The Reign of Louis XIV
I. Religious wars and Power Struggles
A. Henry of Navarre
1. 1598 The Edict of Nantes – gave religious freedom to France
2. Worked to rebuild France and its prosperity
B. Louis XIII
1. Louis the XIII was a weak king he appointed Cardinal Richelieu to rule for him
2. Cardinal Richelieu
a. Cardinal of the Catholic Church in France
b. Effectively ruled France
c. Worked to increase the power of the Bourbon (king’s) family
d. Wanted to make France the strongest state in Europe
II. Writers Turn toward Skepticism
A. Montaigne developed the essay to expresses a person’s thoughts and opinions.
B. Descartes developed a philosophy that influenced modern thinkers and helped to develop the scientific method
III. Louis XIV Comes to Power
A. Louis the Boy King
1. Became King at 4 years old
2. Country ruled by Mazarin appointed by Louis mother
B. Louis Weakens the Nobles Authority
1. Excluded them from his councils
2. Hired intendents to enforce rules and collect taxes
3. Required local officials to communicate with him regularly
C. Economic Growth
1. Jean Baptiste Colbert became the minister of finance
a. Followed philosophy of mercantilism
b. Expanded Manufacturing
c. Wanted colonies for natural resources / fur trade.
2. After Colbert death Louis canceled the Edict of Nantes which will slow economic growth because
many Protestants leave the country.
IV. The Sun King’s Grand Style
A. Louis Controls the Nobility
1. Louis attention determined the nobility’s success or failure
2. Keeping them at Versailles allowed the intendents to become more powerful
3. Kept nobles dependent on him
B. Patronage of the Arts
1. Versailles became the center of the arts during Louis XIV’s reign
2. Under Louis art was to glorify the King
V. Louis Fights Disastrous Wars
A. Attempts to Expand France’s Boundaries
1. Invaded Spanish Netherlands
2. Weaker countries banded together to defeat France (League of Ausburg)
3. France was weakened by a series of poor harvests
B. War of Spanish Succession
1. Charles II King of Spain died without an heir
2. Louis’s grandson was named to be new King
3. Other countries were worried about the Bourbon family having that much power.
4. War lasted for 14 years
5. Louis grandson retained the throne of Spain as long as the two countries (France and Spain) would not
be combined.
VI. Louis Death and Legacy
A. Louis was sad about the financial state he had put France in
B. Dies in bed in 1715
C. Legacy
1. France had grown to be a power to be reckoned with in Europe
2. France was number 1 in art and literature
3. France considered a military leader in Europe
4. War and construction of Versailles Dropped France deep into debt.