Question

What were the causes that led to absolute monarchy?(please dont give a link)

Answer 1

It may be hard to imagine for some that the first country of republicanism in Europe, France, had been dominated by the rule of most powerful kings in the 17th and 18th centuries. The French kings had been steadily augmenting their power in the centuries even before, but the two centuries mentioned here saw very dramatic developments of several powerful kings, most notably Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Their power was both cause and result of their confrontations with their noble followers. And it only contributed to the growing complaint of the kings' power among nobles and commoners in France, leading first to an intellectual movement that sought to replace the kings' personal rule with law, and then a revolution that eventually overthrew the king.

1. Codependent relationship between king and nobility in feudal Europe.

Early feudal Europe (800s-1000s) was characterized by a personal approach of the king who acted as caretaker of his subjects and who delegated authority.

The gradual commercialization of the army and every other aspect of life after 1300.

Purchase of army (mercenary) and artisans and handicraftsmen (with high pay) led to greater independence of king from his nobles and greater exertion of the king's power.

2. Conflict between French kings and nobles

Compared with other continental European countries, France had kings that steadily expanded their power over their nobles in the previous 3-4 centuries before 1600.
Power of the nobles, however, remained entrenched, and the rise of Protestantism, to which half the French nobles converted, created an ideology of independence from the king.
3. French kings, nobles, and wars of religion

The religious wars between Protestants and Catholics that spread throughout Europe in the 1500s and 1600s also spread to France. French nobles were divided between the camps of Catholics led by the Duke of Guise, and Protestants led by Gaspard de Coligny, both vying to influence the king Charles IX. Their conflict led to a showdown on Aug.23-24, 1572 when the queen mother Catherine de Medicis agreed with Henri duke of Guise to massacre the Protestants who had gathered to attend the wedding of Princess Margot and Henry of Navarre who was a Protestant. Later, Henry III, Charles's brother who also became king, had Henri duke of Guise killed because the latter tried to assert too much power over the king. That led to the assassination of Henry III by a Catholic.
When Henry of Navarre (IV) finally became king, it became clear to him, and later to his descendents Louis XIII and Louis XIV when they became kings that a weak king like Charles IX and Henry III would forever be manipulated by strong nobles like the duke of Guise. Both they, and their supporters such as Cardinal Bossuet, championed absolute power of the king.

4. Policies of an absolute monarch

Use of commoners to replace the administration of the nobility.
Other means to control the nobility.
Wars against domestic and foreign enemies.
Support and subsidy to trade and industry in order to generate revenue.
Justification of rule by God and through art.
Question: How was the above reflected in the specific policies of Henry IV(r.1589-1610), Louis XIII (r.1610-43) and Louis XIV (r.1643-1715)?

6. Louis XIV (r.1643-1715)

Measures to augment his power:
Symbol of the sun: the most important god in ancient polytheistic societies.
Constructions and paintings.
Setting the rule of having nobles and family living at Versailles rather than their local region, stripping them of local power.
Mercantilism.
7. Louis XIV’s Wars

War of Devolution (1667-8): French claim on Spanish Netherlands.
War against the Dutch (1672-8): Franche-Comte region and ports in Flanders.
War of the League of Ausburg (1689-97): Europe against Louis.
War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13): over succession to the Spanish throne, eventually grandson of Louis. Defeated and impoverished.

Answer 2

"Absolutism" (sorry for D.answer)

Answer 3

Better ? ;-;

Answer 4

Huh???

Answer 5

I dont understand it and @paki what were the causes led to it

Answer 6

you didnt give the answer

Answer 7

mostly power of the central governments cause monarchy... @pooja195

Answer 8

YAY!!!

Answer 9

:)

Answer 10

Darnit, my essays didn't work. Oh well. :P