Evolution of Absolutism in France
Henry of Navarre becomes King Henry IV.
First Bourbon King (name comes from a French town)
He converts to Catholicism to please the majority.
Edict of Nantes. Gave Huguenots the right to live in peace and have their own churches in some cities.
Devoted reign to rebuilding France and its prosperity
Sought to curtail the power of the nobility; targets were the provincial governors and regional parlements, and the Parlement of Paris
He and his finance minister, the Duke of Sully, established government monopolies which laid the foundation for Colbert’s policy of mercantilism; began a canal system to link the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; introduced the corvee, a labor tax that was used to improve internal travel
1610 stabbed to death by a fanatic
Louis XIII
Inherited the throne at age of nine; his mother, Marie de Medici, ruled as his regent.
Marie sought security aboard by signing a ten-year mutual defense pact with Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1611); arranged for the future marriage of Louis XIII and the Spanish InfantaI
Sought to secure the monarchy by selecting a strong minister, Cardinal Armand Richelieu (the Gray Eminence). He was a devout Catholic who believed the church could serve both his own ambition, the Bourbons, as he aspired to make France the most powerful nation in Europe.
Cardinal Richelieu had 2 goals:
1. increase the power of the Bourbon monarchy
2. make France the strongest state in Europe
Richelieu saw three dangers:
- independence of Huguenot cities (the Peace of Alais weakened them by denying Protestants the right to maintain garrisoned cities, separate political organizations, and independent law courts
- power of the nobility ( used middle class agents known as intendants to prevent abuses from the sale of royal offices that conferred the right to collect revenues, sell licenses, or carry out other money making forms of adminstration)
- encircling Hapsburg armies ( greatest obstacle because they controlled Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, and part of Germany. To limit their power Richelieu involved France in the Thirty Years War (greatest success, although both he and Louis XIII died before war ended)
- Richelieu was not as effective in financing the government because he could not enact a new tax without exempting the 2nd Estate
- Used the arts and printing press to defend his actions and to indoctrinate the French people in the meaning of raison d’etat (reason of state) This set the state for Louis XIV who made sophisticated use of propaganda and spectacle to increase his power
Louis XIV
He viewed himself as an absolute monarch. Became king at age 5, but the real ruler then was Cardinal Jules Mazarin– he was the lover of Louis’s mother, Anne of Austria
Mazarin continued the Richelieu’s policy of centralization which led to a series of revolts, the Fronde
Fronde, a series of riots from 1649-1652 tore France apart.
Two stages.
The first (1649) led by the Parlement of Paris, the Nobility of the Robe and the masses of Paris who were angry over an increase in taxes needed to pay for the Thirty Years’ War
The second (1650-52) was led by the Nobility of the Sword who wished to weaken the power of the monarchy. They were especially angry over the imprisonment of the influential wives of princes whom Mazarin had imprisoned for treason.
For a brief time the nobility seemed to triumphed as both Mazarin and Louis fled Paris; however, after a period of anarchic rule by the nobility they returned
As a child Louis feared the Fronde.
Even when the violence was over, Louis never forgot his fear or anger. At 23, upon the death of Mazarin, he took sole control of France.
To gain control of the government, Louis
Appointed no single chief minister which made revolt more difficult
Louis and his advisors became masters of propaganda and the creation of a political image.
Made sure that the French nobles and other major social groups would benefit from the growth of his own authority
Maintained control over foreign affairs and limited the influence of noble institutions on the monarchy, he never tried to abolish those institutions of limit their authority at the local level
Moved to Versailles, which served as
the personal household of the king
the location of the central governmental machinery
place where powerful subjects came to find favors and offices for themselves and their clients
Restructured the central policy making machinery of his government so that it became a part of his own court and household.
Removed the princes of the blood from the royal council and required them to live at the royal palace
Relied on ministers drawn from new aristocratic families
Resorted to bribery to control the provinces
Developed the strongest army in Europe
Devoted to helping France attain economic, political, and cultural brilliance
Believed strongly in divine right of kings; “L’etat c’est moi” (I am the state); greatly influenced by his tutor, Bishop Bossuet
Jean Baptiste Colbert was his minister of finance
Instituted policy of mercantilism in France; aim of mercantilism was to maximize exports while minimizing imports in order to build up supplies of gold and silver.
Lifted the ban on the Jesuits; but required members to swear allegiance to king, limited the number of colleges they could open, and required them to have special licenses for public activities
Suppressed the Jansenists (who opposed the Jesuits) by permitting the papal bull, Ad Sacram Sedem to be enforced in France; also closed the Jansenist community of Port-Royal
Louis issued Edict of Fountainebleau (1685) depriving the Huguenots of their religious rights. May have been detrimental to economy, but did unite state under one religion
Louis’ other big mistake was getting France involved in a series of disastrous wars.
The Wars of Louis XIV
Louis’s army of abut 250,000 was the creation of Michel Tellier and his son, the Marquis of Louvois.
Louvois
Superior military tactician
Improved salaries and discipline making being a soldier an honorable profession.
Limited military commissions
Introduced promotion by merit
Enlistment was for four years and was restricted to single men
Intendants monitored conduct at all levels
Sebastien Vauban
Master of military engineering
Perfected the arts of fortifying and besieging towns
Devised the system of trench warfare and developed the concept of defensive frontiers that remained basic to military tactics through WW I.
The War of Devolution – 1667-1668
Began with French invasion of Spanish Netherlands and the Franche-Comte on France’s eastern border
Triple Alliance of England, Sweden, and the Dutch Netherlands intervened and forced Louis to withdraw
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle awarded France several towns along border of Spanish Netherlands
The Dutch War – 1672-1678
Triple Alliance broken by Treaty of Dover (1670)
Louis invaded Holland in 1672
William of Orange secured support of H.R emperor, Brandenburg, and Spain
Peace of Nijmwegen awarded France the French-Comte and additional lands along border of Spanish Netherlands
The War of the League of Augsburg – 1688-1697
Began when Louis tried to push France’s frontier to RhineRiver
New alliance formed by William of Orange now king of England deprived Louis of most of his gains.
By the Treaty of Ryswick, France did retain Strasbourg and part of the Alsace.
The War of the Spanish Succession 1700-1713
Began over question of who was to be heir to Charles II of Spain
England, the Netherlands, and the HRE joined forces to oppose the French
Treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714) ended the war.
According to the treaties:
Great Britain took Gibraltar, gain Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Hudson Bay territories from France
Britain was granted as asiento, permission to send enslaved Africans to Spain’s American colonies.
Austrian Habsburgs gained the Spanish Netherlands and other Spanish lands in Italy.
Prussia and Savory were recognized as kingdoms
Balance of Power Theory
After the Peace of Westphalia, Europe was now seen as a group of independent states that could negotiate for themselves. Each state was seen as the equal of the other;
Therefore to protect the sovereignty of each state, a “balance of power” theory developed. The purpose of BOP is to maintain the sovereignty of each state. There are three aspects to “balance of power” (BOP) theory. The three aspects are:
1st: all states are equal and sovereign.
2nd: a disturbance upsets the BOP; as a result a coalition forms as a counterbalance. A war follows between the coalition and the state that caused the disturbance. The conflict is resolved by treaty and the BOP is restored.
3rd: a member of the coalition can withdraw or switch sides, or a previously neutral state can take a side – thus causing a “shift” in the BOP. The state that caused the shift is said to “hold” the BOP.
These three aspects can be seen in the wars of Louis XIV.
After Peace of Westphalia (1648), all states were equal and sovereign. (1st aspect)
The War of Devolution – 1667-1668
Began with French invasion of Spanish Netherlands and the Franche-Comte on France’s eastern border (this caused a disturbance in the BOP)
Triple Alliance of England, Sweden, and the Dutch Netherlands intervened and forced Louis to withdraw (coalition was formed to as act as counterbalance) The coalition forces Louis to withdraw
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle awarded France several towns along border of Spanish Netherlands (BOP was restored)
The Dutch War – 1672-1678
Triple Alliance broken by Treaty of Dover (1670) (England a member of the Triple Alliance cut a deal with France and switch sides thus causing a “shift” in the BOP; therefore England “holds” the BOP)
Louis invaded Holland in 1672 (a disturbance in the BOP from 2nd aspect)
William of Orange secured support of H.R emperor, Brandenburg, and Spain (coalition as counterbalance)
War followed
Peace of Nijmwegen awarded France the French-Comte and additional lands along border of Spanish Netherlands (Treaty restored BOP)
The War of the League of Augsburg – 1688-1697
Began when Louis tried to push France’s frontier to RhineRiver (disturbance in BOP)
New alliance formed by William of Orange now king of England deprived Louis of most of his gains. (England switched side again now that William of Orange is William III of England – England continues to hold BOP)
War followed
By the Treaty of Ryswick, France did retain Strasbourg and part of the Alsace. (BOP restored)
The War of the Spanish Succession 1700-1713
Began over question of who was to be heir to Charles II of Spain (Charles II left throne to Louis XIV’s grandson causing a disturbance in the BOP)
England, the Netherlands, and the HRE joined forces to oppose the French (Coalition formed)
War followed
Treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714) ended the war. (BOP restored)
According to the treaties:
Great Britain took Gibraltar, gain Novia Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Hudson Bay territories from France
Britain was granted as asiento, permission to send enslaved Africans to Spain’s American colonies.
Austrian Habsburgs gained the Spanish Netherlands and other Spanish lands in Italy.
Prussia and Savory were recognized as kingdoms
Great Britain is the big winner!! gained land and new source of income (asiento)