Absolutism and Constitutional Monarch ID LIST

Noblesse d'épée (Sword Nobles)

The noblesse d'épée were France’s traditional aristocracy, whose status derived from military service and feudal landholding. They often resisted royal centralization and were prominent in uprisings like the Fronde. Their privileges were rooted in lineage and battlefield valor.

Noblesse de robe (Robe Nobles)

The noblesse de robe were nobles who gained status through judicial or administrative office, often purchased from the crown. They wore robes symbolizing their bureaucratic roles and were loyal to the monarchy, helping enforce royal authority and centralize power.

Louis XIII 

Louis XIII was the Bourbon king of France who laid the groundwork for absolutism. With Cardinal Richelieu as chief minister, e weakened noble power, centralized administration, and involved France in the Thirty Years’ War to curb Habsburg dominance.

Intendants

Royal officials appointed by the king to oversee provinces, enforce laws, collect taxes, and suppress dissent. Introduced under Louis XIII and expanded by Louis XIV, they bypassed local nobility and strengthened royal control.

Louis XIV

Known as the “Sun King,” Louis XIV epitomized absolutism. He built the Palace of Versailles to control the nobility, revoked the Edict of Nantes, and centralized power under the motto L’état, c’est moi. His reign marked the height of French absolutism.

Cardinal Mazarin

Cardinal Mazarin succeeded Richelieu as chief minister during Louis XIV’s minority. He continued centralizing policies and suppressed the Fronde revolts. His leadership ensured the survival of royal authority during a vulnerable period.

Fronde

A series of civil wars led by nobles and parlements against royal authority during Louis XIV’s youth. Though ultimately unsuccessful, it shaped Louis’s distrust of the nobility and reinforced his drive for absolute control.

Bishop Jacques Bossuet

Bossuet was a leading advocate of divine right monarchy. He argued that kings were God’s representatives on Earth and should wield absolute power. His writings, especially Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture, justified Louis XIV’s rule

“L’état, c’est moi” (“I am the state”)

Attributed to Louis XIV, this phrase symbolizes the essence of absolutism—where the monarch embodies the state’s authority. Though possibly apocryphal, it reflects Louis’s belief in centralized, personal rule.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Louis XIV’s finance minister who implemented mercantilist policies to strengthen France’s economy. He promoted industry, regulated trade, and improved tax collection, helping fund Versailles and Louis’s military ambitions.

Marquis of Louvois

François-Michel le Tellier was Louis XIV’s war minister who transformed the French army into Europe’s most disciplined and professional force. He centralized military administration, improved logistics, and expanded recruitment—laying the groundwork for France’s aggressive expansion under absolutism.

War of the Spanish Succession

This major European conflict erupted after the death of Charles II of Spain, who left his throne to Louis XIV’s grandson, Philip V. Fearing Bourbon dominance, England, the Dutch Republic, and the Habsburgs formed the Grand Alliance to oppose France. The war ended with a balance-of-power compromise, reshaping European diplomacy.

Treaties of Utrecht

The Treaties ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Key outcomes:

• Philip V retained the Spanish throne but renounced claims to the French crown.

• Britain gained Gibraltar and Newfoundland.

• Austria received Spanish Netherlands and Italian territories. These treaties marked the decline of French hegemony and the rise of Britain as a maritime power.

Cardinal Fleury

_____ André-Hercule _____was chief minister to Louis XV from 1726 to 1743. A pragmatic and peace-oriented statesman, he stabilized France’s finances, avoided costly wars, and promoted infrastructure projects. His rule is seen as a calm interlude between Louis XIV’s absolutism and later instability.

Hohenzollerns

The ruling dynasty of Brandenburg-Prussia, later the German Empire. Known for their militarism and bureaucratic efficiency, they transformed a fragmented territory into a centralized absolutist state. Their legacy culminated in Prussia’s rise as a European power.

Frederick William, the Great Elector

____ ____ of Brandenburg laid the foundation for Prussian absolutism. He built a strong standing army, centralized taxation, and negotiated with the Junkers to secure loyalty in exchange for noble privileges. His reign marked the beginning of Prussia’s transformation into a military state.

Junkers

Prussian landowning nobles who dominated rural society and held key military and administrative posts. In exchange for supporting the monarchy, they retained control over serfs and local governance. Their alliance with the Hohenzollerns was crucial to Prussia’s absolutist structure.

Maria Theresa

Habsburg archduchess and queen of Austria who inherited the throne through the Pragmatic Sanction. Despite initial challenges, she strengthened the central government, reformed the military, and improved education and taxation. Her reign marked the modernization of Austria’s bureaucracy.

The Pragmatic Sanction

Issued by Emperor Charles VI, the Pragmatic Sanction ensured that his daughter, Maria Theresa, could inherit Habsburg lands despite Salic law. Though many European powers initially agreed, her succession triggered the War of the Austrian Succession, testing the limits of dynastic diplomacy.

Muscovy

The medieval Russian principality centered in Moscow that expanded through conquest and diplomacy to become the Tsardom of Russia. Under rulers like Ivan III and Ivan IV (the Terrible), Muscovy centralized power, subdued rival nobles, and laid the groundwork for Russian absolutism.

Ivan IV ("The Terrible")