Objectives

• Examine the development of the absolutism in France– Louis XIII & Louis XIV

• Define and trace the rise of mercantilism

Louis XIII

• King age 9– Appointed Cardinal Richelieu to help rule

• Richelieu becomes real ruler– 2 goals

1. Increase the power of the monarchy2. Make France the strongest country in Europe

– Rulers became Absolute• Total control over church & state

• Both die in 1642-43

Louis XIVThe Sun King

Why is Louis called “The Sun King”?

He was an absolute monarch, as expressed in the famous quote attributed to him, "L'etat c'est moi" (I am the state). Identifying himself with Apollo, the Greek god of the sun,

Louis XIV came to be called "the Sun King."

Louis XIV’s Childhood

• Louis king age 5 • Cardinal Jules Mazarin

– Ruled for Louis while a child• Harsh ruler

• Mazarin upset many nobles – Revolted: Fronde

• almost killed the king

Louis’s Rule • At age 23, Mazarin died, Louis king

• Louis lived in grand style– 500 servants– Loved food, merrymaking, art &

theater

• Versailles– one of the most impressive places

ever– located outside of Paris– Became center of the Fr. government– Nobles lived w/king at Versailles

Marie Antoinette's Bed, with chairs for her servants.

Louis XIV’s Bed

Louis XIV’s

Private Chapel

The Famous “Hall of Mirrors”

Louis XIV Economic Policy • Appointed Jean Baptiste Colbert - Minister of Finance

• Believed in Mercantilism:

– Establishment of colonies to supply materials & markets & relieve dependence on other nations

– Encouraging manufacturing, export > import

Colbert tried to improve econ

• Gave subsidies (grants of gov’t. $$) to Fr. companies

• Placed high tariff (tax on imports) to protect Fr. companies

• Encouraged ppl to move to colonies

• Improved transportation in Fr.

Colbert tried to improve econ

• Encouraged skilled workers to settle in Fr.– Especially Huguenots (Fr. Protestants)

• 1683 Louis revokes Edict of Nantes (religious freedom)– Huguenots flee

Louis’ Wars: to gain• France

– Europe’s largest country– 4x as many ppl as any other country– Army: 400,000 men

• For 30 yrs Louis tried to expand into Netherlands & Germany - FAILED

• No 1 country could beat Fr., smaller countries joined together to stop them– This is known as Balance of Power

Louis’s Wars: against

• War of Spanish Succession– King of Spain died no heir &

gave throne to Louis’s grandson

– Smaller countries that had allied against Fr. were scared of a Fr./Spain Alliance• Balance of Power tips

– 1701, several of these countries attacked Fr. & Spain

Treaty of Utrecht • Louis grandson gets to stay

on the Spanish throne• Fr. gets Alsace • Eng. gets Gibraltar, & some

of Fr.’s colonies • Austria gets part of the

Netherlands

• New balance of power– Eng., Austria, Netherlands– Fr. & Spain

Louis is out

• Great Grandson, Louis XV takes over• XIV tells XV:

– “try to be at peace with your neighbors and try to comfort your people, which unhappily, I have not done.”• Why does XIV say this?