AGE OF ABSOLUTISM:FRANCE

March 2015

FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION:

Though Catholic, France was influenced by the Reformation (16 million in population; 1,200,000 were Calvinists) John Calvin, was a French lawyer who traveled to Switzerland

and founded a new protestant faith in Geneva.

French Calvinists were called Huguenots

With the death of Henry II, his younger sons Frances II & Charles IX became kings of France, though their mother, Catherine de Medici (Florentine by birth) became the regent.

FRENCH ROYALTY:

King Henry II of France

Frances II & his mother

Charles IX

Ruled from 1559 - 1560

Ruled from 1560 - 1574

Ruled from 1547 - 1559

GUISE VS. BOURBON

The two leading families of France both maneuvered to control the throne From 1562 – 1570 fighting took place but not

progress was made by either side The Guise were the leading Catholics. The Bourbon were the leading Protestants

To make peace Catherine’s daughter (Marie de Medicis) was to marry the leading Huguenot, Henry of Navarre.

On their wedding day, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre occurred, killing over 3,000 Huguenots

Catherine de Medici

Henry of Navarre, his wife Marie & their

children

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S MASSACRE:

Warfare followed, eventually Henry of Navarre becomes King Henry IV of France and upon taking the throne changes his religion to Catholicism – “Paris is worth a mass. ”

He issues the Edict of Nantes, which allows Huguenots some freedoms.

KING HENRY III (1574 – 1589):

The youngest son of Henry II finally came to the throne after 12-years of bloodshed. He tried to implement a moderate Catholic

faction to counter the blood thirsty Guise family and the Bourbon Huguenots.

The War of the Three Henry’s broke out in 1585 – 1589. Finally, King Henry III ordered the assassination of Henry Guise and in turn his family assassinated King Henry III.

The whole point of the French Wars of Religion was to keep France Catholic and the Huguenots out of power.

HENRY OF NAVARRE – KING HENRY IV

As the only remaining heir to the French throne, Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot becomes King of France.

Upon his coronation he states “Paris is worth a mass” he converts to Catholicism and takes the throne from 1589 – 1610 … bringing peace and tolerance to France once more.

He issues the Edict of Nantes granting limited religious toleration to over a million protestants.

Henry IV was assassinated and he was followed by his nine year old son, Louis XIII. His mother was his regent. While Louis was too young to rule on his own, the

French nobles and Huguenots reasserted their powers over the crown.

In 1621 Louis appointed Cardinal Richelieu as his Chief Minister who was determined to break the powers of both: the Nobles & Huguenots

He was successful and to keep the nobles loyal, the king by appointed them to posts in the government.

“Keep you friends close and your enemies closer.”

KING LOUIS XIV:

When Richelieu died, Cardinal Mazarin (along with Anne of Austria, his mother) came to assist the new King Louis XIV who inherited the throne at the age of 5.

The nobles and others staged an uprising called the Fronde in which they protested royal power & at one point drove the king from his palace. He would not forget this.

Louis XIV as a child

Cardinal Mazarin

At the age of 23, Louis XIV, took the full power of his monarchy into his own hands.

Like his great-grandfather, Philip II of Spain, Louis believed in Divine Right of Kings.

He adopted the Sun as a symbol of his rule He married Marie Theresa, the daughter of King Philip

IV of Spain

THE SUN KING:

Louis believed that he was like the Sun, thus he was known to have said: “L’etat, c’est moi”

I am the state During his reign he did not call the French law-

making (Estates-General) body into session, thus they were unable to prevent his royal actions.

FRENCH GOVERNMENT STRENGTHENED: Louis actively served his government Expanded the bureaucracy (departments which help run

the government)

Appointed – Royal officials and created the Nobility of the Robe – People who

held jobs originally held by the nobility. Most of these men were of middle-class origin, in order to destroy the power of the nobility.

VERSAILLES: A symbol of royal power and authority Served as the Summer Palace Costs millions of souls (monetary unit)

Still stands today as a museum

King’s Carriage

VERSAILLES TODAY:

Hall of Mirrors

The Gardens

JEAN BAPTISTE COLBERT

Finance Minister Improved the economy

Built up industry and farming Established New France in the New World

(North America)

Created tariffs (taxes) on imported goods Built up roads & canals as well as the merchant fleet