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The age of absolute rule
1) Identify Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu.
Before Louis XIV became king, Cardinal Richelieu had served as chief minister to Louis III (Louis´ XIV father) for 18 years.2) Explain the divine right of kings. Why do historians write about absolute rulers?
In a democracy, the people elect representatives to govern. France was not a democracy in 1600, the people didnot choose their king .
People believed that God chose the King, and that the King was God´s representative. The King´s right to rule was divine. It was thought to come directly from God. This ideais called the divine right

3) How did Cardinal Richelieu achieve his goal of making the king´s power absolute?
To increase the king´s power; he had to destroy the power of nobles. He allowedmerchants to buy titles of nobility. He stripped the old nobles of some of their rights. He also started businesses for the French government that earned a great deal of money for the crown. These actionsmade the noble weaker and the King wealthier and more powerful.

4) Identify Louis XIV and his actions to increase his power.
King Louis XIV was an absolute monarchy. He had absolute or completepower over every part of life in his kingdom. He was so powerful that he became known as the “Sun King”. Just as the sun was the centre of the solar system. Louis was the centre of the French nationLouis XIV came to the throne a year after Richelieu´s death. As Louis was only four years old, another French Church official, Cardinal Mazarin, ruled for him. Mazarin died when Louis was 18 yearsold. Louis wanted all power to himself so he took steps to weaken the nobles and reduced the power of the Church.

5) Why did King Louis XIV go to war?
Louis aim was to make France the greatestnation in Europe. He went to war to gain new territories. From 1667 to 1713 France was almost constantly at war and wars cost huge sums of money. By the time Louis died in 1715, France had huge debts....