Chapter 16 Part 1

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Chapter 16Part 1

• Absolutism
• V
• Constitutionalism

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Absolutism in Western Europe 1589-1715

• Absolutism the traditional assumption of power
  (heirs to the throne) and the belief in divine
  right of kings
• Louis XIV was the quintessential absolute monarch

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Characteristics of Western European Absolutism

• The Ruler of a country was sovereign
• The Ruler is not subordinate to national
  assemblies
• The nobility is under the control of the ruler
• Will be different in Eastern Europe
• Nobility could still put obstacles in the way

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Characteristics of Absolutism in Western Europe

• Bureaucracies in the 17th century were often
  composed of career officials who owed their
  appointments to the king and were loyal to the
  king
• Often upper middle class bourgeoisie (nobility of
  the robe)
• Control over the Church
• Maintained large standing armies
• No more reliance on nobles or mercenary troops

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Characteristics of Absolutism in Western Europe

• Use of secret police to weaken political
  opponents
• Those who did not overtly oppose the state were
  usually left alone
• In contrast to the totalitarian regimes of the
  20th century which required active participation
  and enthusiastic support
• The difference? Financial, technological
  resources

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The Philosophy of Absolutism

• Jean Bodin Believed that only absolutism could
  provide order and force obedience to the
  government
• His POV the religious wars in France in the
  late 16th C.
• Was among the first to provide a philosophical
  basis for absolutism

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The Philosophy of Absolutism

• Thomas Hobbes wrote The Leviathan
• Had little faith in human nature
• People were naturally nasty and brutish
• Without strong government control and
  micromanagement chaos would result
• Did NOT believe in Divine Right
• But too authoritarian for constitutionalists

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Philosophy of Absolutism

• Bishop Jacques Bossuet BIG advocate of divine
  right
• Since the king was placed on the throne by God,
  he owed nothing to anyone else.
• Was a favorite of Louis XIV

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French Absolutism 1589-1648

• In the 17th Century
• Population of 17 million 20 of Europes
  population
• Largest country in Europe
• Huge s helped make France the strongest
  European nation (bigger armies possible)

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17th Century French Society

• Divided into 3 estates based on rank and
  privilege
• First Estate The Clergy 1 of the population
• Second Estate The Nobility 3-4 of pop
• Third Estate Everybody else from the
  Bourgeoisie to the landless peasants

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Taxes

• The Clergy and Nobility did not pay taxes
• The peasants and urban workers had little money
• The Bourgeoisie supported the whole country

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Henry IV 1589-1610

• Established the Bourbon Dynasty after surviving
  the War of the Three Henrys
• Was a Politique converted to Catholicism to
  gain popular support
• But issued the Edict of Nantes religious
  freedom for Huguenots and gave them the right to
  live in fortified cities

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Henry IV

• Laid the foundation for France to become the
  strongest European power in the 17th Century
• Strengthened the social hierarchy by
  strengthening existing institutions Parlements,
  the Treasury, Universities and the Catholic Church

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Henry IV

• The First French King to take an interest in
  France colonizing in the New World
• Encouraged trans-Atlantic trade

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Henry IV

• Weakened the Nobility of the Sword
• They were not allowed to influence the Royal
  Council
• Many of the Nobility of the Robe (who had
  purchased their titles) became high government
  officials and were intensely loyal to the monarch

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The Duke of Sully French Finance Minister

• His reforms enhanced the power of the monarchy
• Mercantilism increased the role of the state in
  the countrys economy to achieve a favorable
  balance of trade with other countries
• Granted monopolies in the production of gunpowder
  and salt

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Sully and Mercantilism

• Encouraged the silk industry, tapestry industry
• Only the government could operate the mines
• Reduced the Royal debt
• With systematic bookkeeping and budgets
• Reformed the tax system (more equitable)
• Improved transportation roads, bridges, canals
• Even began to build a canal linking the
  Mediterranean to the Atlantic!

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In the Meantime

• Spain was drowning in debt

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Henry IV was assassinated in 1610

• By a fanatical monk who was upset with the Edict
  of Nantes
• Henrys death a crisis in power
• Henrys widow (now Marie de Medici) ruled as
  regent until their son came of age

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Louis XIII 1610-1643

• His regency was a mess
• Feudal nobles and princes increased their power
• Some increased their influence at court
• Some convinced Louis XIII to exile his own mother
  and assume power for himself

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Cardinal Richelieu 1585-1642

• Laid the foundation for absolutism in France
• Richelieu in spite of being a cardinal- was also
  a politiqueput the state ahead of religious
  matters
• Richeleau introduced the Intendant System

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The Intendant System

• Was used to weaken the Nobility (Sword)
• Replaced local officials with intendants (civil
  servants) who reported directly to the king
• Were generally middle class (of the robe)
• One Intendant per each of Frances 32 districts
• Intendants were responsible for policing, finance
  and justice in his district
• Intendants were NEVER placed near their hometowns
• Government was more efficient and centralized

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Richelieu also continued with Mercantilism

• Built on Sullys achievements
• Increased taxes to fund the military
• But new tax system not as successful as Sullys
• Continued to sell government offices
• Farmers and peasants were ruthlessly exploited

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Richelieu and the Huguenots

• Tweaked the Edict of Nantes with
• The Peace of Alais (1629) Huguenots were still
  able to practice their religion freely BUT
• No more fortified cities and Protestant armies

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The Thirty Years War

• France supported Gustavus Adolphus in the 3rd
  phase of the war
• France declared war on the Spanish in 1635 and
  also entered the Thirty Years War against the
  HREs Hapsburg army
• Kept to the same foreign policy of keeping
  Germany divided

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Louis XIV 1643-1715

• The Sun King because he was the center of French
  power just as the sun is the center of the solar
  system
• Personified the idea that the sovereignty of the
  state resides in the ruler
• L etat, cest moi
• I am the state

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Louis XIV

• Was a strong believer in Divine Right
• Had the longest reign in European History (72
  years)
• Inherited the throne at age 5
• France was the major power in Europe during his
  reignlargest pop largest army

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French culture dominated Europe

• French became the international language for over
  two centuries and the language of the
  well-educated
• Was the epicenter of literature and the arts
  until the 20th century

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The Fronde (I1640s)

• Cardinal Mazarin controlled France while Louis
  XIV was a child
• Some of the nobles (of the Sword) revolted
  against Mazarin when Louis was between 5 and 14
  years
• Mazarin was able to defeat the nobles due to the
  competition among themselves
• Louis never forgot the humiliation and will keep
  a close watch on the nobility throughout his reign

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The Government under Louis XIV

• Kept the aristocracy out of the government by
  recruiting his closest ministers from the middle
  class
• Curtailed the powers of institutions that could
  pose a danger to the throne (the Parlements were
  afraid to cross him)
• Louis XIV never called the Estates General
  together
• Would arrest officials who were critical of the
  government

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Control of the Peasants

• Peasants about 95 of the population
• Kept only about 20 of their incomes after tithes
  to the Church, government taxes, and feudal
  rents.
• The Corvee caused more hardship forced labor.
  Required peasants to give one months labor a
  year to the crown (road building, etc)
• Idle peasants conscripted into the army
• Rebellious peasants were executed or used as
  galley slaves

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Versailles

• Was the grandest and most impressive palace in
  all of Europe
• Baroque reinforced the image of Louis XIV as
  the most powerful absolute ruler in Europe
• Was originally a hunting lodge for Louis XIII
• Architecture of the palace Marquis Louvois
• The Gardens LeVau
• The royal court 600 people
• Cost of maintenance 60 of all royal revenue

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Versailles

• Became a pleasure prison for the French nobility
• Louis required nobles to live at Versailles
  several months a year so he could keep an eye on
  them
• Nobles were entertained many hunts, tournaments
  and concerts
• Elaborate theatrical productions by Racine and
  Moliere

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Religious policies of Louis XIV

• Louis XIV considered himself the head of the
  Galician Church
• He WAS very religious but would not allow the
  Pope to exercise political power when it came to
  the French Church

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The Edict of Fontainebleau

• When Colbert died Louis XIV revoked the Edict
  of Nantes
• 200,000 Huguenots fled to the New World, England,
  the Netherlands
• Colbert was the champion of mercantilismwas a
  finance minister

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Also

• Louis XIV supported the Jesuits when they wanted
  to crack down on the Jansenists
• Jansenists were Catholics who held some Calvinist
  ideas