LOUIS XIV

THE “QUINTESSENTIAL” ABSOLUTE RULER

Regency

•

Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661)

–

Controlled Regency of Louis XIV

FRONDE

CAUSES OF FRONDE 1. Mazarin

was originally from Italy (outsider) 2. Nobility Revolted against Foreigner

Mazarin

and their resentment of growing absolute power of Monarchy (which had been started under Richelieu 3. Taxes were raised to pay for

Thirty Year’s War

(most revolts start over taxes!)

FRONDE

1 st and 2 nd Fronde 1. First Fronde (1648-1649) Nobles of Robe 2. 2 nd Fronde (1650-1652) Nobles of Sword

FRONDE

RESULTS 1. Reaffirmed belief in an absolute monarch 2. Humiliation of Young Louis led to his determination to destroy any authority of nobility

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION 1) Continued recruitment of officials from

Middle Class

2) Continued

intendent

system 3) Persecuted resistance 1) Parlements were fearful after he and Mazarin put down both Frondes

2) Police State-

no freedom of Speech or Habeus Corpus 3) Never Called

Estates General

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

4) Control over Peasantry/ 3 rd Estate (95% of Population)

a) Highest Burdened Class / 80% Taxation!!!!

b) Corvee c) unemployed- draft!

d) Want to protest? Think again

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

5) Control over Nobility - The Versailles System

Versailles

The Bourbon Family Crest

L’ etat c’est moi!

By Hyacinthe Rigaud

Louis XIV as Apollo

Louis XIV as Apollo

by Jean Nocret, 1670

The Sun Symbol

Louis XIV Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1665

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Versailles Statistics

2,000 acres of grounds 12 miles of roads 27 miles of trellises 200,000 trees 210,000 flowers planted every year 80 miles of rows of trees 55 acres surface area of the Grand Canal 12 miles of enclosing walls 1,400 Fountains around Palace 21 miles of water conduits 3,600 cubic meters per hour: water consumed 26 acres of roof 51,210 square meters of floors 2,153 windows 700 rooms 67 staircases 6,000 paintings 1,500 drawings and 15,000 engravings 2,100 sculptures 5,000 items of furniture and objects d'art 150 varieties of apple and peach trees in the Vegetable Garden

Louis XIII’s Old Chateau

TRANSFORMATION

Versailles’ Northern Gardens

Gardens at Versailles

Chateau de Versailles Gardens

The Orangery

Hall of Mirrors

The King’s Bed The Queen’s Bed

Louis XIV’s Chapel

Louis XIV’s Chapel Altarpiece

Organ in Louis XIV’s Chapel

Louis XIV’s Opera Stage

The Gallery of Battles

Marie Antoinette’s “Peasant” House

Marie Antoinette’s “Peasant’s Hut”

Marie Antoinette ’ s “ Peasant ’ s Hut ”

Louis XIV’s Carriage

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION 5) Control over Nobility - The Versailles System a) reaffirmed his image of most powerful ruler in Europe b) Gave Louis Absolute control over Nobility

RELIGIOUS POLICIES

• Louis was head of Gallican (French) Church • Edict of Fontainebleau- 1685 • Persecuted Jansenists- Catholics with Calvinist views

ECONOMIC POLICIES

• • • Mercantilism Bullionism – –

Jean Baptiste Colbert perfected French Mercantalism for Louis Wanted to Make France as self sufficient as possible

–

Provide Louis enough wealth and power to win wars

ECONOMIC STRENGTHS

• • •

By 1683, France was Europes leading Industrial nation Known for making mirrors, textiles, lace, foundries for steel manufacturing and firearms Colbert also created a powerful Merchant Marine

ECONOMIC WEAKNESSES

• • • •

Poor peasant conditions caused many to flee France Persecution of Calvinists Focused solely on massive Army and not nearly as much attention on a Navy (England)

–

War- 2/3 of Louis Reign was at war Undid Colbert’s economic gains

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• •

Military

was symbol of Absolute Monarch • Louis wanted to

Expand natural frontiers

of France (Alps, Pyrenees, Rhine)

Balance of Power-

Coalitions of weaker nations checked him at every attempt

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• War #1 • War of Devolution (First Dutch War) 1667 68 – Louis invaded Dutch Netherlands (Belgium) without officially declaring a war – Louis received 12 Fortified townson the border of Sp. Netherlands – But he had to give up French Comte Burgundy

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• War #2 • Second Dutch War 1672-78 – In revenge for Dutch opposition Louis invaded southern Netherlands – He also hated Republican government, Calvinism – He originally bought off Swedes and BR. And had initial success – B.O.P.-Prussia, Spain, HRE formed new coalition and forced

Treaty of Nijmegen 1678

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• • War #3

War of the League of Augsburg

97) (1688 – Louis invaded SP. Netherlands again in 1683 – In response Leage of Augsburg formed in 1686 (Spain, HRE, Sweden, Bavaria, Saxony and Dutch Republic) – later William of Orange now William III of England brought England in as well – This began Anglo French Rivalry which lasted until Napoleon’s Defeat in 1815 (2 nd 100 Years War?)

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• • War #3

War of the League of Augsburg

97) (1688 – Ended with

Treaty of Ryswick

– Louis had to dumped some of his HRE conquests – hardly worth the bloodshed – Peace w/o victory – no drastic changes – caused economic turmoil in French

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• • War #4 (Last but not least)

War of Spanish Succession

(1701-1713 ) –

Charles II

of Spain was a sickly and childless Habsburg ruler – he left throne to a grandson of Louis XIV-it was Phillip of Anjou (V) – a new

coalition

formed out of fear that Fr and Spain would become united (No more Pyrenees)

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• War #4 (Last but not least) • War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713 ) – Grand Alliance-England, Dutch Republic, Austria, Portugal and German States came to the rescue – Fought in Europe and NA briefly – -1702-1713

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• War #4 (Last but not least) • War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713 ) –

Battle of Blenheim

(1704) was the Turning Point – allied forces under John Churchill, duke of Marlborough (ancestor of Winston)

WARS OF LOUIS XIV

• •

War #4 (Last but not least) War of Spanish Succession

(1701-1713 ) –

Treaty of Utrecht 1713

– the thrones had to be separated even though his grandson was Ruler in Spain –

England BIG WINNER

!! • received Gibraltar and Newfoundland, Hudson Bay and Nova Scotia • • England emerged as supreme Naval and Army Power

Asiento-

(Slave Trade) from Spain and send ships to Spanish New World – 2 years later Louis died

WARS OF LOUIS XIV COSTS

– Destroyed French Economy – 20% French Subjects died – Huge debt continued to mount against Third Estate – Financial and social seeds were planted which would create the French Revolution in the later 18 th Century