Louis XIV and Absolutism is a different kind of book from any we've read so far: it's a collection of documents, selected and organized by a contemporary American historian of France, and designed for classes like ours. There's less argument and interpretation than in the other books we've read, and more effort to orient students who are unfamiliar with the period.
In reading, start by getting a handle on the chronology: how does the reign of Louis XIV fit with the events we encountered in Richelieu and Olivares? and how does it fit with the social changes we learned about in The Economy of Europe? The details don't matter, but construct for yourself a rough time-line of the seventeenth century.
Then think about the problems on which Beik focuses. In introducing the various documents, he repeatedly emphasizes the successes of Louis's government in confronting the challenges posed by various groups in French society. What were some of those challenges, and what social groups were especially dangerous? How did these challenges manifest themselves? Give special thought to the place of rebellion in seventeenth-century French life—before Louis's birth (as discussed in Richelieu and Olivares, during his childhood, and after he assumed personal control of the government. (Louis himself described the Fronde as an important influence on his later policies: get a rough idea of what that movement was and why it mattered.)
Third, think more broadly about Louis's efforts to mold French society. He and his minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert viewed themselves as in some ways modernizers, concerned with improving France's economy and society. How did they approach this task? What specific measures did they undertake? What values and assumptions guided their actions?
Fourth, give some thought to court life during Louis's rule. What was it like? What political functions did the court serve? In what ways did it contribute to Louis's political plans?
Finally, think comparatively. We've explored the workings of French and Spanish governments during the first half of the seventeenth century—how different were things during the second half? How similar/different were Louis XIV's objectives to/from Richelieu's? His techniques of government? Was Louis more or less successful than Richelieu?
