Final answer:
Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis XIII centralized power in France by not convening the Estates General and diminishing noble influence. Louis XIV, the "Sun King," epitomized French absolute monarchy by using divine right to maintain power and establishing mercantilist economic policies to enrich the state.
Step-by-step explanation:
Centralization of Power by Richelieu and Louis XIII
Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis XIII of France focused on strengthening the monarchy's control over the state. Richelieu, serving as the chief minister, played a pivotal role in shaping the French absolute monarchy. By not convening the Estates General, which included representatives from the clergy, the aristocracy, and the commoners, they negated any potential check on royal authority. Louis XIII and Richelieu's policies diminished the power of nobles and increased royal holdings, adding to the centralized power of the king significantly. Salaried royal bureaucrats replaced local vassals and church officials, leading to a stronger central government by the early fourteenth century.
The absolute monarchy in France reached a peak under Louis XIV, the "Sun King," who reigned from 1643 to 1715. Louis XIV's governance style was strongly informed by divine right and a lack of institutional checks on his power, such as a parliament. He leveraged art and architecture to reinforce the monarchy's image, which included establishing the Royal Academy of Fine Arts to dictate the style and standards of art. Additionally, economic life in France was regulated through mercantilism, under the administration of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's chief minister. Colbert implemented high tariffs, strict quality control on products, and promoted French manufacturing to increase royal wealth.
Centralization was furthered by requiring the nobility to live at the Versailles Palace, which kept the potential for revolt at bay. Louis XIV personally oversaw state matters, including infrastructure and colonial legal codes, with little room for external influence as he famously proclaimed "I am the state."