17 th C Growth of French Absolutism. 17 th Century politics French Domination, Wars

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1 17 th C Growth of French Absolutism 17 th Century politics French Domination, Wars

2 Absolutism develops in France Henry IV: curtailed privileges of French nobility issued Edict of Nantes without nobility s permission or cooperation instituted middle class bureaucracy to administer for king (with state salaries) financed activities through granting of monopolies and charters; Estates General never met during his reign

Cardinal Richelieu Regent for Louis XIII (13 when Henry IV assassinated) Aim: break power of nobility and thwart conspiracies against king Intendants middle class control = 32 districts with

3 Cardinal Richelieu Regent for Louis XIII (13 when Henry IV assassinated) Aim: break power of nobility and thwart conspiracies against king Intendants middle class control = 32 districts with intendants, not natives of districts (loyal only to king) Standardized French language (N. Parisian French dialect imposed on S.) Abolished fortified cities Stopped Huguenot rebellions: religious, but not political rights Entered 30 Years War on side of Protestants vs Habsburgs France became most powerful nation in Europe; cultural leader

4 What is done for the state is done for God, who is the basis and foundation of it...where the interests of the state are concerned, God absolves actions which, if privately committed, would be a crime. "If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him." Cardinal Richelieu

Mazarin Regent for Louis XIV, king at age 5 Fronde: Nobles rebelled after 5 years of Louis /Mazarin rule (after Westphalia); wanted power with parlements (French law court staffed by nobles that

5 Mazarin Regent for Louis XIV, king at age 5 Fronde: Nobles rebelled after 5 years of Louis /Mazarin rule (after Westphalia); wanted power with parlements (French law court staffed by nobles that could register or refuse king s edicts) as check on royal power demanded right to tax and appoint intendants fails because aristocracy and bourgeoisie wouldn t work together to overthrow king; French people outraged when nobility hire Spanish troops as mercenaries; distrust of nobles, support of king: kept nobles out of government

6 Justification of Absolutism: Bishop France: Bossuet Justifies absolutism with scriptures Let no one judge the judge--ecclesiastes Divine right of kings monarch s power from God; monarch = God s representative on earth

7 Justification of Absolutism: England--Hobbes , English writer/philosopher Supported absolute power for monarch in Leviathan, because man in state of nature, without strong rule=chaos and violence Life is nasty, brutish, and short King must have power to keep men from lives of destruction; must be able to enforce order

Exhibit 1: Louis XIV Sun King ruled 1661-1715 Politics: L etat, se moi Middle class in charge of local issues, including courts, police, tax collection Chief ministers from

8 Exhibit 1: Louis XIV Sun King ruled Politics: L etat, se moi Middle class in charge of local issues, including courts, police, tax collection Chief ministers from middle class; no nobles in daily councils Permanent standing army paid for by state; before largest army =100,000; Louis = 400,000 Control of economy through Colbertism, mercantilism

9 Louis XIV, continued Estates General: representatives of three estates, 1=clergy 2=nobles 3=commoners; supposed to OK taxes; rarely meets, never during Louis s 72 year reign

10 Versailles

16 Moved court from Paris, 12 miles outside; to glorify his rule and subdue military Baroque monument, heavily ornate; arches, colonnades, domes, and manicured gardens $1 billion for palace; 1 billion for grounds; 37,000 acres, 3600 bricklayers; 6,000 horses 20 years 1400 fountains, 1200 orange trees, 400 sculptures Hall of Mirrors 243 l; 17 arched mirrors 33 tall Nobility forced to live there: CONTROL gave them trivial offices and trivial concerns and conspiracies Master of the Bedchamber; Master of the Bath; honored even to be in chamber while he bathed; intrigue, but not politics)

Colbert = Mercantilism Louis XIV finance minister, middle class; policies to benefit them, as well as king Strength of economy/nation= nation with most bullion Want + balance of payments; self

17 Colbert = Mercantilism Louis XIV finance minister, middle class; policies to benefit them, as well as king Strength of economy/nation= nation with most bullion Want + balance of payments; self sufficiency with good ag + own industries Colonies for jobs, money, markets; source of resources for industries Totally regulated economy: Free trade area N. half of France; no internal tariffs Commercial code replaces strong guild system French E. India Co (navy = colonies; ships, ships); explorer, La Salle/La. Forbade food exports to keep France self sufficient; price of bread fell

18 Religious Control One king, one law, one faith Repeal of Edict of Nantes Jansenism: ultra Augustine Holy Terror of 1685 Protestant = death; convert or take kids away, raised Catholic 50,000 to Holland & Prussia France lost large % of artisans, lots of francs Prussia gained a middle class

19 French Wars of Expansion Aim: Louis XIV wanted to expand France to its natural boundaries North: Rhine East: Alps South: Pyrenees

20 War of Devolution 1667 Louis attacked Spanish Netherlands (which Dutch saw as security buffer strip) Louis justified his claim to that territory as an inheritance of his wife (Maria Therese, daughter of king of Spain), William of Orange Formed Triple Alliance (Dutch, English, Swedish) Louis s armies couldn t hold such a long line, so agree to. RESULTS: Treaty of Aix-l-Chapelle France gained some territory in Flanders Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comté returned to Spain Inwardly, Louis XIV seethed, feeling he deserved Spanish Netherlands felt betrayed by the Dutch, to French eyes only independent due to French help in their war of independence. war led directly to the Franco Dutch War of

21 Franco Dutch War of Dutch boasted about war of Devolution they d humbled Louis XIV Louis (+ Charles II) of England attacked Spanish Netherlands again Louis annoyed by Dutch noncooperation in dividing Spanish Netherlands Dutch army not developed since last war French marched to heart of Republic and took towns William III of Orange allied with HRE, Spain, Denmark and Savoy vs French alliance William probably had the leading Dutch politician de Witt deposed and murdered, and was acclaimed stadtholder. French promised Dutch cities to the English, so in no hurry to capture them tried to extort sixteen million guilders from the Dutch in exchange for a separate peace. stiffened Dutch resistance, and negotiations gave the Republic time to flood the countryside by deliberate flooding, blocking Fr Fr/Brit attempt to invade Dutch Republic by sea, but thwarted by Admiral de Ruyter in four victories England abandoned the war in 1674

22 (Dutch War Continued) Results: Treaty of Nijmegan Louis gives up idea of expansion into Holland Gets more of Spanish Netherlands and Franche Comte

23 League of Augsburg (Grand Alliance) Louis wants another part of his natural boundaries the Palatine, country near the Rhine He bribes ½ of the princes of the HRE to take it; pays Turks and Hungarians to attack the HRE under Leopold Irish to attack the British William III of Orange (now also William III, king of England) inspires Leopold, to found League of Augsburg vs France and Turkey Leopold has success vs Turks Many of HRE including Prussia/Brandenburg, Saxony, Bavaria, along with Spain, Sweden, Savoy

24 Palatinate Alsace/Lorraine/Franche Comte

25 Consequences: War of Great Alliance Treaty of Rysnick Louis gets Franche Comte from HRE/ German provinces All others back to own sides, but Alliance remains Stalemate in fighting Some fighting in Americas called King William s War

26 War of Spanish Succession Charles II of Spain All the worst of Habsburg genetics Couldn t chew, hardly spoke Couldn t stand alone Practically Imbecilic No issue His father, Philip IV, willed succession to Habsburg HRE Leopold I He willed it to Bourbon Philip

27 wanted the throne after Charles s death: Leopold I of HRE Mother a Spanish princess, sister of Charles s father His monarchy would have united Spain back with Austria/HRE, spoil balance of power in Europe Philip, gson of Louis XIV Louis s mother another Spanish princess, sister of Charles s father Louis s wife (gmother of Philip) Charles II half sister His monarchy would possible unite France and Spain, along with their American possessions, setting up a powerful empire, upsetting balance of power, too Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria Leopold s I grandson thru daughter, not Habsburg nor Bourbon favored by Dutch & British: would retain balance of power

28 The War: Charles II agrees to will succession to Joseph Ferdinand all agree to split Spanish American colonies between France and Spain Spain unhappy split up empire BUT Joseph Ferdinand dies of smallpox Philip proclaimed king, others forced to recognize him, not wanting war, until Louis cut Dutch and English out of trade with Spanish colonies, recognized James II, not William, as king of E Grand Alliance England, Holland, HRE, Brandenburg/Prussia, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Savoy Lead by William III of Orange/England Main general = Churchill, Duke of Marlborough His wife best friend of Queen of England, Mary France, Spain and Bavaria

29 What each country wanted: France: combine French and Spanish New World territories (become most powerful nation in Europe with a universal monarchy ) Austria: keep Habsburg territories in family Holland: keep French out of Spanish Netherlands; distract from French colonies Spain: uphold will of dead king; remain powerful England: keep French supported Stuarts out of England; keep, expand American colonies Brandenburg/Prussia and Savoy: whatever advantage available

The fighting: 10 Year Civilized French Bavarian army defeats Alliance almost to gates of Vienna Other fighting in Spain and border of France Battle of Blenheim: Duke of Marlborough defeats Louis XIV

30 The fighting: 10 Year Civilized French Bavarian army defeats Alliance almost to gates of Vienna Other fighting in Spain and border of France Battle of Blenheim: Duke of Marlborough defeats Louis XIV armies First definitive defeat for Louis; stops his eastern push 30,000 casualties Battle of Malplaquet Alliance 3 invasions into France Near Paris clashed with the French under the Duc de Villars Defeat for France (royal commanders couldn t agree)

31 Peace of Utrecht French lost N. Am -- Newfoundland and Nova Scotia Spain lost Euro territories: Naples, Sicily, Milan, Spanish Netherlands Elector of Brandenburg becomes Ferdinand III, king of Prussia (before just king in Prussia) more prestige Austria got Spanish Netherlands (Austrian Netherlands) England got Gibraltar, = right to African slave trade w Am colonies

32 Overall Assessment Louis XIV Successes Centralized government Improved military largest, best army in Europe Improved French commerce rival to Britain Tamed French aristocracy King = state BUT Taxed peasants, not nobles to pay for wars, luxuries Too extravagant, too much debt

33 AT the death of Louis, his heir (Louis XV) inherited: $3 billion debt from wars, Versailles 1 million lives lost in wars 40,000 noble titles sold to help finance wars; each free from taxes Because of titles multiplying, tax base decreased, so increased taxes on 3 rd estate.

ABSOLUTE RULERS EUROPE: S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTANDING OUR PRESENT WORLD

ABSOLUTE RULERS EUROPE: S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTANDING OUR PRESENT WORLD ABSOLUTE RULERS EUROPE: 1500-1600 S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTANDING OUR PRESENT WORLD Questions to consider How did the Absolute Monarchs get their power? What might citizens gain from having an Absolute Monarch?