France
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Best example of Absolutism in
Europe (very
few formal limits on power of king)
Ruled by Bourbon monarchy
Reached peak of power under Louis XIV
During 17th century France became the dominant military,
political, & cultural power in Europe
Louis XIV
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The First Two Bourbons
17th-century
Early reign dominated by first minister Cardinal
Mazarin and mother Anne of Austria
Ruled for 72 years
The Fronde: a failed rebellion of nobles and townspeople
against growing power of monarchy (Louis was just a boy)
 Taught Louis to fear/hate Paris and to seek out more
subtle methods of controlling nobility (play the fox rather
than the lion)
Began governing on his own following death of Mazarin
(1661), never again appointing a first minister
Henry IV (a.k.a. Henry of Navarre)
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“L’etat c’est moi”  “I am the state”  Louis XIV might not
have ever said it, but pretty much sums him up! 
Promoted a new class of nobles (Nobles of the Robe) over
the traditional nobility (Nobles of the Sword)  These new
nobles were entrusted with actual positions of power in
government, while Nobles of Sword were excluded
Used intendants, royal officials drawn from Nobles of the
Robe, to ensure that royal interests were protected in the
French provinces (e.g. taxes collected, nobles loyal)
Lettres de cachet were docs. which allowed Louis to have
people arrested, imprisoned, and even killed at will
Promoted belief in divine right of kings (esp. through his
religious advisor Bishop Bossuet)
How to keep Nobles of the Sword happy & loyal?
o Allow them to continue to command in military
o Exempt from most taxes
o Bestowed gifts, positions, & favors upon them
o Drew them to his palace at Versailles
 King’s residence after 1682
 Govt. based there
 Promoted magnificence of the king (e.g.
through Sun King imagery)
 Nobles desiring favor of king had to move
there & participate in rituals &
entertainments  Could be watched!
Louis XIII (& Cardinal Richelieu)
- First of the Bourbon monarchs
- As leader of Huguenots, had emerged victorious in
French Wars of Religion (against Houses of Valois and
Guise)
- Converted to Catholicism when he became king to
win allegiance of subjects (“Paris is worth a mass”)
- 1598: Issued Edict of Nantes, which ….
- Granted freedom of worship to Huguenots in areas
of France where they were already dominant
- Permitted Huguenots to maintain armies & fortified
towns to defend themselves
- After peace, focused on building infrastructure
- Assassinated in 1610 by zealous Catholic 
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Massive & difficult to defend due
to few natural boundaries
Technologically backward &
distrustful of West
Russian Orthodox religion
Serfdom widespread & brutal
Ruled by tsars of the Romanov
dynasty
- Louis XIII (son of Henry IV) dominated by first minister,
Cardinal Richelieu
- Richelieu sought to build up power of French monarchy
by reducing power of …
- French nobility
- Huguenots
- Habsburg family (ruled in H.R.E. & Spain)
- 1629 Peace of Alais – After resumption of war against
Huguenots, Richelieu took away their armies, fortified
cities, and political organizations (but NOT their right
to worship freely)
o Early reign threatened by rebellion of
- In Thirty Years’ War, supported H.R.E. Protestants 
Streltsy, Moscow’s elite military garrison
In 1648 Peace of Westphalia H.R.E. was weakened
(incited by half-sister Sophia)
b/c each state was given virtual independence 
o Fascinated by West, esp. its technology &
France emerges as dominant power in Europe
potential to strengthen Russia militarily
o 1697 – Took 1.5 year trip to Western Europe, working in
Dutch shipyard and collecting technology and experts
o During absence, Streltsy again rebelled  Peter suppressed
them ruthlessly (hundreds of executions)
o Famously forced nobility of Russia to shave beards (or pay a
fine) and to adopt western –style clothing
o In Great Northern War against Sweden, acquired the land
- Polish king elected and weak
for St. Petersburg (Russia’s first warm-water port) 
- Polish assembly (Sejm) dominated by
Russia was thereafter the dominant power on the Baltic Sea
landed nobles – Any noble could disband
o St. Petersburg became Peter’s new capital, & all nobles
the assembly at will (liberum veto)
were forced to build homes there
- By end of 1600s, a weak, decentralized
o Peter’s Reforms
- Ruled by Habsburgs
state that would be extinguished in 1700s
 Army enlarged and modernized
- Built large, diverse
 First Russian navy established
empire incorporating
 Table of Ranks allowed non-nobles to become nobles
many different ethnic
through service in Russian military or bureaucracy
groups (Hungarians,
 Abolished position of patriarch in Russian Orthodox
Czechs, Germans)
Church – thereafter he controlled church through one
- Clashed often w/
of his own officials
Embraced mercantilism under Finance Minister Colbert
Ottoman Empire in
 Women granted more rights (akin to western Europe)
o Promoted exports over imports
Balkans – Decisively
o Many of Peter’s reforms did not survive his death, but he
o Imposed tariffs on imported goods
defeated Ottomans in
did succeed in orienting Russia toward the West and
1683 Battle of Vienna
making it a great power
o Sought colonies as sources of markets & raw materials
o Promoted development of new French industries (e.g.
silk & tapestries)
o Built large navy & infrastructure
- Began in 1702 when Louis XIV’s grandson inherited the throne of Spain – Rest of
Religion – Louis believed in “One king, one law, one faith,”
Europe feared Bourbons controlling both France AND Spain
fearing religious pluralism  In 1685 Edict of Fontainebleau
- In balance of power phenomenon, many weaker countries (e.g. England, Netherlands,
revoked Edict of Nantes, outlawing Huguenot worship 
H.R.E.) united to keep power of France in check
Many Huguenots fled France (although forbidden to do so)
- Peace of Utrecht (1714) – Louis’s grandson allowed to keep Spanish throne, but it was
War – Louis pursued near constant war in pursuit of glory and
forbidden to ever unite French and Spanish thrones
territory to north and east
- England emerges from the war as the strongest power in Europe
Peter the Great
Unit 5 – Absolutism v.
Constitutionalism
Poland
Sources of Louis XIV’s Power
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Russia
Austria
More Louis XIV …
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War of the Spanish Succession
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