Reign of Louis XIV
• Henry II dies in 1559, leaving power to 3 of his 4 sons. They prove
incompetent, and his wife ___________________ takes the throne. Under
Catherine, France experiences religious wars between _____________________ and
_____________________
Religious Wars and Struggles
• 1572 _______________________________________________ in Paris– 6 week slaughter of
Huguenots begins at Catherine’s daughter’s wedding
______________________________
• Takes the throne in 1589 and is the first of the __________________ family to rule
the throne
• Catholics opposed Henry IV
• Henry IV converts to __________________, but allows the Huguenots to set up
their own Protestant churches and live in peace  _____________________
• Aimed to rebuild France ______________________
• While many loved Henry for his religious toleration and strong leadership,
one man ________________ Henry IV to death in 1610
_________________________________________
• ____________________ takes over after his father’s death (Henry IV)
• Was a weak king, but appoints a strong minister to compliment his own rule
• _______________________________ tried to follow moral principles, but was
ambitious and loved having power of France
• Took two steps to increase Bourbon power:
1. _____________________________________________ (tear down walls)
2. _____________________________________________ (down with castle walls)
• Wanted to increase ______________ power and decrease ________________ influence
Writers Turn to Skepticism
• Def: The ideas that nothing can ever be known for certain
• Moved against the power of the Church
_____________________________________
• Michel de Montaigne develops the “_____________” (after the death of a friend)
to express his thoughts and opinions
• Argued that when a new belief arises, it replaces the old idea humans will
never know truth because ____________________________________________________
• Another French writer, Rene Descartes examines this question. Descartes
created a philosophy that led to the ________________________, which would prove
to be influential in the ____________________________
Louis XIV Comes to Power
• Took over the throne at 4 years old, and was the most powerful ruler in
French history
Louis, the Boy King
• When Louis XIV takes over, Cardinal Richelieu’s successor
(___________________________________) is the real ruler of France. He ended the
_______________________________, but caused unrest among nobility by raising
taxes. Louis was often threatened, and he never forgot it
The nobles’ rebellion against Louis XIV and Mazarin failed because:
___________________________________________, Louis XIV’s government used
___________________________________, and the peasant class grew
_____________________________
Louis Weakens the Nobles’ Authority
• Cardinal Mazarin dies in 1661, and Louis XIV takes over at 22
• Weakened the noble class, and increased the power of ____________________
(gvmt officials who collect taxes)
Economic Authority
• Louis XIV and his Minister of Finance, _________________________, sought to regain
economic status in France
• Colbert believed in _______________________  export more than you import
• Gave ________________________ to manufacturing companies, and placed
_______________________ on imported goods
• Also stressed the occupation of _________________________________ for raw goods
purposes (furs, spices, etc.)
• After his death, Louis canceled the Edict of Nantes and slowed economic
progress in France
• In response, many _______________________________________ which stripped France
of skilled workers
Sun King’s Grand Style
• Louis surrounded himself with luxury and exquisite feasts
________________________________
• Nobles waited by Louis’ bed to greet him in the morning and help him get
dressed
• This made the nobility ________________ on Louis XIV, and also forced them to
live in ___________________ at the palace. By moving away from home, the
________________________ gained power in the countryside
Patron of the Arts
• Versailles was a center of the arts
• Louis was even interested in the arts, and supported them to the extend that
__________________ did in Rome
• The purpose was no longer to glorify ________ like in the _______________________,
or to glorify the ___________________________ like in the ___________________________,
but to glorify the _______________
Louis Fights Disastrous Wars
• In 1660 and under Louis XIV, France was the strongest country in Europe
with over _____________________________ people
Attempts to Expand France’s Boundaries
• In 1667 Louis invaded the ____________________________, and gained 12 towns.
Five years later he personally led French troops into the
_______________________________. The Dutch ended the battles by flooding the
countryside through opening the dikes. These battles ended with 1678
___________________________
• By 1680’s weaker nations had banded together in alliances to stop France
from dominating all of Europe
•
France was weakened by _____________________, _____________ imposed by Louis
XIV to finance the wars, and _____________________________
War of the Spanish Succession
• In 1700 the Spanish king, _________________________, dies and gives the Spanish
throne to Louis XIV’s 16 year old grandson, ____________________
• Europeans were worried that the _____________________ would become too
strong since they now ruled France and Spain
• The long struggle by smaller European nations to keep France at bay is
known as the __________________________________
• The war was dragged out until 1714, when the __________________________ was
signed which stated that Louis’ grandson could remain King of Spain so long
as the two don’t merge
• Out of these wars, Britain took _____________________ from the Spanish and also
gained access to the trading of enslaved Africans
• Britain also gained ______________________ and ________________________ from France
Louis’ Death and Legacy
• Last years were more _________ than glorious  the people were tired of the
Sun King and his ___________________________ on France
• He was a great leader who made France superior in _______, ____________________,
___________________, etc. but whom also collected economic ________ and royal
______________________________
• His heirs had to deal with his legacy, which would lead to ______________________
in 1789
•