How Did Henry Xiv Absolutism

When Henry IV took the thrown France was in troubled times. The religious troubles that had plagued Europe since the Reformation had left no nation untouched. Out of the troubles of religion emerged an absolutist period in France. It started with Henry who allowed Cardinal Richelieu dictate his policy and continued to centralize France’s power. Henry’s policies like the Fronde the Law of Concord allowed Louis XIV to obtain the throne and impose his will on his French subjects. Louis was able to increase his power steadily and there is no better example of his power than his palace at Versailles. His mercantilist polices that he imposed on trade was the reason behind the growth of the French economy. He was able to maximize exports and minimize imports with his …show more content…
Without this power his tariffs and other policies to allow economic growth may not have been enacted. Louis main show of absolutism though that would have not worked with a constitutional government was his revocation of the Edict of Nantes. This denied religious freedom to Huguenots. This move was applauded by some bit may have destroyed the French economy because many of the skilled French workers immigrated to the Netherlands. Louis then made his final absolutist move by starting wars with bordering countries to gain territory for France. Although these wars did not go to plan and the French lost, it was an obvious show of power by Louis and the rest of the countries were scared enough to pass the Peace of Utrecht to end this power of absolutism in France. France built an absolute monarchy out of anarchy and struggle but how