French and Spanish Absolutism
What famous quote attests for his multilingual capabilities?
"He spoke Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to his horse"
What phrase did Louis XIV commonly say?
"L'état, c'est moi" - I am the state
How many nobles in France were Protestants?
1/10
How long did Henry IV reign?
1589 - 1610
How long did they last?
20-30 years
What was the French Rebellion "Fronde"?
A rebellion of the French nobles against the monarchy
What was the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre?
A slaughter of French Protestants one day after mass, believed to be ordered by the Queen, Marie de Medici. One of the worst days for French Protestants.
Treaty of Utrecht
A treaty ending the War of Spanish Succession. It stated that Phillip of Anjou couldn't rule both France and Spain, so he got Spain. It also stated that France and Spain could never unite as one country.
How did other European countries prevent this?
An alliance between the Netherlands, England and Austria was formed to fight with Spain and against France.
What political ability did he display?
As King of Spain and also Holy Roman Emperor, he was good at having two different viewpoints, one as the Spanish king, and one as the Holy Roman Emperor.
Why didn't Louis XIII directly succeed Henry IV?
As he was only nine, he was too young to take the throne, so his mother Marie de Medici did.
How did France become more powerful than Spain and France?
Cardinal Richelieu kept France out of the Thirty Years War, which Spain and Germany fought in. As France stayed out of the war, they grew to be extremely powerful and as Spain and Germany stayed in the war, they became less powerful.
Who was Don Carlos?
Don Carlos was his first son to an early wife, Maria Manuela, who died in childbirth. He later betrayed him.
How was Louis XIII described by many?
Extremely stupid
How did his monolingualism lead to political mistrust?
German princes began to mistrust him because he didn't speak German
What was the Dutch good at that the Spanish weren't?
Handling money
As Mary's health was deteriorating, who did he ask to marry him?
He asked Mary's sister, Elizabeth I, who was ironically a Protestant. She rejected and fled to the Netherlands to fight against Spain.
What was his reasoning behind the nickname?
He believed that he was the light that shone upon France
What did Phillip do in retaliation for Elizabeth's actions?
He declared war
What are considered to be the triumphs of Phillip II?
He defeated the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean Sea
How did he reduce the power of the nobles?
He destroyed castles where nobles hid, and he hired non-religious people for the government.
What did he do before he stepped down?
He divided the empire between his brother Ferdinand and his son Phillip II. Ferdinand received the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary and Phillip II received Spain, Netherlands, Milan and Naples, and the lands in the New World.
What are considered to be the failures of Phillip II?
He failed in invading England in 1588. He failed to retaliate against the British pirates. He failed in invading France. He also failed to act against the Dutch Rebellion.
What unusual and questionable practices did Louis XIV do with the nobles?
He gambled and played games with them
What extremities did Louis XIII go to in order to make his mother step down?
He had her advisor murdered.
What did Louis XIII do that was good?
He hired an amazing advisor, Cardinal Richelieu.
How did Louis XIV please the nobles and eliminate the possibility of a rebellion?
He invited the nobles to live with him in the Palace of Versailles
How did Cardinal Richelieu feel about Spain and Germany?
He made it clear that he was against Spain and Germany. After the Thirty Years War began after two men were thrown out of a window in present-day Czech Republic, he made a bold move as a cardinal and Catholic by denouncing the Holy Roman Empire.
What ultimatum did he present them with?
He made them convert or leave
Who did Phillip II marry after Mary died?
He married a Hapsburg, Elisabeth of Valois, and then finally he married Anna of Austria. He ended up having had 4 wives and 4 children.
Who did Phillip II marry as his second wife?
He married his cousin, Mary I of England, who was also the Queen of England and also a devout Catholic and was against Protestantism.
How did Louis XIV improve the military?
He rebuilt it to 400,000 soldiers. Most were peasants.
How did Louis XIV destroy all relations with the Huguenots?
He revoked the Edict of Nantes
What did Jules Mazarin do about the Fronde?
He tried his best to stop it
What was Henry IV's foreign policy?
He ultimately wanted to keep France at peace, so he decided to stay out of religious wars.
How did Charles V leave his position as the King and Emperor?
He voluntarily stepped down
Why did he choose that location?
He wanted to avoid having to flee Paris every time there was disruption or a rebellious uprising by the nobility.
What were Cardinal Richelieu's goals for France?
He wanted to reduce the power of the nobility, increase trade and industry, and reduce the power of Hapsburg Spain and Germany.
What was Phillip's religion, and what were his feelings on other religions?
He was a devout Catholic, and he hated Protestantism and wanted to end it in Europe.
Who was responsible for coordinating much of the improvements?
Henry IV's tax minister
What is the other name for Henry IV?
Henry of Navarre
What fashion item did Louis XIV help to popularize?
High-heels
Who took the Spanish throne after Charles V?
His eldest son, Phillip II.
What finally happened when Louis XIII was legally old enough to take the throne?
His mother, Marie de Medici, didn't want to step down.
Who succeeded Henry IV?
His son, Louis XIII (1610 - 1643)
Treaty of Westphalia
It ended the Thirty Years War. German princes were given the right to choose the religion of their lands.
When did the Age of Absolutism occur?
It occurred in the time period, 1550-1800.
What were the terms of the Edict of Nantes?
It stated that Protestants in France are free and equal, they can attend university and hold office.
How extreme was his absolutism policy?
It was very extreme. He designed the government to be centered around him. Nothing went by without being approved by him.
Who were his parents?
Juana La Loca and Phillip the Handsome
Who was Louis XIV's advisor?
Jules Mazarin
What was the War of Spanish Succession fought over?
Keeping balance of power in Europe. The next in-line for the Spanish throne was the grandson of Louis XIV, Phillip of Anjou. Many feared that France would take this as an opportunity to merge Spain with France.
How did Louis XIV like everything to be done?
Like a ritual
Who succeeded Louis XIII?
Louis XIV (1643 - 1715)
What did many choose to do?
Many, precisely 200,000, chose to leave
How authentic was his Holy Roman Emperor title?
Not very authentic, as he had bought the position.
Who was Charles V?
One of the first Spanish, absolute monarchs. (1516-1556)
What did the Edict of Nantes surprisingly bring on?
Peace
Why did the Dutch Rebellion happen?
Phillip II ignored the tradition of self-rule, he taxed the Netherlands' trade to pay for Spanish wars, and he persecuted Calvinists.
What religion was Henry IV?
Protestant
Why did Henry IV convert to Christianity after getting the throne?
So he would be in favor of the French Catholics, which comprised most of the country and so he could rule more effectively.
What message was the Queen sending via the Massacre?
That France is a Catholic Country.
Who were the religious wars fought between?
The Catholics and the Protestants (mainly Calvinists).
What did Louis XIV have built as his new, primary residence?
The Palace of Versailles, approximately 12 miles from Paris.
What was Louis XIV's self-given nickname?
The Sun King
What were the effects of the sudden emigration of the Huguenots?
The economy was damaged, as they had a lot of the wealth in the country and overall, 1/10 of all nobles in France were Huguenots.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
The finance minister under Louis XIV. He created a fairer tax system, built French wealth, improved French infrastructure, and he made the Palace of Versailles financially possible.
What are the three main components to absolutism?
The first component is to have a strong, central government, to eliminate the possibility of anyone interfering with the policies and the making of policies. The second component is to have a strong military. It is important to have a strong military not only to defend against attacks from other countries, but also to be able to capture other lands easily. The third component is mercantilism, or the policy of exporting more than importing, in order to foster wealth and a strong economy.
What domestic improvement went on under Henry IV?
The unfair tax system was made fair, more centralized, and it provided for more governmental involvement. Also, more people were fed with the surplus of money. Roads were fixed, and swamps were filled in to allow for more usable farmland.
What ideology do absolute monarchs follow?
They follow, "absolutism."
Why did Spain enter into a decline?
They had a growing population, and not enough food. They also had inflation because of silver. They expelled Jews and Moriscos (converted Muslims). They had a trade deficit, in part because of their lack of industry, also because England, France, and the Netherlands took advantage of their silver and built their economies off of it. Because of this, many Spaniards left Spain.
How did the Calvinists threaten the Catholics?
They had a lot more money than them.
How did the Calvinists protect themselves?
They had large castles where they stayed
Why did Henry IV issue the Edict of Nantes?
To stop religious wars.
How was he described as?
Very intelligent
What was his personal life like?
Very uneventful. He had so much work that he didn't have time for one.
How did he increase trade and industry?
When France founded and claimed new lands, he encouraged people to move there and establish trading and industry there with the resources.
What is an absolute monarchy?
When a king or queen holds complete power over the country that they rule.
How did Henry IV die?
While riding in his carriage one day, he was stabbed by a fanatical Catholic.
