17th18th Century France The Absolute Monarchy Reigns

1
17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Louis XIII
• Born 1601 - Died 1643
• Reigned 1610-1643
• Father was Henry IV the first Bourbon King
• Took throne at age 8 ½ after fathers
  assassination
• Mother ruled until he was 13
• November 9, 1615, at age 14, was married to a
  Hapsburg Princess, Anne of Austria, daughter of
  King Philip III of Spain
• Begins construction of Versailles in 1624

2
17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Louis XIV
• The Sun King
• Born 1638 - Died 1715
• Reigned 1643-1715
• Only 4 when father dies so power goes to Cardinal
  Richelieu (had been advisor to Louis XIII since
  1624)

He is known as The Sun King (in French, Le Roi
Soleil) because it was thought that, just as the
planets revolve around the Sun, so too should
France and the Court revolve around him.
3
17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• When Richelieu dies, power passed to Cardinal
  Mazarin until his death in 1661
• Cardinals led France to prominence in Europe
  (especially Richelieu)
• Louis XIV crowned King in 1661 (23 years old) and
  marries Maria Teresa Infanta of Spain

4
17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Voltaire refers to Louis XIV as Letate, cest
  moi I am the State
• This sums up Louis view on absolutism
• Louis takes total control of government, isolated
  and controlled the nobility by moving them to
  Versailles in 1682
• Life for nobility was an endless succession of
  meaningless social rituals centered on honors
  bestowed by the king

5
VERSAILLES
6
VERSAILLES
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17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Still depended upon advisors, but they no longer
  came automatically from the nobility rather, he
  selected well-qualified people
• Went to war four times from 1667-1715
• Depleted treasury
• Levied even more taxes on an already poor
  citizenry (except nobility)

8
17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Louis XV
• Born 1710 - Died 1774
• Reigned 1715 1774
• Great-grandson of Louis XIV
• Came to throne at age five, married to Maria
  Leczinska at age 15, father at age 16
• VERY inept leader
• Three wars gained some territory from Poland, but
  lost North America to Great Britain

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17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Louis XVI
• Born 1754 - Died 1793
• Reigned 1774 1793
• Grandson of Louis XV
• VERY incompetent, dull-minded, weak ruler
  lacked leadership skills and decision-making
  capabilities
• Didnt really want to rule, forced to when Louis
  XV dies
• Power greatly limited after 1789 revolution
  Constitutional Monarchy (really just a figurehead)

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17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Reigns

• Louis XVI
• Married to Marie Antoinette of Austria (in some
  ways she was more of a leader than he was)
• Both were executed after the revolution, during
  the Reign of Terror

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17th-18th Century FranceThe Absolute Monarchy
Ends
1793-1794 The Jacobins Rule under
Robespierre executed July 28, 1794 1794-1799
The Directory (National Convention) 1799-1815 Na
polean Bonaparte