Elections were held in France under the absolute monarchy
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
1 source for · 0 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Historical sources confirm that elections and representative bodies such as provincial assemblies and the Estates-General continued to function during the period of French absolutism.
# Were there elections in France under the absolute monarchy?
Tags: political-history, france, government, election
- Score: 15
- Views: 947
- Answers: 2
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: ulead86 (253 rep)
- Asked: 2015-11-18
- Edited: 2015-11-19
- Site: history
## Question
I was wondering, if any elections allowed in France during the period of absolutism. In the Middle age, people with civil and political rights were allowed to elect some kind of city council (also in France) (wiki). After Louis XIV became king, he ruled as an absolute monarch.
But did people with civil/political rights continue to elect anything despite the absolutism? If "yes", what was it?
## Answers
### Answer by Semaphore (score: 19 [ACCEPTED])
Yes.
Absolutism is rarely, if ever, as absolute as the name suggests. Even after the ascension of Louis XIV, the Estates of France continued to meet in assemblies. The most famous and powerful was of course the Estates General, a national body which admittedly only met once in this period. And it ended up ushering in the French Revolution.
However, on the local level, the Estates Provincial met regularly. French provinces under the Ancien Régime could be divided i