French Absolutism and The French Revolution During the period between 1589 through 1783, the French Monarchy had risen to its height of absolute power and then was destroyed by the French Revolution. The reigns of Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI each contributed to the strengthening of the French Monarchy as well as the destruction. Class struggles were a major problem throughout the reigns of each king. France was broken into three estates that were; the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. They were each striving for more power. The enlightenment had also caused problems. Before the enlightenment people had accepted things as they were, but by the end of the enlightenment people decided to change their forms of government. The idea that life would be better if thingswould change became reality. This was a threat to the power of the king. The different policies of the kings also affected the rise and fall of the French Monarchy. The combination of class struggles, the enlightenment, and different policies of the kings were major contributing factors in the rise and fall of the French Monarchy.The first of the kings to deal with these problems was King Henry IV, who was an honorble ruler. Henry IV was king of France between 1589 and 1610. He was supported by Spain and the pope, however, the league refused to accept a Protestant king of France and many Catholic nobles deserted the royal army. Henry won many victories over the league and in 1593 he defeated his enemies and announced that he was converting to Catholicism, but he did not forget his Protestant roots. In 1598, he issue the Edict of Nantes, which gave partial religious freedom to the Huguenots. This sowed the seeds for religious toleration in France. His leading minister, Maximilien de Sully, reorganized the finances and promoted the economic healing of France after years of civil war. Things such as agriculture, manuf...
