Absolutism Essay -- English History French History Papers

AbsolutismDuring the pre-Enlightenment catamenia, France and England went through very(prenominal) dramatic and very unalike government change. At the beginning of this time period, England had achieved relative stability, collectible largely in part to Elizabeth I long and successful reign. On the other hand, France had been subjected to numerous civil and religious wars, therefore leading to instability. cut absolutism was largely a result of these crises and tragedies, with the country recognizing the need for a strong, powerful leader, which they found during the long and successful reign of Louis 14. In England however, many an(prenominal) problems arose collectible to a series of lilliputian and incap equal to(p) rulers, beginning with crowd I and ending with James II.During Louis XIVs reign, he was able to create a strong and stable absolute state by controlling the french nobility. Previously, during Louis XIII reign, the nobility had a great take of power, a nd the French government was not centralized. Instead, the nobles acted as the middlemen, regulating the taxes and military of the French regions. The peasants paid taxes directly to the nobles, who kept a certain portion for themselves and because paid the remainder to the King. Individual regions raised and paid for their own armies when the magnate required military help, the army came from these semi-private sources. Religiously, the state was also controlled by the nobles due to the Edict of Nantes, which gave the nobles the power to determine the religion of their lands. These factors lead to a separate French state, which reduced the power of Louis XIII. France was subjected to various civil wars and wars of religion, and the future king, Louis XIV, witnessing this period of unrest, vowed to impleme... ...V had achieved, and the English people feared their religious freedom was being jeopardized. These circumstances would thence lead to Englands Glorious Revolution , which would take on the unpopular monarchy and conquer it, thereby putting William and Mary in the English throne.France and England underwent very different changes during the seventeenth century. While France transformed from an instability, war-torn country to a united, well-to-do nation, England did just the opposite. Frances success can be largely attributed to Louis XIV long reign, and Englands decline was caused by a series of short rules by vastly different rulers. The rise of absolutism in France be Louiss power over his people, and the rise of constitutionalism and parliamentary power in France was due to monarchial weaknesses and strained relations between the two governing bodies.