French Monarchs: The Bourbon Dynasty
3/16/2016
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Religious War and Henry IV
Soon after Protestant Reformation began in Germany, it
spread to France
 1560s,
one in ten French was Huguenot, French
Calvinist Protestant
 Many
noble families Huguenots
 Large
number of Protestants threatened Catholic French
monarchy
– Monarchy thought all should share “one king, one law, one
religion”
– Religious conflict a challenge to absolute monarchy
Conflict and a New King
Massacre
• In France fighting broke out
between Catholics and
Huguenots
• 1572, Catholic queen of France
ordered Huguenots in Paris killed
• Assassins started with nobles in
city for Henry of Navarre’s
wedding
• Event became known as Saint
Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
• Violence spread; final Huguenot
death toll up to 70,000
Henry IV
• Henry of Navarre denied his
religion, escaped death
• Later in line to be king, but as
Huguenot had to fight Catholic
troops to claim throne
• 1593, won acceptance by
converting to Catholicism
• Crowned as Henry IV
• Explained conversion by saying,
“Paris is well worth a mass.”
Religious Wars
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St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
– Huguenots slaughtered by Catholics
– Catherine de Medici’s daughter marring Huguenot
prince – Henry of Navarre
– Most nobles died, Henry survives
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Henry IV – Had to Rebuild France
– Pressured into converting to Catholicism
– Tries to help France more
– Edict of Nantes
 “Declared Huguenots could live in peace in France”
– Some liked him (peace) some didn’t (religion)
– Assassinated – Stabbed in a carriage
Henry IV of Navarre—1588 to 1610
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Became King of France after King Henry III dies.
Henry was part of a new royal family---House of Bourbon
A Protestant, he changed religions twice. Once from Catholic
to Protestant and then to become King of France from
Protestant to Catholic.
Passed the Edict of Nantes that made Catholicism the official
religion of France, but allowed for toleration of Protestants
Only no Protestant services were allowed in Paris
Strengthened and centralized the power of the monarchy
Introduced monopolies, the corvee-labor tax, and expanded
canals
Henry IV was assassinated in 1610 leaving his nine year old
son, Louis XIII, to become King of France
Compromise
• Henry knew compromise needed to restore peace
• Edict of Nantes in 1598; gave Huguenots limited freedom of worship
• Also, right to hold office, rule in 200 cities where in majority
• Subjects no longer had to follow religion of throne; for French Catholics,
ended religious wars, but Catholicism official religion
Progress
• Henry IV then focused on repairing war-torn country
• Improved financial situation, eliminated debt, built up surplus
• Created new industries, encouraged agriculture, stimulated trade,
drained swamps, built canals, roads
• Became one of France’s most respected monarchs
Henry IV helped increase the power of the French Monarchy
1. He built a powerful national army
2. He improved the royal courts
3. He encouraged trade because it allowed him to collect more taxes
Henry IV
The King is Dead
Henry was assassinated in 1610 by a “crazed fanatic”
(Francois Ravaillac)
• Queen-regent Marie de Medici ruled for their son Louis
XIII
• Feudal lords and princes began to assert control
• Marie appointed Cardinal Richelieu to the council of
ministers in 1624
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Louis XIII
The Foundation of Absolutism in
France
Absolutism in France began with Louis
XIV’s father, Louis XIII and his chief
adviser, Cardinal Richelieu.
 Richelieu was the one who laid the
foundation for absolutism while Louis XIII
was still a child.
 As his regent, Richelieu worked to
secularize the country.
 Even though he was a Catholic priest,
Richelieu’s first loyalty was to the crown
of France.
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Cardinal Richelieu
Richelieu adhered to the maxim that "the
ends justify the means."
 Although he devoutly believed in the
mission of the Roman Church, he sought
to assign the church a more practical role.
 Richelieu argued that the state is above
everything, and that religion is a mere
instrument to promote the policies of the
state.
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Cardinal Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu became the most
powerful person in France, in part because
Louis was a weak king and in part because
Richelieu was so strong.
 He had control of almost every facet of
French politics, from the daily activities of
the court to foreign policy and affairs.
 His dual role as head of the church in
France and Prime Minister, allowed him to
control the direction of the government.
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Cardinal Richelieu
The historian and philosopher John Ralston
Saul has called the Cardinal, “ Father of the
modern nation-state, modern centralized
power, and the modern secret service”.
 Richelieu wrote: “Harshness towards
individuals who flout the laws and commands
of the state is for the public good; no greater
crime against the public interest is possible
than to show leniency to those who violate it.”
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Things Richilieu did to create French
Absolutism
1.
Challenged and alienated the French
nobility
– Leveled castles, crushed conspiracies
2.
Divided the country into 32 districts with
controlling royal indentant in order to
weaken the power of the regional
nobility
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Indentants were: drawn from upper middle
class and minor nobility; given extensive
powers justice, police and finance;
appointed directly by the crown to ensure
loyalty and that royal orders were followed
Richelieu’s Domestic Policies
Main Goal = total subordination to the
monarchy
• Leveled castles (to put down feudal symbols
of independence)
• Dealt with threats (duke of Montmorency,
Godson of Henry IV)
• Divided France into 32 generalites (districts)
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• Appointed royal commissioners (intendants)
• Not locals from the district
• Became the eyes and ears of the king
Strengthening the Monarchy
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Louis XIII saw this as “a state within a state”
and called for a unification of faith
Battle ensues- La Rochelle (1628)---Going After
the Huguenot towns…
• Protestant district with ties to the English and
Dutch
• The city fell and the Catholic liturgy was
reinstated
• First mass was celebrated by Cardinal
Richelieu himself
The Siege of La Rochelle
Like Henry IV, Richelieu sought to increase the
power of the French Monarchy
1. He suspended the Huguenots rights to have
armed towns
a. They were still free to worship
2. He had all fortified castles belonging to
nobles destroyed
3. He supported mercantilism and encouraged
entrepreneurs
4. He allowed merchants to purchase titles of
nobility
Threat from Nobles
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Richelieu and the king saw the nobles as a threat
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Cardinal Richelieu turned to suppressing them
Punishing Nobles
Fighting Catholics
• Richelieu’s spies uncovered series
of planned revolts
• As chief minister, Richelieu also
directed foreign policy
• Punishments were severe
• Thirty Years War pitted Catholics
against Protestants in Central
Europe
• Richelieu had three prominent
nobles publicly executed for
treason
• Richelieu involved France on side
of Protestants in attempt to bring
down Hapsburgs
Death of Louis XIII
Cardinal Richelieu died the year before
Louis XIII died.
 Louis XIV was only five years old, and not
old enough to rule on his own.
 He had not been taught how to rule as an
absolute monarch.
 He would be taught this by Cardinal
Mazarin, who was also the lover of Anne,
Louis XIV’s mother.
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Cardinal Mazarin
Cardinal Mazarin’s policies were
similar to Richelieu’s; he wanted to
increase royal power
Many nobles and townspeople began
to resent increasing absolutism
1. Their revolt in 1648
became known as the Fronde
2. The rebels were not united
and were crushed by
Mazarin’s forces
Cardinal Mazarin
Cardinal Mazarin / Young Louis XIV
Louis’ mother, Anne of Austria, and
Cardinal Mazarin (who had succeeded
Richelieu) did their best to prepare Louis for
his role.
Louis XIV Rules Absolutely
Cardinal Mazarin was the true ruler
b/c Louis was only 5
 Mazarin made France strong:
increased taxes and strengthened
central government
 Mazarin’s policies lead to riots led by
nobles – Louis was freaked out and
decided to reduce the noble’s power
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When the Parlement tried to establish
independence, Mazarin had the members of
the Paris Parlement arrested. The nobles
revolted against Mazarin’s power.
This revolt was called the “Fronde”:
The Fronde consisted of three revolts:
*one by the lower and middle classes against
heavy taxation,
*a second by the nobles to increase their
political power,
*and a third by the officeholders to protect
their position.
“La Fronde”
le Comte
Fronde: Challenge to Absolutism
(1648-1653) – Civil Wars
 Frondeur was a street punk who threw mud at passing
carriages
 Mazarin not as good at controlling the nobility as
Richelieu
 Entire regions began to refuse to pay taxes – Intendants
were unhappy
 Starts with the Parlement of Paris and spreads to the
countryside
 Many rural Parlements (judicial courts) get involved
 1651 Mazarin and Louis XIV are forced to flee at one
point
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The Fronde (1648 – 1653)
 “Nobles of the sword” lash out
against royal authority
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Ordinary people join in,demanding
lower taxes
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Mazarin arrests members of
Parlement, little use vs. mob
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Proves that rulers still have to be
strategic and subtle
Fronde Ends
Anarchy reigns as Nobles can’t run the
government
 1653 Louis XIV returns
 French are convinced that a king is the
way to go
 Results:
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– Louis XIV realizes that heavy handed policies
won’t work
– Hurt the French economy
La Fronde
This civil war was between the monarchy
and disgruntled nobles fed up with their
treatment under Louis XIII.
 The Fronde lasted for 12 years and had a
lasting impact on Louis XIV who
determined that the only way to prevent
chaos was absolute monarchy.
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Louis would always remember the nobles
who threatened his mother and him.
IMPACT OF THE FRONDES
Strong king preferable
to anarchy
 Frightened a young
Louis XIV
 Caused him to fear the
nobles and look for
ways to control them
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Louis after
the defeat
of the
Fronde, as
the Roman
god Jupiter
Louis’ Strategies
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Establishes stability via peace with elite nobility
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Restores royal authority by ending rebellion and
stamping out peasant tax uprising
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Exiles resistant members of Parlement of Paris
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Disbands private armies of nobles
French rulers created absolutism by
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reducing the excessive power of the
nobility,
eliminating the Huguenots, and
increasing the esteem of the monarchy
Taking away the excessive powers
of the nobility.
Took away dueling
 No more castles
 System of Intendants
 Nobles must focus on venal offices
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Eliminating the Huguenots
Edict of Nantes had created a “state within
a state.”
 1627 - Richelieu defeated the Huguenot
stronghold of La Rochelle
 Richelieu – 1629 Peace of Alias
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 No walled cities, no separate public orgs., no
independent courts of law
Increasing the esteem of
the Monarchy
Henry VI – Government monopolies, canal
system, highway system - corvee (public works
force)
 Richelieu - Smart handling of the Thirty Years
War (Anti-Hapsburg despite being Catholic)
 Richelieu–employed the arts and printing press
to defend his actions.
 Louis XIV – Versailles Propaganda he will be the
best at this.
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