France in the 17th Century

The 17th century occupies a pivotal place in the history of France between the turbulence of the Wars of Religion and the long calm of the Old Regime. On the one hand, it was a period of political, economic, religious, and social crises. On the other hand, it was the “Great Century” (Grand Siècle) that saw the establishment of France’s hegemony in Europe, its expansion overseas, the efflorescence of French classical culture, and the zenith of the absolute monarchy. After Henri IV (r. 1589–1610) ended the great religious civil wars, Cardinal Richelieu, prime minister to Louis XIII (r. 1610–1643), embarked on a policy of strengthening royal authority. In 1635, he committed France into the conflagration of the Thirty Years’ War and a quarter-century-long duel with Spain. France emerged from these wars as Europe’s dominant power. Yet the cost was high. The monarchy’s efforts to increase its authority and to raise the money it needed to pay its armies provoked massive resistance from all levels of French society. There were 232 popular uprisings between 1635 and 1660. Elite opposition to the crown culminated the Fronde, a near-revolution against Richelieu’s successor, Cardinal Mazarin. After assuming personal rule in 1661, Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715) determined to complete the work begun by his predecessors. He reformed the state, secured the obedience of the French elites, expanded his army to the largest in Europe, and encouraged the growth of colonies abroad. He established a glittering court at Versailles and promoted the development of the arts. The Sun King became a model other European rulers strove to emulate. After 1688, however, Louis XIV’s bellicose foreign policy led to a new round of wars that would darken the end of the century. This entry aims to introduce students and researchers to the historical scholarship on this fascinating period. It begins after the reign of Henri IV. For information on France under the first Bourbon monarch, see the entries on the Reformation and Wars of Religion in France and Henri IV.