The Age of Absolutism in France

After the Thirty Years War, France became the predominant power in Europe.  As with the Renaissance, Reformation and Scientific Revolution; Absolutism was a revolution in politics. 

 

A ruler that practiced Absolutism believed that he ruled by Divine Right:  that God had chosen them to rule and they were answerable only to Him not parliaments or other representative bodies.  The ruler controlled all aspects of the government and church in their country.  The most important factor for an absolute monarch was to control the nobility of his country as they could be the most dangerous to his rule.

 

Absolutism changed how wars were fought.  Prior to this, rulers raised temporary armies comprised of soldiers raised from feudal lords.  When the war was over the soldiers would return to their regular jobs.  Relying on the nobility for military support was risky: internal strife could result if the nobility decided to withhold support and challenge the monarchy.  Absolute monarchy avoided this problem by creating standing armies where a person’s sole job was to be a soldier in service to the monarch.

 

Absolute monarchs were the living embodiment of the state.  Nowhere is this best illustrated than through the reign of Louis XIV.

 

 

The Foundations of Absolutism in France

Absolutism in France began with Louis XIV’s father, Louis XIII and his chief adviser, Cardinal Richelieu.  Richelieu was the one who laid the foundation for absolutism while Louis XIII was still a child.  As his regent, Richelieu worked to secularize the country.  Even though he was a Catholic priest, Richelieu’s first loyalty was to the crown of France.  Some things that Richelieu did to create French absolutism were:

 

1. Challenged and alienated the French nobility

-leveled castles, crushed conspiracies

 

2.  Divided country into 32 districts with controlling royal indentants. 

     Indentants were:

    - drawn from upper middle class & minor nobility.

    - given extensive powers over justice, police & finance

- appointed directly by the crown to ensure loyal

      and that royal orders were followed.  This

      weakened the power of regional nobility.

 

Both Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIII died in the same year.  Since Louis XIV was still very young another regent was appointed. This regent, Mazarin, attempted to ease the financial problems of the crown by increasing taxes.  This caused a civil war called the Fronde. The civil war was between the monarchy and disgruntled nobles fed up with their treatment under Louis III.  The Fronde lasted for 12 years and had a lasting impact on Louis XIV who determined that the only way to prevent chaos was absolute monarchy.