Absolutism in Europe17th and 18th

centuries

What is Absolutism?

Absolutism: a government in which all power is vested in (held by) the ruler

-Typically a king or queen

**Absolutist states were not true to their name in that they did not have the resources to completely permeate into society.**

-differs from the 20th century idea of Totalitarianism

Details of Absolutism

Rulers claimed authority through Divine Right.-the idea that rulers were chosen by God to lead and that they only answered to God and God alone.-the kings made the law

-couldn’t be argued with -biggest threat of an absolute monarch = the

nobility.

How did an Absolute Monarch Rule?

-by solving financial problems-forcing higher taxes-creating other methods of raising funds

-bureaucracies made up of career officials appointed by and responsible to the king alone

-generally elite/middle class members-maintained permanent standing armies

-peace and wartime-glorified the state over all other aspects of culture-used war and expansionist foreign policy to distract from national problems

Absolute Monarch: Louis XIV

French Absolutism

16th and 17th centuries

Henry IV “Henry the Great” (r. 1589-1610)

-civil wars, poor harvests, depopulation= weak France -promised a “chicken in every pot” -converted to Catholicism to get support from Catholics -Edict of Nantes (1598) –aka: Law of Concord-granted Protestants (mainly Huguenots) the freedom of public worship-wanted to earn the trust of the Protestants-also appointed Maximilien de Bethune as his chief minister (Protestant) aka “Sully”-kept France at peace (no warfare)-lowered taxes for peasants-yet revenue because of an increase in trade -murdered in 1610 by a crazed Catholic

Marie de Medici (1573-1642) & Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)

-ruled as regent (temporary ruler) for Louis XIII, son of Henry IV and Marie-in 1624 Cardinal Richelieu became chief minister

-ruled from behind the throne, manipulating the young Louis XIII-using the royal army, he destroyed castles of nobles who opposed the king and executed many-divided France into 30 administrative districts (generalities)

-dilute local centers of political power-each under the control of an intendant, an agent of the crown and generally middle class

-took France into the 30 Years’ War in Germany-doubled taxes-by the time of his death, Richelieu had secured royal authority in France and elevated France’s position in Europe

Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661) and the Fronde

-Succeeded Richelieu-Louis XIV now on the throne

-child king-faced a series of wide-ranging, uncoordinated revolts

-Mazarin and Louis XIV had to flee Paris-known as the Fronde (which was the name of a child’s slingshot game, indicating that the participants were childish)

-mainly from peasants objections to high taxes and increasing royal power-Mazarin gained support from city-dwellers and peasants longing for peace, bought nobles off enabling him to calm the revolts by 1653, crown has final authority again!

The Sun King, Louis XIV (1643-1715) -convinced he was God’s appointed

ruler for France-longest reign in European history

-72 years-“L;etat, c’est moi” = “I am the state”-exercised complete control over the

nobility-distrusted the nobility-appointed members of modest noble backgrounds/or middle class to the important governmental positions

The Palace at Versailles-massive public-works project-glorified him, his government,

and his reign-11 miles SW from Paris-over $100 million to build-filled with over 1400 fountains-took 35,000 workers 40 years to

create Europe’smost splendid palace and grounds

-required nobles to live at Versailles for part of the year

-used Versailles to entertain and display his power-manipulated the nobility to do what he wanted

Question

How did the French Monarchs of the 16th and 17th centuries embody the idea of absolutism?

(in other words how were the French Monarchs of the 16th and 17th centuries

absolute rulers?)