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The impact of absolutism in France: National Experience Under Richelieu, Mazarin, and Louis XIV
Impact of Absolutism in France: National Experience Under Richelieu, Mazarin and Louis XIV (Major Issues in History)
195 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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June 8, 2022
For such a short book, this was a difficult read. The content, organization, and writing all point to a required textbook for college students, possibly graduate students. As part of the Major Issues in History Series, it is unclear if absolutism in France was a major issue. It all appears to boil down to an analysis of the reign of Louis XIV.
The author assumes the reader is already familiarity with Absolutism, Louis XIV, and all the major people in his government. Casual name-dropping without context or anything else makes it difficult for readers to follow the text much less consider how any given passage relates to Absolutism. There is no overall chronology of events or even a basic outline of French History ca. 1500-1700. What is available is a very cursory overview at the beginning of each chapter or excerpt - usually a single paragraph - that describes the author of that section.
The overwhelming bulk of the book is excerpts from various writers, mostly contemporary to Louis XIV. A few are more modern. The excerpts usually argue in support of or condemn Richelieu, Mazarin, and Louis. Only towards the end of the book when readers see the modern / academic commentaries is there a hint of unbiased analysis. What all of these excerpts add up to a simple argument that France was imploding in the 16th Century under the Wars of Religion. Commerce and society were collapsing. Increased royal authority, a slow but steady ideology plateauing with absolutism, stabilized the country and rebuilt society from the ground-up. During the 16th and 17th Centuries the march towards absolutism benefited France. However, once the process of increasing royal authority gained momentum it inevitably led to abuses and criticism. Louis XIV enjoyed the benefits with little or no accountability. As such, France raced towards another social collapse.
The various authors excerpted in this book included mostly intellectuals. Many of them had a significant stake in supporting absolutism or decrying it. There was little to no description of actions taken for or against absolutism. How did Colbert balance the budget? What are the Gobelins? What did Mazarin do to further along royal power? Why did Louis tell his son that he enjoyed war too much? The answers to these questions are not in the book.
Overall, this book is likely to confuse most readers. Readers who are interested in the grandeur of Louis XIV or the evil machinations of Richelieu and Mazarin need to look elsewhere. This is not a history book. It is lacking too much needed background information to be relevant for political science students. It is a philosophy book. Its value is in seeing how intellectuals brown nose or condemn their benefactors and adversaries.
The author assumes the reader is already familiarity with Absolutism, Louis XIV, and all the major people in his government. Casual name-dropping without context or anything else makes it difficult for readers to follow the text much less consider how any given passage relates to Absolutism. There is no overall chronology of events or even a basic outline of French History ca. 1500-1700. What is available is a very cursory overview at the beginning of each chapter or excerpt - usually a single paragraph - that describes the author of that section.
The overwhelming bulk of the book is excerpts from various writers, mostly contemporary to Louis XIV. A few are more modern. The excerpts usually argue in support of or condemn Richelieu, Mazarin, and Louis. Only towards the end of the book when readers see the modern / academic commentaries is there a hint of unbiased analysis. What all of these excerpts add up to a simple argument that France was imploding in the 16th Century under the Wars of Religion. Commerce and society were collapsing. Increased royal authority, a slow but steady ideology plateauing with absolutism, stabilized the country and rebuilt society from the ground-up. During the 16th and 17th Centuries the march towards absolutism benefited France. However, once the process of increasing royal authority gained momentum it inevitably led to abuses and criticism. Louis XIV enjoyed the benefits with little or no accountability. As such, France raced towards another social collapse.
The various authors excerpted in this book included mostly intellectuals. Many of them had a significant stake in supporting absolutism or decrying it. There was little to no description of actions taken for or against absolutism. How did Colbert balance the budget? What are the Gobelins? What did Mazarin do to further along royal power? Why did Louis tell his son that he enjoyed war too much? The answers to these questions are not in the book.
Overall, this book is likely to confuse most readers. Readers who are interested in the grandeur of Louis XIV or the evil machinations of Richelieu and Mazarin need to look elsewhere. This is not a history book. It is lacking too much needed background information to be relevant for political science students. It is a philosophy book. Its value is in seeing how intellectuals brown nose or condemn their benefactors and adversaries.
Displaying 1 of 1 review