Absolute monarchy in France
Absolute monarchy in France slowly emerged in the 16th century and became firmly established during the 17th century. Absolute monarchy is a variation of the governmental form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme authority and where that authority is not restricted by any writt…
Who introduced an absolute monarchy in France?
(source: Cardinal Richelieu's Political Testament), Louis XIII established Absolute Monarchy in France during his reign. When his son and successor Louis XIV came to power, a period of trouble known as the Fronde occurred in France, taking advantage of Louis XIV's minority.
Did France ever have a constitutional monarchy?
France formally became an executive constitutional monarchy with the promulgation of the French Constitution of 1791, which took effect on 1 October of that year. This first French constitutional monarchy was short-lived, ending with the overthrow of the monarchy and establishment of the French First Republic after the Insurrection of 10 August ...
Was France ruled by absolute monarchy?
Absolute Monarchs: France. Between 1500 and 1650, many of the major European powers were ruled by absolute monarchs. An absolute monarch is a ruler who claims that they were made rulers by God and thus had a divine right to rule. While England experienced turmoil during this period, France was led by a strong line of leaders.
Why did European monarchs became absolute rulers?
European monarchs became absolute rulers in response to religious and territorial conflicts that caused warefare and revolts.
What caused absolutism in France?
The next major cause of the French Revolution was the absolute monarchy of Louis XVI and resentment that French citizens felt towards the authority of the king. An absolute monarchy is a form of government that involved society being ruled over by an all-powerful king or queen.
How did absolute monarchy start?
The most commonly studied form of absolutism is absolute monarchy, which originated in early modern Europe and was based on the strong individual leaders of the new nation-states that were created at the breakup of the medieval order.
How did Louis XIV make France an absolute monarchy?
Louis XIV Assumes Control of France After Mazarin's death in 1661, Louis XIV broke with tradition and astonished his court by declaring that he would rule without a chief minister. He viewed himself as the direct representative of God, endowed with a divine right to wield the absolute power of the monarchy.
What factors led to the success of absolute monarchy in France?
Absolutism was primarily motivated by the crises of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Protestant Re formation (1517–1648) had led to a series of violent and bloody wars of religion, in the course of which thou sands of innocents met their deaths.
When did France become an absolute monarchy?
Absolute monarchy in France slowly emerged in the 16th century and became firmly established during the 17th century.
What factors lead to absolute monarchy?
What led to the rise of Absolute Rulers?Decline of feudalism and growth of cities / middle class – monarchs promised peace and growth.Monarchs used colonial wealth during the Age of Exploration to pay for their ambitions.Church authority weakened – monarchs could gain additional power.More items...
Why was Louis XVI considered an absolute monarch?
As sovereign by divine right, the King was God's representative on earth. It is in this respect that his power was “absolute”, which in Latin means literally 'free of all restraints': the king was answerable to no one but God.
How did absolute monarchs gain power?
Hereditary rule meant that the monarch received their position due to their birth and as one in a long family line of monarchs. As well, medieval European absolute monarchs included the practise of divine right of kings, meaning that the monarch derived his or her power from god.
Who established the monarchy in France?
( source: Cardinal Richelieu's Political Testament ), Louis XIII established Absolute Monarchy in France during his reign. When his son and successor Louis XIV came to power, a period of trouble known as ...
What is absolute monarchy?
Absolute monarchy is a variation of the governmental form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme authority and where that authority is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs. In France, Louis XIV was the most famous exemplar of absolute monarchy, with his court central to French political and cultural life ...
What did nobles do to defend the nation?
Nobles had the means to raise private armies and build fortifications. The king did not have the means to raise and keep an army himself and had to rely on these nobles to defend the nation; Lesser nobles, who had the ability to read and write, also acted as the king's agents.
What was the goal of the portrait of Louis XIV?
Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) To overcome these obstacles King Louis XIV adopted several measures to weaken or eliminate competing centers of power: The Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685 removed the former policy of tolerance toward French Huguenots, as formalised by the Edict of Nantes.
How did Louis XIV reduce the nobles' power further?
Louis XIV reduced the nobles' power further by requiring them to spend at least some portion of the year as courtiers in residence at the Palace of Versailles. At Versailles, the aristocracy were removed from their provincial power centers and came under the surveillance and control of the royal government.
What was France's precarious position?
France's precarious position created ideal conditions for the formation and justification of absolute monarchy. Its disputes between monarchy and community as well as the fatal loss of the House of Valois 's authority during the second half of the 16th century prompted theoretical reflections that led to the consolidation of the monarchy's power.
Why was the Edict of 1626 justified?
This Edict of 1626 was justified as a budgetary reform to reduce maintenance costs by removing obsolete fortifications within the borders of France. While a rational economic step in itself, this measure did have the additional effect of undermining the independence of the aristocracy.
What was the role of absolute rule in France?
Absolute rule replaced a system whereby the monarch worked with others. Prior to absolute rule, a king of France worked with the Estates. He was still a powerful ruler but in one sense he shared his authority with them. When this system broke down, a country could descend into civil war. In a French absolute society, the king’s word was law.
What happened when the French system broke down?
When this system broke down, a country could descend into civil war. In a French absolute society, the king’s word was law. He had access to a standing royal army that was loyal only to him. A career in the military appeared to be one worth pursuing for someone with a noble background.
What did Cardinal Richilieu believe?
Important politicians such as Cardinal Richilieu were staunch supporters of absolutism. Absolute rule meant that the power of the monarch was, in theory, unlimited except by divine law or by what was called ‘natural law’.
Who brought money to Brandenburg-Prussia?
As an example, Brandenburg-Prussia under the Great Elector, Frederick William, became a much sort after ally which brought money to Brandenburg-Prussia. Also, in France, there were memories of the chronic dislocation caused by the French Wars of Religion where weak monarchical rule triggered off a noble rebellion.
Overview
Absolute monarchy in France slowly emerged in the 16th century and became firmly established during the 17th century. Absolute monarchy is a variation of the governmental form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme authority and where that authority is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs. In France, Louis XIV was the most famous exemplar of …
Introduction
The 16th century was strongly influenced by religious conflicts that developed out of the Reformation. France's precarious position created ideal conditions for the formation and justification of absolute monarchy. Its disputes between monarchy and community as well as the fatal loss of the House of Valois's authority during the second half of the 16th century prompted theoretical reflections that led to the consolidation of the monarchy's power.
Establishing absolute monarchy in France
By the early 9th century, the efficient administration of Charlemagne's Empire was ensured by high-level civil servants, carrying the, then non-hereditary, titles of counts (in charge of a County), marquis (in charge of a March), dukes (military commanders), etc. During the course of the 9th and 10th centuries, continually threatened by Viking invasions, France became a very decentralised state: the …
Consequences
The final outcome of these acts did centralize the authority of France behind the king. The replacement of government ministers, removal of castles, and other financial policies of Colbert did reduce French national debt considerably.
In the 18th century, however, the relocation of nobles and the sheer obsolescence of Versailles became an important place for a rising merchant class and an instigative press.
See also
• Ancien Régime
• Early modern France
• Absolute monarchy
• Autocracy