Chapter 13
France under Louis XIV
Louis and Richelieu
When Henry IV was assassinated, power
fell to Louis XIII (9 years old)
Queen mother Marie de Medicis ruled in
his place.
Signs 10 year defense treaty with Spain
(Treaty of Fontainebleau 1611)
– Arranged for marriage between Louis XIII
and Spain’s princess as well as the Queen’s
daughter (Elizabeth) and the heir to the
Spanish throne.
Richelieu
 Chief minister of Louis XIII
 Richelieu was determined to destroy the power of the
nobles and the Huguenots (Revoked Edict of Nantes)
 Wanted to make France the supreme European
power
 Contain Spanish power and influence
– even if he had to support Protestants to do so.
•
As we have discussed in earlier chapters
Louis XIV inherits the throne 1643
(5 years old)
 Mother Anne of Austria
ruled but power in the
hands of Mazarin
 Soon after Louis took
power, disorder arose
 Fronde- nobles,
merchants, peasants,
and the urban poor
rebelled against the
push to make France an
absolute monarchy
King by Divine Right
Jacques-Benigne Bossuet
– Louis’ tutor
– Defended what he called the “divine Right of Kings”
• That kings had only god to answer to (King’s power came
from god directly)
**These assumptions led Louis to state “L’etat, c’est moi”
or “I am the state”
Louis believed in divine right
 He took the sun as a symbol of his power
 Parade mostly every morning when Louis
XIV woke up!
Louis…
 Spent hours each day attending to government
affairs
 Appointed intendants (royal officials who
collect taxes, recruited soldiers, and carried
out his policies)
 French army became the strongest in Europe
 Master of propaganda
 Made sure nobles would benefit from his own
growth in power
Versailles
 Symbol of Louis’ power
 Elaborate ceremonies that
emphasized his own
importance
 Each day began with “La
Levee” or the King’s
rising
Young Louis XIV
L’ouis XIV
L’ouis XIV
L’ etat
c’est moi!
By
Hyacinthe
Rigaud
Louis XIV’s Carriage
The Bourbon Family Crest
L’ ouis XIV as Apollo
L’ ouis XIV as Apollo
by Jean Nocret, 1670
The Sun Symbol
Louis XIV
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1665
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Versailles Statistics
 2,000 acres of grounds
 12 miles of roads
 27 miles of trellises
 200,000 trees
 210,000 flowers planted every year
 80 miles of rows of trees
 55 acres surface area of the Grand Canal
 12 miles of enclosing walls
 50 fountains and 620 fountain nozzles
 21 miles of water conduits
 3,600 cubic meters per hour: water consumed
 26 acres of roof
 51,210 square meters of floors
 2,153 windows
 700 rooms
 67 staircases
 6,000 paintings
 1,500 drawings and 15,000 engravings
 2,100 sculptures
 5,000 items of furniture and objects d'art
 150 varieties of apple and peach trees in the Vegetable Garden
Louis XIII’s Old Chateau
Versailles Today
Palais de Versailles
Palais de Versailles
Versailles Palace,
Park Side
Garden View of Versailles
Chateau de Versailles
Chateau de Versailles
André
Le Nôtre,
Royal
Gardener
Versailles’ Northern Gardens
Gardens at Versailles
Chateau de Versailles Gardens
The Orangery
Grounds at Versailles
The Lightening of the Belvedere
by Claude Chatelet, 1781
Fountains, Fountains, and More
Fountains!
And More Fountains!
And More Fountains!
And Even More Fountains!!!
Temple of Love
Hall
of
Mirrors
The King’s Bed
The Queen’s Bed
Louis XIV’s Chapel
Louis XIV’s Chapel Altarpiece
Organ in Louis XIV’s Chapel
Louis XIV’s Opera Stage
Cabinet with Views
of Versailles, 19c
Louis XIV Furniture
The Gallery of Battles
Louis XV [r. 1715 – 1774]
The “Hunts” of Louis XV
Jean Baptiste Colbert
 Chief finance minister of
Louis
 Followed mercantilists
policies
 New lands cleared for farming
 Encouraged mining
 High tariffs on imported
goods
 Made France the wealthiest
country in Europe
 Could not support the huge
costs of Louis’ court or pay
for his many wars
The Wars of Louis XIV
Wanted to expand France’s borders and
dominate Europe
Wars were failure b/c enemies banded
together to defeat French ambitions
Balance of Power- distribution of military
and economic power that could prevent any
one nation in Europe from dominating
Europe
Louis’ Wars
The war of Devolution (1667-1668)
– Fought of Louis’ claim to Spanish Belgium
provinces through his wife Marie Therese
– According to the Treaty of Pyrenees (1659),
Marie had renounced her claim to Spanish
succession that a 500,000 crown dowry be paid to
Louis within 18 months of marriage. This was
never met.
– Philip IV died, he left all lands to his sickly 4 year
old son, and specifically denied lands to Marie.
– Land was denied, Louis sent Armies to Flanders.
– England, Sweden, and Holland form Triple
Alliance.
Charles II dies (left inheritance to Philip)
Louis XIV grandson – Philip the Duke of Anjou
Becomes Philip V – Spain
Problem?
France and Spain Unite?
Austrian Emperor Leopold had claims to Spanish
throne just as Louis XIV.
Both through marriage
Louis married older sister (Marie Theresa)
Leopold married younger sister (Margaret
Theresa)
Older sister takes precedence, however through
the treaty of Pyrenees, Marie’s succession was
given up.
Grand Alliance – England, Dutch, Austria,
Prussia, HRE v. France
1713 – Treaty of Utrecht
Phillip V (1700-46) remains King of Spain
France and Spain never to unite
Austrian Hapsburgs acquire – Spanish
Netherlands (Belgium), Milan, Naples, Sardinia
England receives Gibraltar (made them Med.
Power)
Louis had to recognize the right of the House
of Hanover to ascend to the English throne.
End of French
expansionist policy
Completed the decline
of Spain
Vastly expanded Great
Britain
BALANCE OF POWER
Persecution of Huguenots
Saw the Protestant minority as a threat to
religious and political unity
1685 revoked the Edict of Nantes
100,000 Huguenots fled France
Huguenots were Louis’ best workers
There departure was a huge loss for the
French economy
Successes and Failures
Louis ruled France for 72 years
Legacy mixed with successes and failures
French culture, manners, and customs
replaced those of Renaissance Italy
Foreign and domestic affairs Louis’ policies
were costly failures