Louis XIV Absolutism the Fronde Was Enabled

¶ … Louis XIV Absolutism

The Fronde was enabled by a number of government conditions, not the least of which was that created by the ravages of the 30 Years War in which large sets of the population, particularly those engaged in martial affairs, became used to a degree of autonomy and near lawlessness. Furthermore, this sentiment was fueled by an increasing feeling of dissatisfaction in regards to the centralized power which France's government was taking. Doing so significantly added to the power of the monarchy form of government, which decreased the power and authority of the French nobility, many of whom were responsible for the ensuing civil war. In particular, an unpopular tax on the Parlement of Paris in 1648 spurred the beginning of the first Fronde, which was an attempt by the nobility to continue to enjoy the feudal system -- and its benefits -- which it had long endured and was now seeing threatened with the increasing authority of the French Monarchy. This authority would eventually lead to Absolutism, although it should be noted that higher taxes (due to all of the wars which France was fighting in) was a chief determinant in this civil unrest, as actuated by its nobility.

2. Essentially, in Chapter 3 of Louis XIV and Absolutism: A Brief Study With Documents, the tax system described consisted of those with the least ability to do so paying the most amount of money, while those with the greatest ability to do so actually paid the least (and in several instances, no) money. The wealthy nobility was largely exempt from paying taxes, while the vast majority of the burden of doing so fell on the bourgeoisie and on the peasantry, in particular. In response to tax riots incurred in the early part of the 1760's, the tax system in France was privatized, which didn't aid those being taxed since privatization meant that the taxes could be randomly increased by less than scrupulous agents, who could simply pocket the surfeit of the higher amounts.

3. It would not be an understatement to assert that the relationship between lords and peasants in areas in which Le Grande Jours were held was tumultuous, to say the least. There was a little bit of everything in Flechier's chronicles of these court cases and the laws (and transgressions of which) enabled them to take place, ranging from witchcraft to seedy love affairs, and from commonplace gossip to religious turmoil. Furthermore, Flechier's chronicles evidence that there was a marked lack of justice between the administrative duties of the lords and the peasant who were their subjects. There was a vast amount of aberrant judgments and a perversion of the true upholding of righteousness and justice, which demonstrated that the peasants actually were in fact owned, more so than they would have liked to have been, by the nobles. In comparison to the wild stories and the miserable fates of some of the peasants that took place in these court sessions, Louis XIV's absolutism does not seem quite so bad.

4. The deployment of taxes and the protest of such pecuniary measures was one of the central issues that would be likely to incite common citizens to riot against the monarchy of France, particularly in the years leading up to and including the initial Fronde. In particular, the list of 27 demands issued by the Chamber of Saint Louis, which was greatly supported by commoners, galvanized people to take up action (Belk 2000, 23). Once the people got to the streets, their motives were fairly clear and understood by the monarchy, which granted some concession -- and those in particular to certain facets of the 27 demands.

5. Originally, in the beginning of Louis' reign and especially during the time period that preceded it, the nobility of France enjoyed several benefits from a feudal system in which they were able to profit from in terms of both economics and power. However, Louis's implementation of absolutism eventually weaned that power from the nobility, which initially responded with civil warfare in the form of the Fronde. However, Louis was able to pacify the nobility by enabling it to still retain certain privileges (such as there exemption from taxation), but the benefits that were once afforded this class due to their family and rank now came exclusively from whatever status Louis decided to give certain members as part of his court. So, the role of the nobility, which was once part of a prosperous feudal system that threatened (and took) belligerent action against Louis, was eventually domesticated and incorporated into a system of courtiers who earned their favors directly from the king himself. In such a way did the nobility go from being a potential enemy of Louis to virtually dependant upon him.