In 17th- and 18th-century Europe, absolute monarchy was established, with kings holding immense power by suppressing the influence of feudal nobles and the Church. The typical example was Louis XIV of France.
Characteristics of Absolute Monarchy
- Standing army：organized a permanent army directly under the king（without relying on nobles' private armies）
- Bureaucracy：developed an administrative organization to communicate the king's orders throughout the country
- Mercantilism：an economic policy of increasing exports and restricting imports to accumulate wealth within the country
- Divine right of kings：the theory that the king's authority was given directly by God and was not bound by Parliament or the Church
Louis XIV（the "Sun King," reigned 1643〜1715）
A symbol of French absolute monarchy, known for the words "I am the state（L'État, c'est moi）."
・Built the Palace of Versailles, gathering the nobles of the country at court to monitor and control them
・His minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert promoted mercantilist policies（protecting domestic industries such as wool textiles and developing colonies）
・The revocation of the Edict of Nantes（1685）persecuted the Huguenots（Protestants）→about 200,000 emigrated, causing economic power to flow out of France
・Foreign wars late in his reign caused the treasury to collapse and became a distant cause of the French Revolution
A symbol of French absolute monarchy, known for the words "I am the state（L'État, c'est moi）."
・Built the Palace of Versailles, gathering the nobles of the country at court to monitor and control them
・His minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert promoted mercantilist policies（protecting domestic industries such as wool textiles and developing colonies）
・The revocation of the Edict of Nantes（1685）persecuted the Huguenots（Protestants）→about 200,000 emigrated, causing economic power to flow out of France
・Foreign wars late in his reign caused the treasury to collapse and became a distant cause of the French Revolution
Other Absolute Monarchies
Philip II of Spain led the "Invincible Armada" and clashed with England（defeated in 1588）. Frederick II of Prussia strengthened the military while promoting culture as an "enlightened despot." Peter I of Russia forced through Westernization reforms and transformed Russia into a modern state.
Practice
- Give the famous words left by Louis XIV and explain what they show about absolute monarchy.
- Explain what kind of economic policy mercantilism was.
- Explain the economic harm caused by Louis XIV's revocation of the Edict of Nantes.