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Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

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Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France? . Case Study: French Absolutism. Louis XIV of France “the Sun King” ruled 1643-1715 “ L’etat c’est moi ” (I am the State). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France? Case Study: French Absolutism
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Page 1: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power

and that of France?

Case Study: French Absolutism

Page 2: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Louis XIV of France

“the Sun King” ruled 1643-1715

“L’etat c’est moi”(I am the State)

Page 3: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

At the end of the Thirty Years War, France was the most populous and

most powerful European state

Page 4: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

The Fronde 1648-52

• A rebellion by the nobility against the power of the central state and the 10 year old king

• After its defeat, Louis determined to squash this forever by the establishment absolutist power

Page 5: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Louis after the defeat of the Fronde,

as the Roman god Jupiter

Page 6: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

The theory of “Divine Right”

• "The sovereign Prince is only accountable to God” -- Jean Bodin• “The state of monarchy is the supremest thing on

earth. For kings are not only God’s lieutenants on earth, and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God Himself are called gods…. “

-- King James I of England

Page 7: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Louis and family, as Roman gods

Page 8: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Versailles Palace

Page 9: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Constructed to show the King’s Power and…

Page 10: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

To draw the nobility to Louis and away from their local seats of power

Page 11: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

“Hold your friends close and your enemies closer”

Page 12: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

As a noble, your status was now shown by your proximity (closeness) to the king and your willingness to spend

money to show off at the court

Page 13: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

But real state power was given only to commoners who ruled in Louis’ name

• Established bureaucracy• Staffed by “commoners”

– men of merit who held power only through Louis– Educated merchants

and intellectuals– Close ties between the

state and the new capitalist class

Page 14: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Colbert and Mercantilism: Building and controlling the economy

• Which is a mercantilist act?– Preventing importation of cloth from England– Preventing importation of sugar from French Haiti– Subsidies to a French shoe manufacturer– Encouraging free trade by eliminating tariffs– All shipping from colonies must be on French ships– French colonies banned from purchase of Dutch goods– Encourage Italian manufacturers to build factories in

France– Grant a monopoly to one company to trade with India

Page 15: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

• Protestants had been allowed religious freedom under the Edict of Nantes

• Louis saw the continuation of Protestantism as a symbol of royal powerlessness.

Page 16: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Expansion of Overseas Empire: 1550

Page 17: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Expansion of Overseas Empire: 1660

Page 18: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Expansion of Overseas Empire: 1754

Page 19: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Louis’ Wars

• War of Devolution (1667–1668): against England, Sweden, Dutch

• Dutch War (1672–1678): with Sweden and England against Dutch, Spain, Austria

• War of the Grand Alliance (1688–97): against English, Dutch, Spain, Austria, Germanic princes; also fought in Ireland and Americas

• War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) : with Spain and Germanic princes against Great Britain, Dutch, Austria, Portugal

Page 20: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

The many wars of the French kings added significant, but not overwhelming, territory

Page 21: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

The many wars of the French kings added significant, but not overwhelming, territory

Wars created a huge state debt – for the next 75 years, France tottered on the edge of bankruptcy

Page 22: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

A common fault of absolutist rulers

• “Do not follow the bad example which I have set you; I have often undertaken war too lightly and have sustained it for vanity. Do not imitate me, but be a peaceful prince, and may you apply yourself principally to the alleviation of the burdens of your subjects.”

-- Louis on his deathbed

Page 23: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Assess Louis XIV – Good:

Page 24: Aim: How successful was Louis XIV in expanding his own power and that of France?

Assess Louis XIV – Bad:


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