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2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715

The Start of Personal Rule and France in 1661

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Overview

Recall questions on Mazarin's death and Louis XIV's decision to rule personally, the monarchy and Parlement after the Frondes, the taille and tax farming, the two nobilities, the peasantry and France's population.

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Key term

Describe the economic condition of France in 1661.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    When did Mazarin die, and what significant announcement did Louis XIV make afterwards?

    Model answer

    Mazarin died in March 1661, after which Louis XIV announced he would rule without a chief minister.

  2. 2

    In what year did Louis XIV assume personal rule, and how old was he?

    Model answer

    In 1661, at the age of twenty-two, marking the end of Mazarin's ministerial government.

  3. 3

    What was the political condition of the French monarchy in 1661 following the Frondes?

    Model answer

    The monarchy was strengthened following the failure of the Frondes and the discrediting of noble opposition.

  4. 4

    How had the position of the Parlement of Paris changed by 1661?

    Model answer

    It had been weakened and was less able to challenge royal authority than before the Frondes.

  5. 5

    Describe the economic condition of France in 1661.

    Model answer

    Poor, with heavy war debts, an inefficient tax system, and widespread poverty following decades of warfare.

  6. 6

    What was inequitable about the French tax system in 1661, particularly regarding the taille?

    Model answer

    The taille fell primarily on peasants while nobles and clergy enjoyed extensive exemptions.

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