· Louis XIV
o Louis was big figure of the era & had territorial ambitions
o France is still highly divided; has largest population in Europe
o Fonde-1648
§ Aristocrats & bourgeoisie couldn’t reconcile differences
§ Did not put argument in Enlightenment sense, thus people could not claim it was for good
§ Uprising was crushed
o Louis did not have absolute power & was dependent on ministers
§ Not well educated, but invested in issues of state
§ One of the best examples of an absolute monarch
o Louis revolutionized national military
§ Worked to make professional national army
§ No other armies in France
§ Provided soldiers with uniforms, food, salary, weapons, etc.
§ People can make careers of being in the military
§ Military becomes instrument of state
§ 1st modern national military
§ Can be used by Louis for conquest & to put down rebellion; responds to Louis’ will
o Due to Fronde, Louis hated Paris & thus moved 15 miles outside of it to Versailles
§ Ministers & aristocrats lived in palace
· Wanted to stay in king’s good graces so they could continue living in palace
· Court intrigue used as leverage
· Aristocrats could be placated & controlled
o 300 parlements-local judicial bodies; can supersede decisions of king in their localities
§ Louis wanted to bypass them & create one national law; thus created Councils of State to conduct business through instead
· Intendents were in charge & answered directly to Louis
o Louis created bureaucracy to manage the large realm of France
o In 1685, Louis revoked Edict of Nantes, stripping what is left of Huguenot rights
§ Economic blunder
§ Huguenots were best merchants; most industrious people forced out
o Colbert’s advancements undone by Louis’ wars
o War of Devolution-1667
§ Invaded Spanish Netherlands but forced out by Dutch, English, & Swedes
o Dutch War-1672
§ Took over Spanish Netherlands & 3 of the 7 Dutch provinces
§ Dutch opened dams & flooded own country
§ French pushed out by Spain, Holy Roman Empire, and Brandenburg
§ Ended by the treaty of Nimwegan in 1678
· English had separate peace, Treaty of Dover
o 1679-Chambees de Reunion
§ Must go over treaty of Westphalia & decide if France has Alsace & Lorraine
§ Paid by Louis
§ Decide the territories belong to Louis
§ France acquires Alsace & Lorraine
o Strasbourg acquired in 1681
o War of the League of Augsburg (1689-1697)
§ Louis is desperate for money
· Sells offices in military
· Raise families to aristocracy for fee
· Metal cutlery melted down for money
§ League of Augsburg
· Holy Roman Empire
· Spain
· Sweden
· Bavaria
· Saxony
· Palatinate
· Dutch Republic
· England joins later
§ Ended by peace of Ryswick
· Louis keeps Strasbourg, Alsace & Lorraine
· Louis checked in Spanish Netherlands & Spain
· Colbert
o French aristocracy was exempt from taxes to keep them compliant; under impression paying taxes was something only lower class did
§ Not paying taxes, thus couldn’t complain about policies
o Majority of France’s tax revenue came from 3rd Estate, which did not have wealth
o Louis faced perpetual financial crisis
o Tax farmers collected taxes from peasants, allowing for money to be skimmed off the top before it was passed ono the king
o Monarchy could not adequately tap into the financial resources off the realm
o Louis hired Colbert as tax/finance manager
§ Wants Colbert to maximize tax revenue while maintaining the tax system
§ Colbert creates 5 great farms, a free trade zone/tariff free zone in France
· Largest free trade zone in Europe at that time, roughly the size of England
§ Internal tariffs still exist between towns
§ The government can tax mercantile activity
§ Uniform commercial code for the realm
§ French East India Company founded 1664
· War of Spanish Succession & Treaty of Utrecht
o Charles II of Spain died 1701
§ Will left throne to Louis’ grandson Phillip
§ Louis accepted on Louis’ behalf so throne would not devolve to Austrian Habsburgs
o Dutch and English angered that Louis has power over both France & Spain
§ Threatens Glorious Revolution; Stuarts could be put back on throne
o William III puts together Grand Alliance
§ Dutch Republic
§ England
· Joh Churchill-Duke of Marlborough
§ Holy Roman Empire
§ Portugal
§ Brandenburg & other German States
§ Savoy
· Prince Eugene wins pivotal victories & is most responsible for Habsburgs being able to form Austro-Hungarian empire
§ War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713)
§ Treaties:
· Utrecht (1713)
· Rastadt (1714)
· Savoy acquires Piedmont & Sardinia, becoming Kingdom of Sardinia
· Brandenburg acquires territory & evolves into Prussia
· Spain
o Utrecht allowed Phillip II to become king, but France & Spain can never be unified
§ Holds onto Americas, but other territories partitioned
· British get Gibraltar
· Italian territories lost
· Austrian Habsburgs get Milan, Naples & Sicily, as well as Spanish Netherlands (Treaty of Rasdadt)
· French get to keep territories & can still negotiate
· British acquire Newfoundland & Nova Scotia
o Asiento-African slave trade
o Commercial advantages that allow them to industrialize
o Reaffirm Glorious Revolution
· Dutch build fort on French border
