What is Absolutism?What is Absolutism?f Sovereign power or ultimate authority

in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed divine right

fCharacteristics of Absolutism:

Centralization of power in the stateSole legislative & executive rights belong

to monarchElimination of challenges to royal powerExpand sources of revenue to pay for

larger armies Absolutism is NOT the same as

dictatorship!!!

Justification for Absolutism

Justification for AbsolutismfReligious defense of Absolutism

(Bishop Jacques Bossuet)

God selected king to rule (divine right) King is only answerable to God

fSecular defense of Absolutism (Thomas Hobbes)

Man is naturally wicked & selfishStrong centralized gov’t needed to

prevent violence/disorderPowerful monarch needed to protect man

from himself

The Bourbon Dynasty:The Bourbon Dynasty:

Architects of French Absolutism

Architects of French Absolutism

SullyRichelieu

Mazarin

King Louis XIV (1643-1715)

King Louis XIV (1643-1715)

f Nickname: “The Sun King”

f Dynasty: Bourbon

fCountry: France

f Height: 5’5”

fPolicy: One king, one law, one faith

fQuote: “L’état, c’est moi!”

fVice: Sex, sex & more sex Portrait by Hyacinthe

RigaudPortrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud

Versailles TodayVersailles Today

Versailles StatisticsVersailles Statisticsf 2,000 acres of groundsf 12 miles of roadsf 27 miles of trellisesf 200,000 treesf 210,000 flowers planted every yearf 80 miles of rows of treesf 55 acres surface area of the Grand Canalf 12 miles of enclosing wallsf 50 fountains and 620 fountain nozzlesf 21 miles of water conduitsf 3,600 cubic meters per hour: water consumedf 26 acres of rooff 51,210 square meters of floorsf 2,153 windowsf 700 roomsf 67 staircasesf 6,000 paintingsf 1,500 drawings and 15,000 engravingsf 2,100 sculptures f 5,000 items of furniture and objects d'artf 150 varieties of apple and peach trees in the Vegetable

Garden

Palais de VersaillesPalais de Versailles

Versailles Palace,Park Side

Versailles Palace,Park Side

Chateau de Versailles

Chateau de Versailles

The OrangeryThe Orangery

Fountains, Fountains, and More Fountains!Fountains, Fountains, and More Fountains!

And More Fountains!And More Fountains!

And More Fountains!

And More Fountains!

And Even More Fountains!!!

And Even More Fountains!!!

Hall of

Mirrors

Hall of

Mirrors

The Queen’s

Bed

The Queen’s

Bed

The King’s Bed

The King’s Bed

Louis XIV’s Chapel

Louis XIV’s Chapel

Louis XIV’s Opera Stage

Louis XIV’s Opera Stage

The Gallery of Battles

The Gallery of Battles

Louis XIV FurnitureLouis XIV Furniture

Louis’s Early Wars (1667-97)

Louis’s Early Wars (1667-97)

f François-Michel Le Tellier (marquis of Louvois) increased size & effectiveness of French army

fGoal expand France’s natural borders (protection from invasion)

f Fought wars with Holland, the HRE & Spain brought only modest rewards

fWars led to more problems for France

War of Spanish Succession (1702-13)War of Spanish Succession (1702-13)

fCause Louis claims Spanish throne for grandson Philip

f Alliance formed to prevent France from destroying European balance of power

fFought in Europe & colonial empires in North America

fPeace of Utrecht (1713) & Peace of Rastatt (1714): Bourbons get Spanish throne; could never unify thoughEngland receive Fr. Territories in No. America, and

acquired Gibraltar, Minorca & the asientoAustria gained Spanish Netherlands (Belgium)

FRANCE WAR

England,Netherlands,

Austria &Prussia

Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-83)

Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-83)f Louis XIV’s finance

minister

f Goal strengthen the economy & enrich the middle classes

fAdopted mercantilist policies

Established & subsidized new industries (shipbuilding & textiles)

Created merchant marine to take French goods abroad

Expanded France’s international empire (India, Quebec & Louisiana)

Improved efficiency of tax collection

Louis’s Taxes: An Overview

Louis’s Taxes: An OverviewfTaille (direct tax to the king)

Paid for by peasants as well as elements of bourgeoisieExemptions = nobles, clergy & inhabitants of large townsPaying was a collective responsibility of village or townCollected by officials that had to be paid for their work

fVenality of Office

Sale of royal offices Purchasing a royal office made it possible to gain noble

status

f Indirect taxes

Gabelle = sales taxAides = wine taxCollected by “tax farmers”= pay monarch & collect from

people

Provincial JurisdictionsProvincial

Jurisdictionsf Generalitéslarge jurisdictionsAll of France was

divided

fPays d’électionsDid not have their

own regional assembliesIntendants collected

taxes directly

fPays d’étatsFormerly independent

provincesHad own regional

assembliesAssemblies collected

taxes; handed them to king