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How did increased taxes cause provincial rebellions in France during the 1630s?

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Full-length portrait of Cardinal Richelieu by Philippe de Champaigne, showing him in red clerical robes holding a red book, standing beside a balustrade with a draped curtain behind. — Cardinal Richelieu As both statesman and churchman, Cardinal Richelieu was the acknowledged architect of France's greatness in the 17th century. In 1640, when this full-length portrait was painted (likely by Philippe de Champaigne), he was embroiled in a dispute with the pope and other religious controversies along with many other consequences of expanding French power across Europe. He would die two years later, facing conspiracies against his life and suffering ill health.

During the 1630s, Cardinal Richelieu’s ambitious foreign policy, particularly France’s direct involvement in the Thirty Years’ War, led to a massive increase in government expenditure, with two-thirds of the budget dedicated to the military. To fund these costs, the monarchy imposed a drastic increase in taxes, which sparked a series of provincial rebellions.12

This financial pressure occurred during a period of economic hardship characterized by crop failures, price fluctuations, and famine, which exacerbated the population's resentment toward the crown’s rising demands. The rebellions were driven by opposition to the increasing centralization of royal power and Richelieu’s efforts to abrogate local privileges.12

While the lower classes made up the majority of the participants, they were often led by local nobles, municipal authorities, or even princes of the blood who sought to protest these policies. The resistance was specifically focused on the taxes themselves, as evidenced by slogans such as "Long live the king, but not the salt tax" (gabelle) or "Long live the king, but not the direct tax" (taille).12