. Perhaps 250,000 fled abroad to escape persecution…

  47. Effect of the Revocation • …Recent studies have concluded that the economic damage done to France by the Huguenot emigration has been overrated, it being only one element in the larger damage caused by the wars. Of the political damage, however, there is no question. The flood of anti-French pamphlets and satires issued by Huguenot printers and their friends in all the cities where they settled aroused antagonism to France to new heat. The Protestant coalition against France was strengthened when Brandenburg entered into alliance with Holland, and the smaller German principalities joined. In France itself the Protestant faith was reinvigorated by persecution and the feud with Catholics revived. A prolonged revolt of the Camisard Huguenots in the Cévennes, a mountainous region of the south, brought on a cruel war of repression, weakening the state. Here and among other Huguenot communities which remained in France, a receptive base was created for the Revolution…

  48. Major Policies: Military Policy • Makes major military reforms • Professional army with better officers • Less reliance on mercenaries • Standardized weapons, uniforms, training, equipment • Peaks at 300K soldiers • Europe’s best army

  49. Major Policies: Foreign Policy • Louis’ MAIN FOCUS • Three Basic Goals: • Natural frontiers (Alps, Pyrenees, Rhine) • Continental dominance: make France Europe’s #1 power • Dynastic Ambitions: make the Bourbons #1, stick it to the Habsburgs • Used war to achieve goals after 1667

  50. “Natural Frontiers” SPANISH NETHERLANDS RHINE RIVER THE ALPS PYRENEES MTNS.

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