European Absolution
Absolution in Europe
Monarchs ruled by divine right (God created the monarchy; the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth)
Monarchs decided what was best for their state
They ruled with unlimited power
And dictated the cultural of their state through patronage of the arts, performers, or religious ideas they enjoyed or by censoring the cultural aspects that weren’t suitable to them.
Divine Right of Kings
God has directly granted the king or queen the right to rule.
They are not bound by any earthly authority or to the people.
Monarchs were expected to abide by God’s moral and civil laws.
Monarchs could only be judged by God.
Any attempt to judge the monarch was in defiance to God’s law.
Monarchs tended to rule with absolute authority.
The 17th century witnessed the rise of absolution
Circumstances that led to Absolutism
Religious disputes (caused by the Reformation) strengthened kings and weakened the pope
Territorial disputes - led to continuous warfare in Europe
Kings built armies to wage wars, which enabled them to levy heavier taxes, and then grew more powerful
Peasant revolts allowed kings to increase their power to suppress them
Kings began to control churches, courts, and their economy
Kings sought to free themselves from the limitations imposed by nobles or representative parliaments
17th century & the rise of absolution
More Causes of Absolutism
European populations in towns and cities favored monarchies and more centralized governments with national identities; this gave rise to powerful nation-states
Kings tapped into the wealth of their colonies to finance their ambitions, wage wars, and patronize the arts
After the Reformation kings of Europe had more free reign to enforce or control religion within their state be it Roman Catholic Church or Protestant Christianity
Kings censored and persecuted religious beliefs that they opposed
FRENCH ULTIMATE MONARCH
King Henry III of Navarre - established the Bourbon Dynasty
He married the sister of the French King (Charles IX) in 1572.
On his wedding day, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre erupted in France in the midst of the Huguenot Wars
The massacre began at Henry’s wedding
A six week nationwide slaughter of the Huguenots were perpetrated by French Catholics
Henry became the king Henry IV of France and established the “Bourbon Dynasty”
He later brought peace to France by ending the religious disputes of the Huguenot Wars in France
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre 1572
The massacre was instigated by Catherine de Medici the widowed mother of the bride, Margaret
It was arranged for Margaret (a Catholic) to marry Henry III the king of Navarre (a Huguenot) an attempt to reconcile the religious tension between the two groups
However most of the Huguenot princes attending the wedding that day were killed
Henry IV of France – The Bourbon Dynasty
Henry inherited the French throne in 1589
He converted to Catholicism – a political decision to win over the citizens of Paris
He declared the Edict of Nantes - 1598
His edict (new law) enforced religious tolerance of Huguenot worship
And ended the Huguenot Wars in France
He restored strength to the French monarchy, and laid the foundation for economic prosperity in France
France : Age of Absolution
Louis XIII, Henry’s son, inherited the throne
Too young & weak, his mother appointed:
Cardinal Richelieu - as chief minister to run the country from 1624-1642
He laid the foundation for French Absolutism
A Voice from the Past
“What is done for the state is done for God, who is the basis and foundation of it. Where the interests of the state are concerned, God absolves actions which if privately committed, would be a crime.” Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)
He Increase the power of the monarchy in France
He began by weakening the power of the French nobles
By ordering them to level their fortified castles
He swiftly executed nobles caught in the act of aristocratic conspiracies against the king
He ordered the Huguenots to level their city walls
So they could no longer defy the Catholic king and seek sanctuary behind fortified city walls
He appointed members of the middle class to fill government agencies
This prevented nobles officials who could challenge the king’s authority from filling those positions
He made France a supreme power in Europe
By involving France in the Thirty Years War to counter Habsburg power in Europe
The Habsburg kingdoms of Spain, Austria, and Germany completely surrounded France
Louis XIV
Louis XIV’s reign began at age 5 in 1643
His father Louis XIII died one year after the death of Cardinal Richelieu
Richelieu’s successor, Cardinal Mazarin, ruled France during the early years of Louis XIV
Under his watch, France became the strongest country in Europe in 1648
(at the end of the Thirty Years War)
Mazarin raised taxes and increased the power of the central government
Many nobles rebelled against Mazarin, all were unsuccessful
Between 1648-1653 violent “anti-Mazarin” riots were initiated by French nobles
even the life of young Louis was threatened
Louis determined at an early age to become so strong that the French nobles would never be able to threaten him again
When Mazarin died in 1661
Louis XIV (age 23) and became the sole ruler of France
He excluded nobles from his royal council
He elevated the middle class to the position of intendants – (tax collectors and those who administered justice)
France: Louis XIV
“The Sun King”
In 1643 Louis XIV became king of France and ruled 72 years
His Palace at Versailles
He built a huge palace at Versailles
and moved the French government there
Brought Renaissance art into his palace
The Mona Lisa hung in his bedroom
Versailles represented the grandeur, power, and might of his monarchy and his power
Louis XIV believed in the divine right of kings
He adopted the sun as his symbol: so as the sun’s rays stretch far and wide so too did his power reach far and wide throughout Europe.
He chose the sun as his emblem:
The sun was Apollo’s symbol - the Greek god of peace and art.
Like Apollo, Louis XIV was a warrior king, fighting to restore peace.
While also a lover and patron of art.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Louis XIV’s economic advisor
Colbert believed in Mercantilism and worked to prevent wealth from leaving his country
He made France self-sufficient increasing manufacturing for exports and relyed less on imports
The French govt. subsidized manufacturing companies
France placed a high tariffs on imported goods to protect French industries
Exported more - Imported less - which provided a favorable balance of trade
France relied on its Canadian colonies for resources and materials (fur trade)
Colbert’s policies rapidly elevated France to the industrial leader of Europe.
Louis XIV’s mistake
Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes (in 1685) after Colbert’s death
His motto was: “one king, one law, one faith”
Louis, a devout Catholic, hated division and persecuted the Huguenots
Many Huguenots (skilled workers and business leaders) left France
Suddenly Huguenots leaders in French government, were imprisoned as enemies of the state
Many left the country - for the New World
Inflation and a weaker economy soon followed
Louis XIV’s Wars
Against the Dutch in 1672 failed
By the 1660’s France dominated Europe
The French population grew to 20 million people
4x the population of Spain or England
France’s army doubled in size
Louis XIV tried to gain territory in the Netherlands
His invasion of the Dutch-Netherlands in 1672 failed
William III of Orange a future king of England played a major role in stopping Louis XIV
The League of Augsburg was formed to counter the strength of France
As France grew more powerful under Louis XIV, the rest of Europe cringed
The League of Augsburg was an alliance created by the European countries neighboring France to balance the rising threat of Louis XIV’s wars
In 1689 William king of England and the Netherlands signed an alliance with Leopold I of the Habsburg Monarchy (aka the Austrian Empire)
This alliance initiated a new defensive strategy in Europe to establish a Balance of Power between European nations
Economic woes in France
A series of poor harvests led to inflation
Louis XIV’s wars were financed by more and higher taxes
While Louis XIV lived in luxury at Versailles
The French people struggled & longed for peace and stability
To such a degree that many in France openly rejoiced upon hearing the news of Louis XIV’s death in 1715
Absolution in Europe
Monarchs ruled by divine right (God created the monarchy; the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth)
Monarchs decided what was best for their state
They ruled with unlimited power
And dictated the cultural of their state through patronage of the arts, performers, or religious ideas they enjoyed or by censoring the cultural aspects that weren’t suitable to them.
Divine Right of Kings
God has directly granted the king or queen the right to rule.
They are not bound by any earthly authority or to the people.
Monarchs were expected to abide by God’s moral and civil laws.
Monarchs could only be judged by God.
Any attempt to judge the monarch was in defiance to God’s law.
Monarchs tended to rule with absolute authority.
The 17th century witnessed the rise of absolution
Circumstances that led to Absolutism
Religious disputes (caused by the Reformation) strengthened kings and weakened the pope
Territorial disputes - led to continuous warfare in Europe
Kings built armies to wage wars, which enabled them to levy heavier taxes, and then grew more powerful
Peasant revolts allowed kings to increase their power to suppress them
Kings began to control churches, courts, and their economy
Kings sought to free themselves from the limitations imposed by nobles or representative parliaments
17th century & the rise of absolution
More Causes of Absolutism
European populations in towns and cities favored monarchies and more centralized governments with national identities; this gave rise to powerful nation-states
Kings tapped into the wealth of their colonies to finance their ambitions, wage wars, and patronize the arts
After the Reformation kings of Europe had more free reign to enforce or control religion within their state be it Roman Catholic Church or Protestant Christianity
Kings censored and persecuted religious beliefs that they opposed
FRENCH ULTIMATE MONARCH
King Henry III of Navarre - established the Bourbon Dynasty
He married the sister of the French King (Charles IX) in 1572.
On his wedding day, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre erupted in France in the midst of the Huguenot Wars
The massacre began at Henry’s wedding
A six week nationwide slaughter of the Huguenots were perpetrated by French Catholics
Henry became the king Henry IV of France and established the “Bourbon Dynasty”
He later brought peace to France by ending the religious disputes of the Huguenot Wars in France
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre 1572
The massacre was instigated by Catherine de Medici the widowed mother of the bride, Margaret
It was arranged for Margaret (a Catholic) to marry Henry III the king of Navarre (a Huguenot) an attempt to reconcile the religious tension between the two groups
However most of the Huguenot princes attending the wedding that day were killed
Henry IV of France – The Bourbon Dynasty
Henry inherited the French throne in 1589
He converted to Catholicism – a political decision to win over the citizens of Paris
He declared the Edict of Nantes - 1598
His edict (new law) enforced religious tolerance of Huguenot worship
And ended the Huguenot Wars in France
He restored strength to the French monarchy, and laid the foundation for economic prosperity in France
France : Age of Absolution
Louis XIII, Henry’s son, inherited the throne
Too young & weak, his mother appointed:
Cardinal Richelieu - as chief minister to run the country from 1624-1642
He laid the foundation for French Absolutism
A Voice from the Past
“What is done for the state is done for God, who is the basis and foundation of it. Where the interests of the state are concerned, God absolves actions which if privately committed, would be a crime.” Richelieu
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)
He Increase the power of the monarchy in France
He began by weakening the power of the French nobles
By ordering them to level their fortified castles
He swiftly executed nobles caught in the act of aristocratic conspiracies against the king
He ordered the Huguenots to level their city walls
So they could no longer defy the Catholic king and seek sanctuary behind fortified city walls
He appointed members of the middle class to fill government agencies
This prevented nobles officials who could challenge the king’s authority from filling those positions
He made France a supreme power in Europe
By involving France in the Thirty Years War to counter Habsburg power in Europe
The Habsburg kingdoms of Spain, Austria, and Germany completely surrounded France
Louis XIV
Louis XIV’s reign began at age 5 in 1643
His father Louis XIII died one year after the death of Cardinal Richelieu
Richelieu’s successor, Cardinal Mazarin, ruled France during the early years of Louis XIV
Under his watch, France became the strongest country in Europe in 1648
(at the end of the Thirty Years War)
Mazarin raised taxes and increased the power of the central government
Many nobles rebelled against Mazarin, all were unsuccessful
Between 1648-1653 violent “anti-Mazarin” riots were initiated by French nobles
even the life of young Louis was threatened
Louis determined at an early age to become so strong that the French nobles would never be able to threaten him again
When Mazarin died in 1661
Louis XIV (age 23) and became the sole ruler of France
He excluded nobles from his royal council
He elevated the middle class to the position of intendants – (tax collectors and those who administered justice)
France: Louis XIV
“The Sun King”
In 1643 Louis XIV became king of France and ruled 72 years
His Palace at Versailles
He built a huge palace at Versailles
and moved the French government there
Brought Renaissance art into his palace
The Mona Lisa hung in his bedroom
Versailles represented the grandeur, power, and might of his monarchy and his power
Louis XIV believed in the divine right of kings
He adopted the sun as his symbol: so as the sun’s rays stretch far and wide so too did his power reach far and wide throughout Europe.
He chose the sun as his emblem:
The sun was Apollo’s symbol - the Greek god of peace and art.
Like Apollo, Louis XIV was a warrior king, fighting to restore peace.
While also a lover and patron of art.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Louis XIV’s economic advisor
Colbert believed in Mercantilism and worked to prevent wealth from leaving his country
He made France self-sufficient increasing manufacturing for exports and relyed less on imports
The French govt. subsidized manufacturing companies
France placed a high tariffs on imported goods to protect French industries
Exported more - Imported less - which provided a favorable balance of trade
France relied on its Canadian colonies for resources and materials (fur trade)
Colbert’s policies rapidly elevated France to the industrial leader of Europe.
Louis XIV’s mistake
Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes (in 1685) after Colbert’s death
His motto was: “one king, one law, one faith”
Louis, a devout Catholic, hated division and persecuted the Huguenots
Many Huguenots (skilled workers and business leaders) left France
Suddenly Huguenots leaders in French government, were imprisoned as enemies of the state
Many left the country - for the New World
Inflation and a weaker economy soon followed
Louis XIV’s Wars
Against the Dutch in 1672 failed
By the 1660’s France dominated Europe
The French population grew to 20 million people
4x the population of Spain or England
France’s army doubled in size
Louis XIV tried to gain territory in the Netherlands
His invasion of the Dutch-Netherlands in 1672 failed
William III of Orange a future king of England played a major role in stopping Louis XIV
The League of Augsburg was formed to counter the strength of France
As France grew more powerful under Louis XIV, the rest of Europe cringed
The League of Augsburg was an alliance created by the European countries neighboring France to balance the rising threat of Louis XIV’s wars
In 1689 William king of England and the Netherlands signed an alliance with Leopold I of the Habsburg Monarchy (aka the Austrian Empire)
This alliance initiated a new defensive strategy in Europe to establish a Balance of Power between European nations
Economic woes in France
A series of poor harvests led to inflation
Louis XIV’s wars were financed by more and higher taxes
While Louis XIV lived in luxury at Versailles
The French people struggled & longed for peace and stability
To such a degree that many in France openly rejoiced upon hearing the news of Louis XIV’s death in 1715
