Maria Ota

Prompt:
Philip II of Spain (1556-1598) built the Escorial and Louis XIV of France (1643-1715) built Versailles. Starting with the pictures of these palaces, analyze the similarities and differences in the conception and practice of monarchy of these two kings.

ESCORIAL

escorial.png

VERSAILLES

versailles.png

Thesis: The two monarchs, Philip II of Spain and Louis XIV of France, varied on their concepts of ruling because Louis XIV loved drove France into a financial crisis with war while Philip II mainly focoused on Catholicizing natives and England.

Philip II of Spain
  • Catholic, had Vatican support
  • Palace of Escorial
    • reflects gold wealth from New World

  • refused to delegate tasks (overworked himself)
  • Jesuits:
    • sent to new world to Christianize Natives
  • Battle of Lepanto:
    • Spain was led by Holy League, victory over Turkish (Muslim) fleet
  • Conquistadors:
    • conqurered and converted natives to Christianity
  • Inquisition
    • used to (Natives) validate Catholicism of Christians
  • married to Queen Mary (Tudor)
    • marraige was an effort to re-Catholicize England
  • Treaty of Tordesillas
    • split world into Portugese and Spanish trading territories
  • had rule over the 10 Southern Provinces in Netherlands, all Catholic and loyal to Philip II
  • Duke of Alva
    • Philip II sent Duke of Alva with 10,000 Spanish troops to crush rebels (Northern Provinces)
    • Council of Troubles/(Blood)-reign of terror
  • Armada
    • failed attempt to invade/Catholicize England
Louis XIV of France (Sun King)
  • loved war
  • Palace of Versailles
  • Voltaire wrote- Age of Louis XIV
    • believed in theory of absolute monarchy and conciously fostered the myth of himself "sun king" (source of all light for his people)
  • removed high nobles and royal princes from Royal Council, kept them preoccupied with courtlife and away from politics
  • relied on ministers =gave Louis control over the traditional areas of monarchial power
    • Francious Michel Le Tellier (secretary state of war)
    • Hugues de Lionne (secretary for freign affairs)
    • Jean Baptiste Colbert (treasurer)
  • Quartering of Soldiers
    • wanted to converse Protestants to Catholics in Catholic France
  • Edict of Fountaineblau
    • destruction of Huguenots churches and closing of schools
  • financial issues (wars, Verailles, maintaining court)
~Wars of Louis XIV
  • War of Devolution (1667-1668)
    • invade Spanish Netherlands & Franche-Comte
    • Triple Alliance (Dutch, England, Swedes) forced Louis for peace
  • Dutch War (1672-1678)
    • Louis never forgave Triple Alliance and invaded United Provinces
    • Peace at Nimwegen (1678): Louis recieved Franche-Comte=more appetite for more land
    • League of Ausburg formed (Spain, HRE, United Provinces, Sweden, and England)
  • War of League of Ausburg (1689-1697)
    • lasted 8 years=economic depression and famine to France
    • Treaty of Ryswick: ended war, Louis gave up most conquests and gains weren't worth the struggle/misery it caused France
  • War of Spanish Sccession (1702-1713)
    • Fear of France and Spain may combine due to succession of the Spanish throne
    • Peace of Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714): ensured France and Spain remained separate
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_II_of_Spain