Age of Absolutism: King Louis XIV

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Age of AbsolutismKing Louis XIV

• FRENCH ABSOLUTISM

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Absolutism

• Political theory that believed in the Divine
  Right of Kings (Monarchs received their
  authority from God).
• Bishop Bossuet established this in Politics Taken
  From the Very Words of Scripture.

Bishop Jacques Bossuet
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Absolute Monarchy in France

• Foundations of French Absolutism
• Cardinal Richelieu (1624 1642)
• Policies and goals
• Administrative reforms
• Cardinal Mazarin (1642 1661)
• The Fronde Noble Revolt
• Both were able to maintain power because they
  acted as regents for very young kings

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Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715)

• Personal rule began in 1661 with the death of
  Cardinal Mazarin.
• "L'État, c'est moi" (the state is me)
• Symbolized as the Sun King. (Center of France
  rays of sun reflect off of monarch onto subjects).

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Châteaux de Versailles

• Kings residence and center of government.
• Spent vast sums of money on expansion.
• Royal apartments were at the center of the
  complex.

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Court Life at Versailles

• King severed dual functions that of courtier and
  that of administrator.
• Both functions were aimed at state-building.
• The Fronde had taught Louis to distrust the
  nobility, so he appointed officials from
  middle-class origin.
• He also continued the practice of selling titles
  (nobles of the robe as opposed to nobles of
  the sword).

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Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683)

• Served as controller of finances from 1662-1683.
• Supported mercantilist policies.
• Built roads and canals.
• Credited for many of Louis economic successes
  and failures.

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Domestic Policies

• Louis enacted absolutist ideas through domination
  of the central bureaucracy which had greater
  control of state finances, the execution of laws
  and the use of armed force.
• Increased royal control over the local
  parlements.
• Defended the policy of Gallicanism.
• Revoked the Edict of Nantes in in October 1685
  and began persecuting Huguenots over 200,000
  fled France.

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Wars Expansion under Louis XIV

• Through a series of expensive wars Louis slowly
  expanded French territory.
• War of Devolution (1667-68)
• The Dutch War (1672-78)
• War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97)

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War of Spanish Succession

• Childless Hapsburg Charles II names Bourbon
  Philip of Anjou as heir.
• England, Holland and HRE oppose French
  acquisition of Spain territories.
• Louis was defeated by the British and Austrians.

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Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

• War ended with Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and
  Treaty of Baden and Rastatt (with Hapsburgs in
  1714)
• Philip of Anjou become Philip V of Spain, but he
  nor his successors could hold French throne.
• Hapsburgs and British gained territory, French
  lost New World lands.

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The End of an Era

• Louis XIV was one of the great state-builders of
  Europe
• Despite this, the peasants of France suffered as
  they never had before or since. This would bring
  government welfare as a state function in the
  18th century
• His absolutist policy solidified the place of
  France as the dominant power in Europe.

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The Decline of Spain

• Appearance vs. Reality
• Spain controls large parts of the New World, Asia
  and Africa and has trade routes between them
  appears to be rich and powerful
• Actually, the treasury is empty, the armed forces
  are out of date, government is inefficient,
  commercial class is weak, peasants are suppressed
  and there are too many nobles and priests
• Bankruptcies in 1596 and in 1607 under Phillip II
  and Phillip III

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Decline, continued

• Under Phillip III (1598-1621) it becomes apparent
• Phillip IV tries to revive Spain
• Gaspar de Guzman, Chief Minister
• Attempts to centralize the government
• Domestic reforms
• Curtail power of Catholic Church and Aristocracy
• Bring governments of possessions under control

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Outcome in Spain

• Attempts to centralize government are
  unsuccessful
• Thirty Years War
• Expensive military campaigns
• Total defeat at the Battle of Rocroi (1643)
• Internal Revolts/Civil War
• Dutch Independence formally recognized by the
  Peace of Westphalia (1648)
• Spanish Netherlands and outlying areas lost in
  Peace of the Pyrenees (1659)