1 / 12

Age of Louis XIV

Age of Louis XIV. Absolutism Overview. 17 th C Models of Governing. Constitutionalism – England develops a parliamentary or constitutional monarchy Absolutism – France develops an absolute monarchy. Characteristics of Absolutism.

mirra
Download Presentation

Age of Louis XIV

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Age of Louis XIV Absolutism Overview

  2. 17th C Models of Governing • Constitutionalism – England develops a parliamentary or constitutional monarchy • Absolutism – France develops an absolute monarchy

  3. Characteristics of Absolutism • An absolute monarch controls the following institutions in society and uses them for his goals: • The bureaucracy • The nobility • The Church • The military In addition, the absolute monarch embraced the economic system called mercantilism

  4. Absolutism • Jacques Boussuet advocated Divine Right Rule. • Characteristics • The king is above the law • The king’s will is the will of the country • The king has vast power • The king is chosen by God to rule

  5. Bureaucracy and Louis XIV Controlled the bureaucracy • Used his power to keep peace in France (avoid another Fronde). • Used intendants to oversee the regions of France and watch over nobles not at Versailles. • Nobles controlled their peasants but had to obey Louis. Louis was never able to tax the nobles arbitrarily • Upper middle class (bourgeoisie) given duties to collect land tax, salt tax, head tax, and labor tax.

  6. Versailles and Louis XIV • Instrument to control nobles. • Rituals were created to force nobles to wait on the king. • Art was used at Versailles to show the king’s wealth and power. • Codes of conduct required nobles to spend large sums of money to live at Versailles, making them dependent on the king.

  7. Religion and Louis XIV • Believed in religious unity. Pluralism is a threat to absolutism • Suppression of the Jansenists for their religious views • Revocation of the Edict of Nantes • Huguenots were forced to convert or were persecuted and forced to leave.

  8. The Military and Louis XIV • France was at war for much of the reign of Louis XIV • Marquis de Louvois – modernized army • Louis wanted expansion of France • Wars were extremely costly • Most important = War of Spanish Succession Causes – Outcomes -

  9. Economy and Louis XIV • Jean Baptiste Colbert • Finance minister in 17th C • Efficiently collected taxes • Believed in mercantilism (a term coined by later economists) • A nation’s wealth is measured by the king’s treasury • Goal – Collect gold and silver bullion • Encourage exports; discourage imports via tariffs • Encourage domestic industries • Acquisition of colonies to benefit the mother country

  10. Thought Question • How absolute was absolute monarchy of Louis XIV?

  11. Legacy of Louis XIV • Widespread misery due to incessant wars • Massive tax increases • By 1715 France was on the brink of bankruptcy. • Large amounts of money were spent administering life at Versailles

  12. Key terms and ideas • Intendants • Corvee • Raison d’etat • Fronde • One king, one law, one faith • Jansenism • Henry IV – steps towards absolutism • Richelieu • Mazarin • Colbert • Impact - Revocation of the Edict of Nantes • Versailles • War of Spanish Succession • Treaty of Utrecht

More Related