French absolutism occurred in the fifteenth century, at this time France was made up of regions with different traditions, privileges and legal regimes . While Spain was at its height, France was engaged in internal religious wars between Catholics and Hugotones (Protestants), which lasted 30 years and plunged the country into anarchy. The French monarchy tends to centralize its power essentially after the 100 Years War. After the English invasion and the defeat of the nobility at the Battle of Agincourt, they lose their prestige, something that is used by the monarchy to increase its influence and power. Until then, the influence of the kings of France was only limited to the patrimonial territories of the Capetian house, that is, the Île de France (Paris). At the same time that Spain began its decline, the French monarchy began to grow, until it became the leading power in Europe. This aggrandizement began with the reign of Henry IV and continued with Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Then came the decline, during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, the latter monarch guillotined in the French Revolution.
Louis XI
Louis XI, a brilliant monarch, ascended the throne of France in a difficult situation. The feudal lords were, in many cases, more powerful than the King. The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold , led an aristocratic movement against the Crown. But Louis XI, with remarkable sagacity, gathered the nobles in Perona and he convinced them of the need to strengthen the throne (1461-1483).
Charles the Bold defeated, in the siege of Paris, the monarch dominated the lords, forced them to pay tribute, expanded the royal domains and was the true founder of the French State.
Reign of Henry IV
Henry IV was a unique character, with great conditions for government and a frankly democratic spirit.
He used to say that his town would be happy the day each farmer had a bird to put in the pot on Sundays.
The most outstanding facts of his reign (1590-1610) were:
- The publication of the Edict of Nantes , a valuable document that established for the first time in history Religious Freedom , The edict favored Catholics and Protestants alike (1598).
- His help to agriculture and industry. Because of his kind character, this king, a friend of the peasants, was very popular. He had the "Les Gobelins" Weaving Workshops founded in Paris, whose tapestries have achieved world renown.
- His admirable financial policy, because with the help of his Minister Sully, he paid 47 million of the external debt that France had.
- The very important project of a European Confederation. His great minister, Sully, suggested to him the idea of a confederation of all the states of Europe, to avoid future wars. This project has not died:in 1930 the great French statesman Aristides Briand proposed to the League of Nations that a Confederation be formed similar to the one projected by Sully in the 16th century. Currently there is a real rapprochement between European countries according to Sully's initiative.
In 1610, Henry IV was assassinated by an adventurer surnamed Ravaillac, at the entrance to the Louvre Palace. The motive for the crime was political revenge.
Reign of Louis XIII
The Regency
When Henry IV died, he left a 9-year-old son named Louis, and since he could not govern, the Queen Mother Maria de' Medici took over the crown, with the name of Queen Regent (1610).
After a few years, when little Luis was older, he took over the crown, appointed the admirable statesman Armando Duplessis, Cardinal de Richelieu as Prime Minister. .
Richelieu's Political Program
The new Minister proposed to Louis XIII a political program of 4 main points, which were faithfully fulfilled:
- Fight against the Protestant party.
- Humiliation of the French nobility.
- Fight against the House of Austria.
- Advancement of culture.
Fight Against The Protestants
The French Protestants had established their operations center in La Rochelle and had formed a powerful political party, not because they had anti-Catholic ideas, but because they wanted to overthrow the Monarch.
The most dramatic episode of this struggle was the siege and capture of La Rochela , an action in which Richelieu himself took part. As the English helped the Protestants, sending them money and food by sea, Richelieu ordered the construction of a Great Dam to prevent ships from England from entering the port. The city, after a year of siege, during which 15,000 people perished, finally surrendered to the King.
After the war, Louis XIII, on the advice of Richelieu, granted the Protestants religious tolerance , to show that he had only sought to annihilate the Protestant party as a political body.
Humiliation of the Nobility
Since the Middle Ages feudalism had made certain French lords very powerful. As they owned very extensive lands, they looked down on the Crown and even allowed themselves to object to its mandates. In the fourteenth century, King Louis XI had dominated them, forcing them to respect royal authority; but in the time of Louis XIII, the conflict intensified, because many gentlemen did not look sympathetically at Richelieu's power as Prime Minister.
As some conspiracies to assassinate the cardinal were discovered, an active campaign against the nobility was immediately launched, in order to gain respect for the Crown. Some lords like Marillac, Bassompierre and Montmorency, perished on the gallows, and with such radical measures, Richelieu managed to solidly cement the monarchical government.
Fight Against the House of Austria
To restore European balance, Richelieu had France intervene in the Thirty Years' War against the House of Austria, as seen above.
French Culture
The Great Cardinal was also concerned with the problem of culture. For this reason he founded the French Academy , composed of 40 members, with the aim of preserving the purity of the language and promoting Letters and Sciences.
He also helped some notable writers of his time. During this reign lived the great tragic Pedro Corneille , the notable philosopher Decartes , the physicist and philosopher Blas Pascal , and others.
Succession of Louis XIII
When Louis XIII died (1643), his son Louis was also very small and could not govern, taking charge of the Crown the Queen Mother Anne of Austria , who was helped by the Prime Minister Cardinal Mazarin . This Cardinal, without the brilliant qualities of Richelieu, acted like this:
- he made a disastrous financial policy, raising taxes and wasting rents on scandalous deals.
- he had to fight the Fronde Revolution , organized by the Cardinal's enemies, in order to throw him out of Power.
- The Thirty Years' War continued.
Heyday of absolutism in France
The heyday of absolutism in France began with King Louis XIV. This means that in it there was no more authority than that of the King. Legislative power did not exist. There was also no judiciary. The King was the supreme authority, he was the one who dictated the laws and administered justice. To learn more about the heyday of absolutism in France, you can read the full article here.