Louis XIV and the Rise of Absolutism in France

Definition of Absolutism: A political system where the king claims a divine right to the throne, leading to absolute power and religious/social conformity.
Louis XIV (The Sun King): He ruled France for more than $70$ years, starting in $1643$ at the age of $4$ . He was often depicted wearing costly attire, high heels, and elaborate wigs to signify royal perfection and masculinity.
Context of Regency: Because Louis was a child, his mother, Anne of Austria, and her advisor Cardinal Mazarin acted as regents during a period of heavy taxation, famine (linked to the Little Ice Age), and post-Thirty Years' War instability.

Taxation and Bureaucracy: To fund wars, Henry IV had established the Paulette, a tax that allowed officials (known as nobles of the robe) to keep their jobs for life or sell them to successors. This created a bureaucrat class immune to state oversight.
Social Conflict: The nobles of the robe (status via purchase) were often at odds with the nobles of the sword (status via military service).
The Fronde ( $1648$ - $1653$ ): A series of revolts against the monarchy led by nobles and judges resisting high taxes and loss of influence. Popular groups of resistance included the PA nous (barefooted ones) and the croquant (crunchers).
Jansenism: A Catholic movement that called for intense spirituality and self-purging, posing a threat to both the established Church and the monarchy.

Relocation of Government: In the $1660s$ , Louis transformed a hunting lodge at Versailles into a massive palace complex. In the $1680s$ , the court moved there to escape the unrest of Paris.
Domesticating the Nobility: The palace housed some $15,000$ people. Louis stayed in control by keeping the nobility occupied with elaborate court rituals, spectacles, and status-seeking tasks (such as attending to his dressing or his commode).
The Sun King Imagery: Louis portrayed himself as a "bright sun" whose presence radiated warmth and power to those around him.

Theology of Rule: Jacques Binet Bousseau preached that kings were ministers of God and that the royal throne was the throne of God himself.
State Slogan: While he likely never said "L'etat c'est moi" (The State is Me), it reflected his belief in total state authority.
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes ( $1685$ ): Louis demanded religious conformity and viewed Protestants as disorderly. This led to thousands of Protestants fleeing France for places like The Netherlands, North America, and South Africa, taking their skills and businesses with them.

Jean Baptiste Colbert: The most important official of the reign, he managed finances and infrastructure. He relied on intendants to oversee tax collection in the regions.
Mercantilism: An economic theory holding that global wealth is finite (zero-sum). To win, one kingdom must make others lose. This led to:
- High tariffs on foreign goods.
- Granting French monopolies (e.g., banning popularity-driven cotton textiles to protect internal industry).
- Expansion into North America for the fur trade during the cold of the Little Ice Age.

The Four Major Wars: Louis engaged in continuous warfare to gain territory:
1. War of Devolution.
2. Dutch War.
3. War of the League of Augsburg.
4. War of the Spanish Succession.
Consequences: These wars eventually exhausted French resources. Critics from England and exiled Huguenots described Louis's France as a state full of "putrid sores" and his subjects as "slaves."

Segment on Black Bread and Famine:
- The Center of the World (John Green): "Did the center of the world just open? Is there a pumpernickel bagel in there? It's the closest we could get to black bread."
- Context of Bread: In the $17$ -th century, black bread was often mixed with sawdust and lacked nutrition. People were so desperate to survive they sold all furniture and slept on straw to pay taxes while the elite lived in luxury.