France: Late 16th to Early 18th Century

• France 
• Late 16th through early 18th century
• 1598 King Henry IV of France
• Issued Edict of Nantes
• Granted religious toleration to the French Huguenots 
• Established Henry IV as a politique. 
• Nobility was exempt from paying taxes
• Caused tax problems
• Henry IV appoints Duke of Sully
• Makes the tax system more efficient
• Nobility decided to give money in exchange for prestigious positions in the government; rather than pay taxes. 
• Called the Nobility of the Robe
• 1610: Henry IV is assassinated
• From the family of the house of Bourbon
• One of the greatest families of France
• His son, Louis XIII  becomes king
• He is only nine years old
• Cardinal Richelieu becomes Chief Minister, most important regent. 
• 1624-1642: Richelieu is in charge of France
• Goal: strengthen the royal power in France. 
• A politique
• Put politics ahead of religion.
• His heart is with the king of France and not with the pope. 
• Wanted to knock down the up-and-coming nobles. 
• Divides France into 32 segments. 
• Noble in charge was replaced by superintendent 
• Usually middle class people. 
• They would be more loyal because they have a position of power. 
• Thought it was most important to limit Habsburg power. 
• Supports the Protestants in the 30 years war. 
• They are against the Habsburgs. 
• He doesn't want them to become more powerful. 
• Examples of politique
• 1642: Richelieu and Louis XIII both die. 
• Louis XIII had a son named Louis XIV 
• Louis XIV becomes known as the "Sun King
• Became king when he was 5
• Cardinal Mazarin was his chief minister 
• As he was crowned, rebellion started to break out.  
• The rebellions were made to limit the power of the king; not to take the king down. 
• These rebellions are known as the Frondes. 
• They caused Louis XIV as a little boy to leave Paris. 
• He grows up harboring a resentment towards the people. 
• The rebellions cause Louis to move the palace to Versailles 
• Bossuet 
• Theorized the divine right of kings. 
• He was the principle architect of absolutism in the 17th century. 
• Louis believed that he was appointed by God to be the absolute ruler of France.  
• He did not share power with a parliament like England's kings did.  
• Louis increased the power of the intendants. 
• As he did this the power of the nobility went down.
• In order to keep up their power they had to be loyal to the king.  
• Jean Baptiste Colbert
• Appointed by Louis XIV to be the minister of France. 
• Instituted mercantilism.
• At this time France now had a major colony in the New World; Quebec.  
• More exports than imports. 
•  In 1685 France's population is about 19 million people. 
• 1 million of which are Huguenots.  
• He revokes the Edict of Nantes because he no longer needs their influences. 
• He closes Protestant churches and orders them to be Catholic. 
• The problem though is that the French working class was mostly Huguenots.  When he revoked the Edict of Nantes they left and went to other countries. 
• This seriously diminishes France's industrial capacity. 
• Wars of Louis XIV 
• At this time, France was the most populous nation in Europe. 
• Because of the 30 Years War, France had really become the most successful.  
• 2 strategic goals
• Wanted France to expand it's borders. 
• He wanted to move down into Switzerland
• Wanted to make France a global power.
• Wanted more power for France in the Americas. 
• One way to do this, was to inherit the holdings of the Spanish Habsburgs. 
• Louis XIV's system continues smoothly on to the next heir.  
• Louis XIV's army threatened universal monarchy. 
• Louis XIV's wanted to be sovereign over the continent of Europe.
• Because of the 30 Year's War there was no other entity in Europe that could face him.  He used this to his great advantage.  
• Alliances were created between the weaker countries in Europe to try to balance the power. 
• Louis tries several times to extend into the Dutch Republic, but each time he is pushed back. 
• He also tries to push into Spain.
• Spain
• 1700 - Charles II dies.  He does not have an heir. 
• In his will, he bequeaths the throne to Philip of Anjou. 
• Philip of Anjou is Louis XIV's grandson. 
• All of the other countries in Europe had a fear that Louis XIV was going to create a universal monarchy. 
• They form the Grand Alliance
• Made up of Holland, Austria, Principality of Brandenburg, and the Italian Duchy of Savoy. 
• This started a war between the French and the Grand Alliance.
• War of Spanish Succession
• 1701-1713
• Cost an enormous amount of money to wage.  
• It will be one of the things that the revolutionaries will blame the French Monarchy for.
• 1713 Treaty of Utrecht 
• Created a new balance of power in Europe that would last over the next 30 years. 
• France 
• Louis XIV's grandson, Philip V, was allowed to remain king of Spain so long as Spain and France were not united. 
• France can keep Alsace. 
• English
• Get naval bases in Gibraltar, the inlet that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. 
• This was important because of trade with the New World.
• The slave trade was a major economic force in Spain so when England takes over Gibraltar, they take over the slave trade. 
• Gets to check the balance of the French - picks up Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
• Gulf of Saint Lawrence is the major trade route into the New World. 
• Austria
• Picks up the Spanish Netherlands, which become Belgium. 
• Picks up old French holdings in Italy.  Austrians come into Naples, Milan, and Sardinia. 
• Duke of Savoy
• He is given Sicily and he becomes king of Sicily. 
• 1720 - he grows tired of Sicily. 
• He trades with Austria for Sardinia. 
• Elector of Brandenburg 
• He becomes the king of Prussia.