Name
Class
CHAPTER
4
S
ECTION
2
Date
Section Summary
FRANCE UNDER LOUIS XIV
In the late 1500s, France was torn by religious conflict between
French Protestants, called Huguenots, and Catholics. During
the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, thousands of Huguenots
were killed. In 1598, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes. This
protected Huguenots by allowing them to follow their religion.
After Henry’s assassination in 1610, his nine-year old son,
Louis XIII, became king. Cardinal Richelieu was his chief minister. For 18 years Richelieu worked to make the central government stronger. Then in 1643, five-year-old Louis XIV
became king. As he grew older, he chose to control the government himself. Louis XIV called himself the Sun King to symbolize his importance.
Louis XIV appointed intendants to the royal government.
These were royal officials who collected taxes, recruited soldiers, and carried out the king’s policies. To boost the country’s economy, Louis’s finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert,
started expanding business and trade. Taxes helped to finance
the king’s extravagant lifestyle.
Outside Paris, Louis XIV transformed a hunting lodge into
the palace of Versailles. This palace represented the king’s
power and wealth. Ceremonies were held there to emphasize
the king’s importance. For example, high-ranking nobles would
compete to be part of the king’s morning ritual known as the
levée, or rising. These kinds of ceremonies were meant to keep
nobles at Versailles with the king. That way, Louis could gain
their support and keep them from battling for power.
Under Louis XIV, France became Europe’s most powerful
state. However, some of Louis’s decisions caused the country’s
prosperity to erode. His lifestyle and the wars he fought were
costly. Rival rulers joined together to keep the balance of
power. They wanted military and economic power spread
evenly among European nations. For example, in 1700, when
Louis’s grandson inherited the throne of Spain, nearby nations
fought to prevent the union of France and Spain.
Review Questions
1. What was the Edict of Nantes?
2. What did Versailles symbolize?
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READING CHECK
Why did France’s economy
decline?
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Find the word erode in the
underlined sentence. A related
word is erosion. Think about
what happens when a hillside
erodes. Use your prior knowledge to help you figure out the
meaning of erode.
READING SKILL
Identify Supporting Details A
main idea in this Summary is that
Louis XIV increased his power.
What details can you find that
support this main idea?