CH.17 STATE BUILDING
AND ABSOLUTISM
FRANCE
Roy BenDavid
Per.5
France Leading Up to Absolutism
Cardinal Mazarin
Thirty years War
Effects of the Thirty
Years War 1618-1648
Through military success
France made the Thirty years
war a success for themselves.
They were able to make some
territory gains during the war.
France was able to emerge
from the war as the European
power, taking the reign from
Spain To learn more about the
affects of the Thirty Years War
Click Here.
Louis XIII (1610-43)
The Fronde and Cardinal Mazarin
Most of Louis XIII reign
was a power struggle
between him and
Cardinal Richelieu. Louis
main policy changes
were in the realm of
forming Protestant
alliances and also
alliances. Louis’s policies
also lead up to the
abdolute government
formed by his son. To
learn more about Louis
XII click here
After the death of Louis XIII in 1643, Cardinal
Mazarin was chosen by Anne of Austria to
help with the regency of Louis XIV. Soon
Mazarin used his power to help make him a
fortune. On the year 1648 Parliament and
other institutes sent to Mazarin a charter
filled with demands. Mazarin sparked a
rebellion know as the Fronde by responding
to Parliament’s demands by arresting them
all. The Royal family was forced to flee from
the capital and therefore in 1649 Mazarin
decided to take a second look at
Parliament’s demands. After three years of
chaos Louis XIV took the throne on the year
1652
Overview of Louis XIV 1643-1715
• Completely reshaped France and their relevance in Europe.
• Formed a new and more extreme monarchy that helped make
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France the power of Europe
Used the army and bureaucracy to assert his absolute rule.
Move the capital of France from Paris to Versailles.
Used the “Divine Rights of Kings” to justify he ultimate rule, his
leading advocate was Bishop Bossuet.
Changes the landscape and culture of France.
Became the model for monarchs all over Europe
Click on the picture to learn more
Versailles
• Louis XIV moved the capital from Paris to Versailles in
the 1680’s
• The move allowed for the survival of Louis absolute
monarchy in the way that the angry mobs of Paris were
out of reach and could not see what he was doing
• Versailles became the model for culture all around
Europe as well as the model for the capitals of other
absolute monarchs in Europe.
A New Culture is Formed
During the reign of Louis XIV his patronage and the new court life of
Versailles helped to form new art, literature and architecture.
Art
Literature
Architecture
Versailles was known for the
extensive collection of art. New
form of engravings had appear
with the works of Jean Le Pautre.
New Parisian artist were always
being discovered a example
being Charles Le Brun. The new
patronatem for art that Louis XIV
brought to France helped open up
a new wave of original and
wonderful artist.
Louis XIV always made sure that
Versailles was filled with the best
and most exiting play writers. All
different genres from Racine and
the drama to the comedy with
Moliere. Playwriting, poetry,
book writing even composing
was on showcase in the
everyday court life of Versailles.
The new literature became the
model around Europe.
The architecture of Versailles
would become the model for all of
Europe. The intercut gardens and
chambers were all made possible
by original and brilliant architects.
This new court opened up a new
form of Architecture that would
soon be on display all around
Europe in multiple new cities. The
new style of precise and intercut
became very popular.
New Culture is Formed
Charles Le Brun’s Painting
Jean Le Pautre’s engraving
Palace and Garden in Versailles
Louis XIV two competing advisors
Jean Baptist Colbert 1661-1683
Colbert was known as the economic wizard
that helped Louis XIV. Colbert tightened up
the tariff and tax controls that ended up
bettering the French economy. Helped open
up oversea commerce and trade. Overall
Colbert was a huge success in the way that
every year since taking his position he had
cut into the debt of the treasury.
To Learn More Click Here
Marquis of Louvois 1662-1690
Marquis was Louis XIV main military advisor.
He helped win Louis control over the army.
He would spend the rest of his years always
trying to push Louis into war as he made sure
that Louis always put an emphasis on the
army. Overall Marquis was able to better the
overall strength of the army as well as the
navy.
To Learn More Click Here
Louis XIV New Government Reforms
Louis government reforms were made only on the bases to
give himself more power in return.
To feed in the absolute government of Louis he gave
himself the power to form and enforce the law and in return
took away most of the power from Parliament
Drafted new Civil Procedure Codes (1667) as well Criminal
Codes (1669) that reformed the judicial process.
To learn more about the many government reforms of Louis
Click Here
Louis XIV Domestic Reform
Religious
The main goal the Louis
XIV had during his reign
was to end the feud
between the Catholics and
the Protestants. Although
he revoked the Edict of
Nantes and ended all
freedom that the
Protestants had.
Trade
Louis most successful domestic
reform was his ability to boost
domestic and mostly foreign trade.
Through new found trade with the
help of Colbert he was able to boost
the economy to levels never seen
before and that would never be seen
in a long time
Louis own Control
He also made it a goal to more
efficiently rule over his nation. He
set up governors in all of the
outer and remote cities that
would end up helping tighten up
the control that he had.
Foreign Affairs
• Louis had aspirations to expand the outer reaches of the
French borders to a size that was never seen before
• He was constantly pushed by Marquis of Louivois to go
into war. This greatly affected the way that the rest of
Europe saw him.
• The way Louis took about Foreign affairs would lead to
war and tension with the rest of Europe for a large amount
of time.
• To learn more about his foreign affairs Click Here
Military Tension
• Louis had just come off of a completely failure in war
during the years from 1672-1678. Eventually in the 1680’s
he began to loose the land that he gained in the Peace of
Westphalia. And after these looses he was forced to fire
Marquis of Louvois.
• All this losses plus the growing strength of his oppenents
led to a time between great military tension between Louis
XIV and the rest of Europe. Louis XIV was able to form a
growing army during the 1690’s the situation would lead
to war.
Louis XIV’s main opponents
Click on Pic to learn more
Click on Pic to learn
more
William III of the United
Province and England
Emperor Leopold of the
Holy Roman Empire
Even in the begging William had
always tried to appose the
aspirations of Louis XIV, and always
he was a threat to Louis, but when
William took control of the English
army he became a threat to
everything that Louis had stood for
and with his increased army he was
able to place a huge threat on Louis
Leopold also always apposed Louis
and with the entire Holy Romen
Empire ( Even during its down fall)
he posed a great threat to the
French army. Espically when he
joined forces with William III and
other European Generals he was
had enough power to take Louis.
War for the Spanish Succession
• When the succession for the Spanish throne became
open Charles chose was Philip Louis XIV grandson, and
when Louis refused to compromise with Charles in 1701
William III and Emperor Leopold formed a grand alliance.
• War over Spain had begun not only in Europe but
overseas, terrible famines in 1709 hampered the French
army.
• French looses led to the Peace of Utrecht 1713-1714 the
war was a overall loss for the French
• To learn more click here
Louis XIV’s Legacy
• The downfall of the war of Spanish succession played a
huge role in the downfall of Louis XIV, by the year 1715
the central government played a bigger role than it ever
had in years.
• Overall Louis XIV’s reign was a model for monarchs all
over Europe. His absolute monarchy would be attempted
again but not to the same success that Louis had. His
patronage his decision they all were copied all throughout
Europe but none were the same as what Louis did
France after Louis XIV
• Failed leaders that succeeded Louis exposed the
weakness that his government had.
• Louis XV was a failed and weak leader and gave most of
the power to his chief administrator Fleury who also was
not successful and also was very weak.
• During this time of weak succession the wholes in the
French system were exposed. Eventually these wholes
lead to years of hardship and would eventually lead into
the French Revolution.
Work Cited
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France Art Poster by Charles Le Brun
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Hub, Greensleves.” Paris; A Photographic Guide to Versailles and Sacra-Coeur.” Hub Pages. Web 19 Dec 2012.
Kilkenny, Niall.” Polish King Jan III” Polish King Jan. 2009. Web 17 Dec. 2012.
Lendering, Jona “Some Expressions.” Some Expressions. Web. 19 Dec .2012.
“Louis XIV and Domestic Policy” Louis XIV and Domestic Policy. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.
“Louis XIV of France.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2012. Web 12 Dec. 2012.
Saint-Simon, Due De. “Internet History Sourcebooks.”., Aug.1997. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.
Shennan J.H “ The Age of Louis XIV” The Age of Louis XIV (1643-1715). Web 17 Dec. 2012.
“Spanish Succession.” :Battle of Blenheim., 2002. Web. 17 Dec 2012.
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