Name Shahab R Class Block 2 Date 10/29/10

CHAPTER
4
SECTION 2
Section Summary
FRANCE UNDER LOUIS XIV

In the late 1500s, France was torn by religious conflict between READING CHECK
French Protestants, called Huguenots, and Catholics. During
Why did France’s economy
the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, thousands of Huguenots decline?
were killed. In 1598, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes. This
protected Huguenots by allowing them to follow their religion.
After Henry’s assassination in 1610, his nine-year old son,
Louis XIII, became king. Cardinal Richelieu was his chief min-
ister. For 18 years Richelieu worked to make the central gov-
ernment stronger. Then in 1643, five-year-old Louis XIV
became king. As he grew older, he chose to control the govern-
ment himself. Louis XIV called himself the Sun King to sym-
bolize his importance.
Louis XIV appointed intendants to the royal government.
These were royal officials who collected taxes, recruited sol-
diers, and carried out the king’s policies. To boost the coun- VOCABULARY STRATEGY
try’s economy, Louis’s finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert, Find the word erode in the
started expanding business and trade. Taxes helped to finance underlined sentence. A related
the king’s extravagant lifestyle. word is erosion. Think about
Outside Paris, Louis XIV transformed a hunting lodge into what happens when a hillside
the palace of Versailles. This palace represented the king’s erodes. Use your prior knowl-
edge to help you figure out the
power and wealth. Ceremonies were held there to emphasize
meaning of erode.
the king’s importance. For example, high-ranking nobles would
compete to be part of the king’s morning ritual known as the
levée, or rising. These kinds of ceremonies were meant to keep
nobles at Versailles with the king. That way, Louis could gain
their support and keep them from battling for power.
Under Louis XIV, France became Europe’s most powerful
state. However, some of Louis’s decisions caused the country’s
prosperity to erode. His lifestyle and the wars he fought were READING SKILL
costly. Rival rulers joined together to keep the balance of Identify Supporting Details A
power. They wanted military and economic power spread main idea in this Summary is that
evenly among European nations. For example, in 1700, when Louis XIV increased his power.
Louis’s grandson inherited the throne of Spain, nearby nations What details can you find that
fought to prevent the union of France and Spain. support this main idea?

Review Questions
1. What was the Edict of Nantes?
It protected Huguenots by allowing them to follow their religion.

2. What did Versailles symbolize?

It represented the king’s power and wealth.

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