The Disintegration and Reconstruction of France

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Section 3.15

• The Disintegration and Reconstruction of France

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Question to consider

• To what extent did the monarchy succeed in
  imposing unity on France by the second half of
  the 16th century? What is meant by the term
  feudal as used after the Middle Ages?
• Describe the background, nature, and outcome of
  the civil and religious wars in France in the
  16th century.
• Of what long-range significance was the position
  taken by the politiques in the civil wars in
  France?
• How did Henry IV come to the throne in 1589? What
  is the deeper meaning of the remark, Paris is
  well worth a Mass?
• How did Henry IV attempt to settle the religious
  issue? Of what significance was his reign for the
  development of the French monarchy?
• How would you assess the objectives and
  accomplishments of Cardinal Richelieu?

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Political and Religious Disunity

• France and Germany collapsed as a result of
  religious turmoil
• Religious wars in France were political and
  religiously based
• New form of feudal rebellion against a higher
  central authority

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What divided France?

• Feudal Rights and Religious Diversity
• Centralism vs. localism
• New Monarchies tried to centralize administration
• Challenges to the centralization came from
• over 300 different legal systems in 300 small
  regions
• bonnes villes (good towns) stubbornly held onto
  their corporate rights

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What divided France?

• Religious Diversity
• Catholicism official state religion (Concordat of
  Bologna (1516)
• Calvinism attracted nobles (Huguenots)
• Over 33 nobility became Calvinist
• laws allowed lords to regulate religion in their
  estates
• gave them opportunity to appoint Calvinistic
  preachers
• Towns leaned toward Protestantism (bourgeois
  oligarchy)
• Unskilled laboring population remained Catholic

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Civil and Religious Wars 1560-1600

• Huguenots saw opportunity to gain power over weak
  monarchs (Francis II (d. 1560), Charles IX (d.
  1574), and Henry III (d. 1589)
• Catherine de Medici regent ruler
• Perpetrated the The St. Bartholomew's Day
  Massacre
• against the Huguenots in Paris for Navarres
  wedding
• 20 thousand murdered

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The Politiques

• Out of chaos rose third party called the
  Politiques
• said that too much was being made of religion
• What was needed was civil order
• Had a secular rather than a religious view
• Overlook religious ideas if citizens obey the king

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Henry Bourbon of Navarre

• A Politique
• Pragmatist and would use the Politique idea to
  gain the throne
• Jean Bodin
• first to discuss the modern theory of sovereignty
• every society must have 1 power strong enough to
  give law
• in France absolutism
• Sovereignty of the state emerges as the political
  model in the west to the present

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End of the Wars Reconstruction under Henry IV

• 1589 Henry III of France and Henry of Guise are
  assassinated
• next legal inheritor is Henry Bourbon (of
  Navarre) (Henry IV)
• Henry of Navarre brings the Bourbon dynasty to
  the throne
• a Huguenot but recognized that Catholicism was
  the faith of the majority
• Converts to Catholicism in 1593
• Paris is well worth a mass.

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End of the Wars Reconstruction under Henry IV

• Issued the Edict of Nantes to quiet the Huguenots
• Protestants civil rights are protected
• Gave Protestants the rights to defend themselves
  and maintain private armies (had 100 fortified
  towns)
• Parlements refused to recognize the Edict
• Silenced them by granting favors to Jesuits

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End of the Wars Reconstruction under Henry IV

• Henry IV begins rebuilding France
• A chicken in the pot for every Frenchmen
• repaired roads, began rebuilding of business,
  ect.
• Never summons the estates general
• Laid the foundations for absolutism
• 1610 Henry IV is killed by Catholic fanatic

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Cardinal Richelieu

• Governments of Marie de Medici and her son Louis
  XIII administered by Cardinal Richelieu
• Cardinal but really a politique
• Advances mercantilism
• Encouraged nobility to develop interests in
  commerce without loss of title or status
• Encouraged merchants with grants of titles of
  nobility
• Developed commercial companies

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Peace of Alais

• Prohibits private warfare and orders the
  destruction of fortified castles not used by the
  king
• Peace of Alais amends the Edict of Nantes after
  Protestant uprising is put down
• Huguenots can not share political power, can not
  keep private armies
• Huguenots can practice Protestantism
• Path toward absolutism is being widened

Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle.