“DURING THE TIME MEN LIVE WITHOUT A COMMON POWER TO KEEP THEM IN AWE, THEY ARE IN A CONDITION CALLED WAR... AND THE LIFE OF MAN, SOLITARY, POOR, NASTY, BRUTISH, AND SHORT...” - THOMAS HOBBES, LEVIATHAN Thursday, November 21, 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF ABSOLUTISM Thursday, November 21, 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF ABSOLUTISM France had strong tradition of political freedom - consisted of over 300 local, quasi-autonomous law systems Thursday, November 21, 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF ABSOLUTISM France had strong tradition of political freedom - consisted of over 300 local, quasi-autonomous law systems Parlements - approx. 1 dozen powerful, regional gov’t/ court systems wielded considerable power (Paris’ was greatest) Thursday, November 21, 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF ABSOLUTISM France had strong tradition of political freedom - consisted of over 300 local, quasi-autonomous law systems Parlements - approx. 1 dozen powerful, regional gov’t/ court systems wielded considerable power (Paris’ was greatest) The Fronde - a rebellion by nobles and parlements against Cardinal Mazarin, regent of the adolescent L. XIV Thursday, November 21, 2013 DEVELOPMENT OF ABSOLUTISM France had strong tradition of political freedom - consisted of over 300 local, quasi-autonomous law systems Parlements - approx. 1 dozen powerful, regional gov’t/ court systems wielded considerable power (Paris’ was greatest) The Fronde - a rebellion by nobles and parlements against Cardinal Mazarin, regent of the adolescent L. XIV Chaos of the Fronde turned peasants & bourgeoisie against nobles to support a strong king to restore order Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states BISHOP BOSSUET - principle proponent of Absolutism Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states BISHOP BOSSUET - principle proponent of Absolutism - divine right: king = God’s representative on Earth Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states BISHOP BOSSUET - principle proponent of Absolutism - divine right: king = God’s representative on Earth - royal power must be just & absolute - like God’s will Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states BISHOP BOSSUET - principle proponent of Absolutism - divine right: king = God’s representative on Earth - royal power must be just & absolute - like God’s will - the king was above ALL other sources of authority Thursday, November 21, 2013 ABSOLUTISM Absolutism - def. - the philosophy that a lawful king should monopolize law and force. Purpose - to retain order and security w/in the state, and control armed forces to use against other states BISHOP BOSSUET - principle proponent of Absolutism - divine right: king = God’s representative on Earth - royal power must be just & absolute - like God’s will - the king was above ALL other sources of authority “L’etat c’est moi” - the state is myself - Louis XIV is France Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV AKA - The “Sun King” Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Cardinal Mazarin - served as regent to young Louis XIV along with Anne of Austria, his mother Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Cardinal Mazarin - served as regent to young Louis XIV along with Anne of Austria, his mother - coalition of domestic opponents rebelled over financial pressures of fighting the Thirty Years’ War Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Cardinal Mazarin - served as regent to young Louis XIV along with Anne of Austria, his mother - coalition of domestic opponents rebelled over financial pressures of fighting the Thirty Years’ War - Nobles wanted to regain power & local influence, middle & lower classes wanted tax relief Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Cardinal Mazarin - served as regent to young Louis XIV along with Anne of Austria, his mother - coalition of domestic opponents rebelled over financial pressures of fighting the Thirty Years’ War - Nobles wanted to regain power & local influence, middle & lower classes wanted tax relief - rebels failed due to lack of organization & in-fighting Thursday, November 21, 2013 Louis XIV: Absolutism & Its Limits The Fronde - 1648 - 1653 The Fronde - rebellion against French Crown - named for child’s slingshot Cardinal Mazarin - served as regent to young Louis XIV along with Anne of Austria, his mother - coalition of domestic opponents rebelled over financial pressures of fighting the Thirty Years’ War - Nobles wanted to regain power & local influence, middle & lower classes wanted tax relief - rebels failed due to lack of organization & in-fighting - Fronde’s effect - LXIV’s life-long quest to monopolize all power Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces - Louis sought to reduce their ability to cause trouble by making himself the center of all political & economic activity Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces - Louis sought to reduce their ability to cause trouble by making himself the center of all political & economic activity - sold offices, granted gifts & pensions to all nobles who cooperated - he made his court the center of all activity & called upon nobles to attend frequent, lavish events that revolved around him Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces - Louis sought to reduce their ability to cause trouble by making himself the center of all political & economic activity - sold offices, granted gifts & pensions to all nobles who cooperated - he made his court the center of all activity & called upon nobles to attend frequent, lavish events that revolved around him Versailles - his massive new palace that epitomized his control - it awed his nobles & opponents into compliance w/ his agenda Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces - Louis sought to reduce their ability to cause trouble by making himself the center of all political & economic activity - sold offices, granted gifts & pensions to all nobles who cooperated - he made his court the center of all activity & called upon nobles to attend frequent, lavish events that revolved around him Versailles - his massive new palace that epitomized his control - it awed his nobles & opponents into compliance w/ his agenda Politics and the Arts Thursday, November 21, 2013 Court Culture as an Element of Absolutism - Nobles - had local autonomy, maintained own fighting forces - Louis sought to reduce their ability to cause trouble by making himself the center of all political & economic activity - sold offices, granted gifts & pensions to all nobles who cooperated - he made his court the center of all activity & called upon nobles to attend frequent, lavish events that revolved around him Versailles - his massive new palace that epitomized his control - it awed his nobles & opponents into compliance w/ his agenda Politics and the Arts LXIV patronized the arts & insisted they be dedicated to his own glorification - he often acted in operas & played lead roles Thursday, November 21, 2013 Thursday, November 21, 2013 Thursday, November 21, 2013 Enforcing Religious Orthodoxy - LXIV ruled by divine right & insisted on religious conformity Thursday, November 21, 2013 Enforcing Religious Orthodoxy - LXIV ruled by divine right & insisted on religious conformity - Jansenists - Catholics who followed Dutch theologian Cornelius Jansen - engaged in Protestant-like