Global 9: Crowley/Manganiello
Name ________________________
The Reign of Louis XIV
background
Between 1562 and 1598, religious wars occurred in France between the Catholics and French
Protestants (the Huguenots – remember them?). In 1572 some of the worst bloodshed between
Catholics and Protestants took place in Paris at the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. This
sparked a six week, nationwide slaughter of Huguenots. The massacre took place when many
Huguenot nobles were in Paris attending the marriage of soon-to-be-king Henry IV (a
Huguenot) and a Catholic princess.
Murderers!
Huguenots
have no place
in Paris!!
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
As king, Henry showed himself to be decisive, fearless in battle and a clever politician. He knew
that many Catholics, including the people of Paris, opposed him. So, for the sake of his country,
he chose to give up being a Protestant and became a Catholic. He also took another step to heal
France's battle wounds. He declared that the Huguenots could live in peace in France and
worship as they wanted. This declaration of religious toleration was called The Edict of Nantes
("edict" is a fancy word for declaration and Nantes rhymes with "aunts").
Who cares? What does this have
to do with Louis XIV?
Read on!!
After Henry IV's death, his son Louis XIII ruled. Although Louis was a weak king, he appointed
a strong minister (#2 person in charge) who, in effect, became the ruler of France. His name was
Cardinal Richelieu ("Reesh-el-you").
The efforts of Henry IV and Richelieu to strengthen the French monarchy paved the way for the
most powerful ruler in French history: Louis XIV. In Louis' view, he and the state, or French
government, were one and the same. He reportedly boasted, "L'état c'est moi", meaning "I am the
state". Although he became the strongest king of his time, he was only fourteen when he took the
throne.
What did Louis XIV do to become such a strong king?
1) He took control of the government himself
2) He weakened the power of the nobles by excluding them from his councils.
That means that he didn't allow them to participate in important government
meetings or decisions.
3) He increased the power of the government agents called intendants. They
collected taxes and administered justice. He made sure that they and any
other local officials communicated directly with him.
4) He devoted himself to making sure France became well-off economically. He
appointed a minister of finance who believed in mercantilism and who tried to
make France self-sufficient, or able to manufacture everything it needed
instead of relying on imported goods. The minister of finance was named Jean
Baptiste Colbert.
What did Colbert do?
1. Gave tax benefits to French
companies
2. Put high tariffs on goods from other
countries
3. Recognized the importance of
France's colonies which provided raw
materials and a market for
manufactured goods
As the light bulb indicates, these were good ideas. Unfortunately, after Colbert's death, Louis
announced a policy that slowed France's economic progress…
Louis cancelled the Edict of Nantes which
protected the religious freedom of the
Huguenots. In response, thousands of
Huguenot artisans and business people
fled the country. Louis' new policy robbed
France of many skilled workers.
The sun king's grand style
Louis XIV chose the sun as his emblem. The sun was associated with Apollo, god of peace and
arts, and was also the heavenly body which gave life to all things, regulating everything as it rose
and set. Like Apollo, the warrior-king Louis XIV brought peace [at least in the early days!] and
was a patron of the arts. Nowhere was this more apparent than at his palace at Versailles.
The Palace of Versailles
Louis XIV spent a fortune to surround himself with luxury. For example, each meal was a feast.
Nearly 500 cooks, waiters and other servants worked to satisfy his tastes. Every morning, the
chief valet woke Louis up at 8:30. Outside the curtains of the canopy bed stood at least 100 of
the most privileged nobles of Louis' court. They were waiting to help the great king dress. Only
four would be allowed the honor of handing Louis his slippers or holding his sleeves for him.
Having the nobles at the palace increased royal authority in two ways. It made the nobility totally
dependent on Louis. It also took them from their homes. Louis required hundreds of nobles to
live with him at the splendid palace he built at Versailles, about 11 miles outside of Paris.
Versailles was huge, similar to a royal city. Its rich decoration and furnishings clearly showed
Louis's wealth and power to everyone who came. (See page 600 in your textbook for more
information and pictures).
Versailles was a center of the arts. Opera, ballet and French comedy were performed regularly.
The chief purpose of art was not to glorify God as it had been in the Middle Ages. Nor was it to
glorify human potential as it had been in the Renaissance. Now the purpose of art was to glorify
the king and promote the values that supported Louis's absolute rule.
Louis fights disastrous wars
Under Louis, France was the most powerful country in Europe. In 1660 it had about 20 million
people. This was four times as many as England and ten times as many as the Dutch republic.
The French army was far ahead of other armies in size, training and weaponry.
In 1667, Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands in an effort to expand France's boundaries. He
gained 12 towns. Encouraged by this, he personally led an army into the Dutch Netherlands in
1672. The Dutch saved their country by opening the dikes and flooding the countryside. Louis
fought other wars, but his luck had run out. By the end of the 1680's, a European alliance formed
to stop France and by banding together, weaker countries could match France's strength.
These wars were very expensive and ruined France's economy and by the time he died in 1715,
the people had had enough of the Sun King.
A Mixed Legacy
+ Positive +
 France was a powerful country
 France was #1 in art and literature
 France was considered the military leader of
Europe
 France developed strong colonies that provided
resources and goods for trade
- Negative  Constant warfare was hugely expensive
 The cost of building Versailles was hugely
expensive
 The peasants resented being taxed
 The public knew that Louis abused his power
for his own means and not for the good of the
whole country
 Questions:
1. How did King Henry IV show that he was tolerant of other religions? ___________________
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2. Who was Cardinal Richelieu? _______________________________________________
3. What were the intendants and how were they important to Louis XIV's absolute rule?
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4. What two actions did Louis make that hurt the economy of France? ________________
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5. How was Versailles significant to Louis XIV's role as an absolute monarch? __________
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