Chapter 16
Part 1
Absolutism
V
Constitutionalism
Absolutism in Western Europe
1589-1715

Absolutism: the traditional assumption of
power (heirs to the throne) and the belief in
“divine right of kings”
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Louis XIV was the quintessential absolute
monarch
Characteristics of Western
European Absolutism
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The Ruler of a country was sovereign
The Ruler is not subordinate to national
assemblies
The nobility is under the control of the ruler
Will be different in Eastern Europe
 Nobility could still put obstacles in the way

Characteristics of Absolutism in
Western Europe

Bureaucracies in the 17th century were often
composed of career officials who owed their
appointments to the king and were loyal to the
king
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Often upper middle class bourgeoisie (nobility of the
robe)
Control over the Church
Maintained large standing armies

No more reliance on nobles or mercenary troops
Characteristics of Absolutism in
Western Europe
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Use of secret police to weaken political opponents
Those who did not overtly oppose the state were
usually left alone
In contrast to the totalitarian regimes of the 20th
century which required active participation and
enthusiastic support
The difference? Financial, technological resources
The Philosophy of Absolutism

Jean Bodin: Believed that only absolutism could
provide order and force obedience to the
government

His POV: the religious wars in France in the
late 16th C.

Was among the first to provide a philosophical
basis for absolutism
The Philosophy of Absolutism
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Thomas Hobbes wrote The Leviathan
Had little faith in human nature
People were naturally nasty and brutish
Without strong government control and
micromanagement chaos would result
Did NOT believe in “Divine Right”
But too authoritarian for constitutionalists
Philosophy of Absolutism

Bishop Jacques Bossuet: BIG advocate of
divine right

Since the king was placed on the throne by God,
he owed nothing to anyone else.

Was a favorite of Louis XIV
French Absolutism 1589-1648

In the 17th Century:

Population of 17 million = 20% of Europe’s
population
Largest country in Europe
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Huge #’s helped make France the strongest
European nation (bigger armies possible)
17th Century French Society

Divided into 3 estates based on rank and
privilege
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First Estate: The Clergy = 1% of the population
Second Estate: The Nobility = 3-4 % of pop
Third Estate: Everybody else from the
Bourgeoisie to the landless peasants
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Taxes

The Clergy and Nobility did not pay taxes
The peasants and urban workers had little
money

The Bourgeoisie supported the whole country

Henry IV 1589-1610
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Established the Bourbon Dynasty after surviving
the War of the Three Henrys
Was a Politique: converted to Catholicism to
gain popular support
But issued the Edict of Nantes: religious
freedom for Huguenots and gave them the right
to live in fortified cities
Henry IV

Laid the foundation for France to become the
strongest European power in the 17th Century

Strengthened the social hierarchy by
strengthening existing institutions: Parlements,
the Treasury, Universities and the Catholic
Church
Henry IV
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The First French King to take an interest in
France colonizing in the New World
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Encouraged trans-Atlantic trade
Henry IV
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Weakened the Nobility of the Sword
They were not allowed to influence the Royal
Council
Many of the Nobility of the Robe (who had
purchased their titles) became high government
officials and were intensely loyal to the monarch
The Duke of Sully: French Finance
Minister
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His reforms enhanced the power of the
monarchy
Mercantilism: increased the role of the state in
the country’s economy to achieve a favorable
balance of trade with other countries
Granted monopolies in the production of
gunpowder and salt
Sully and Mercantilism
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Encouraged the silk industry, tapestry industry
Only the government could operate the mines
Reduced the Royal debt
With systematic bookkeeping and budgets
Reformed the tax system (more equitable)
Improved transportation: roads, bridges, canals

Even began to build a canal linking the
Mediterranean to the Atlantic!
In the Meantime…

Spain was drowning in debt
Henry IV was assassinated in 1610

By a fanatical monk who was upset with the
Edict of Nantes

Henry’s death = a crisis in power
Henry’s widow (now Marie de Medici) ruled as
regent until their son came of age
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Louis XIII 1610-1643
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His regency was a mess
Feudal nobles and princes increased their power
Some increased their influence at court
Some convinced Louis XIII to exile his own
mother and assume power for himself
Cardinal Richelieu 1585-1642

Laid the foundation for absolutism in France

Richelieu –in spite of being a cardinal- was also a
politique…put the state ahead of religious
matters
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Richeleau introduced the Intendant System
The Intendant System
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Was used to weaken the Nobility (Sword)
Replaced local officials with intendants (civil servants)
who reported directly to the king
Were generally middle class (of the robe)
One Intendant per each of France’s 32 districts
Intendants were responsible for policing, finance and
justice in his district
Intendants were NEVER placed near their
hometowns
Government was more efficient and centralized
Richelieu also continued with
Mercantilism
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Built on Sully’s achievements
Increased taxes to fund the military
But new tax system not as successful as Sully’s
Continued to sell government offices
Farmers and peasants were ruthlessly exploited
Richelieu and the Huguenots

Tweaked the Edict of Nantes with

The Peace of Alais (1629): Huguenots were still
able to practice their religion freely BUT
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No more fortified cities and Protestant armies
The Thirty Years’ War

France supported Gustavus Adolphus in the 3rd
phase of the war

France declared war on the Spanish in 1635
(ended in 1659 with the Treaty of the Pyrenees)
and also entered the Thirty Years’ War against
the HRE’s Hapsburg army (Westphalia in 1648)

Kept to the same foreign policy of keeping
Germany divided
Louis XIV 1643-1715
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The Sun King because he was the center of
French power just as the sun is the center of the
solar system
Personified the idea that the sovereignty of the
state resides in the ruler
“L’ e’tat, c’est moi”
“I am the state”
Louis XIV

Was a strong believer in Divine Right

Had the longest reign in European History (72
years)
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Inherited the throne at age 5
France was the major power in Europe during
his reign…largest pop = largest army

French culture dominated Europe

French became the international language for
over two centuries and the language of the welleducated
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Was the epicenter of literature and the arts until
the 20th century
The Fronde (1640’s)
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Cardinal Mazarin controlled France while Louis XIV
was a child
Some of the nobles (of the Sword) revolted against
Mazarin when Louis was between 5 and 14 years
Mazarin was able to defeat the nobles due to the
competition among themselves
Louis never forgot the humiliation and will keep a close
watch on the nobility throughout his reign
The Government under Louis XIV
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Kept the aristocracy out of the government by
recruiting his closest ministers from the middle
class
Curtailed the powers of institutions that could
pose a danger to the throne (the Parlements
were afraid to cross him)
Louis XIV never called the Estates General
together
Would arrest officials who were critical of the
government
Control of the Peasants
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Peasants about 95% of the population
Kept only about 20% of their incomes after
tithes to the Church, government taxes, and
feudal rents.
The Corvee caused more hardship: forced
labor. Required peasants to give one month’s
labor a year to the crown (road building, etc)
Idle peasants conscripted into the army
Rebellious peasants were executed or used as
galley slaves
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Versailles
Was the grandest and most impressive palace in all of
Europe
Baroque: reinforced the image of Louis XIV as the
most powerful absolute ruler in Europe
Was originally a hunting lodge for Louis XIII
Architecture of the palace: Marquis Louvois
The Gardens: LeVau
The royal court = 600 people
Cost of maintenance = 60% of all royal revenue
Versailles
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Became a pleasure prison for the French nobility
Louis required nobles to live at Versailles several
months a year so he could keep an eye on them
Nobles were entertained: many hunts,
tournaments and concerts
Elaborate theatrical productions by Racine
(tragedies) and Moliere (comedies)
Religious policies of Louis XIV
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Louis XIV considered himself the head of the
Galician Church
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He WAS very religious but would not allow the
Pope to exercise political power when it came to
the French Church
The Edict of Fontainebleau
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When Colbert died: Louis XIV revoked the
Edict of Nantes
200,000 Huguenots fled to the New World,
England, the Netherlands
Colbert was the champion of
mercantilism…was a finance minister
Also
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Louis XIV supported the Jesuits when they
wanted to crack down on the Jansenists
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Jansenists were Catholics who held some
Calvinist ideas