Henry IV Of France: The Rise Of Absolutism In France

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The rise of absolutism in France was mirrored by absolutism’s decline in England by; warfare, economic needs, religious tension, and parliamentary power. First, Henry IV of France inherited a country on the verge of starvation after the French Wars of Religion that ended in 1598. This made it easy for him to take over as an absolute monarch. Likewise, English absolutism began to decline after the English Civil War, which ended in 1651, because it proved that sovereignty was to reside in the Parliament and not the king. In both instances, war set up the absolute monarchy for success or failure. As Henry IV promised to feed everyone when stating, “I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every …show more content…
Reaching pinnacle point when James II succeeded his brother also as a Roman Catholic. Unrelenting religious turmoil, created by financial greed of the monarch, lead the absolute monarchy in England to failure. However, by issuing the Edict of Nantes, Henry IV of France eased religious tension between Catholics and Calvinists. Consequently, leading the people to believe absolutism is good. Lastly, the parliamentary power and the nobility overall effected the rise of and fall of absolutism in France and England. Underneath Louis XIV of France, absolutism reached its pinnacle point with the establishment of patronage. Unfortunately, in England, the absolute monarchy never reached full potential due to the English Parliaments’ overarching power. Louis the XIV of France ruled with the nobility underneath his control. Using a secret police force to eliminate potential threats, making Versailles the center of the kingdom, and requiring nobility to attend to him within his palace, Louis XIV made sure society understood his importance as absolute monarch. Conversely, in England, although Charles I and Charles II tried to show that they didn’t need the Parliament, in regards to taxes and raising armies they