Absolutism in Europe

ABSOLUTISM IN EUROPE

WHAT IS ABSOLUTISM?

Absolutism- kings or queens who believe all power within their state’s boundaries rested in their hands•    Believed in divine right (God blesses their rule)

WHY DID EUROPE’S MONARCHS GROW?

• 17th century upheaval in Europe and monarchs respond by using power to impose order• Decline in feudalism and rise in cities• Use of colonies to pay for ambitions

SPAIN: KING PHILIP IIRULED: 1554-1598

PHILIP II TRIED TO CONTROL EVERY ASPECT OF HIS EMPIRE’S AFFAIRS

• Deeply religious- very Catholic and against Muslims and Protestants !

• Expanded territory- took control of Portugal when Portuguese king died without an heir

• Built a large army and palace (with a monastary inside)• Art and Literature flourished under him: Don

Quixote de la Mancha – by Miguel de Cervantes was birth of European novel

KING PHILIP’S WARS WEAKEN SPAIN

• 1571 took up arms against the Muslims at battle of Lepanto and defeated the Muslims

• 1588 war against England- sent Spanish Armada- but lost (showed the waning power of Spain and allowed other Europeans to take over the seas)

• Lost the Spanish Netherlands to the Dutch and the Netherlands becomes independent of Spanish rule

FRANCE: KING LOUIS XIVRULED: 1643-1715

LOUIS XIV: THE SUN KING

• “L’etat, c’est moi” I am the state• 1643 became ruler of France at five years

old• Weakened power of nobles, strengthened

power of central government and government agents called intendants – they collected taxes and administered justice

• Louis wanted France to attain economic, political, and cultural brilliance• Jean Baptiste Colbert- finance minister, who

believed in mercantilism and wanted to make France self-sufficient. • Colbert expanded manufacturing, high tariff on

imports, and encouraged people to migrate to Canada

• 1685 Louis cancelled the Edict of Nantes (a document of religious toleration) and many skilled artisans left the country

• Louis Controls the Nobility• Nobles at the palace to

serve him• Required hundreds at

Versailles• Palace at Versailles

was so large it was like a small royal city

•  Patron of the Arts• Purpose of art was to glorify

the king and promote values of absolute rule

RUSSIA: PETER THE GREATRULED: 1682-1725

• Peter the Great got his name because he was a good reformer • To force change on his people he increased his

power as an absolute ruler • Brought Russian orthodox church under state

control – Holy Synod – group to run the church • Reduced the power of the great landowners • Modernized the army using European trainers • Heavy taxes to pay for the army

WESTERNIZING RUSSIA

• Introduced potatoes • Started first newspaper • Raised women’s status • Ordered the nobles to give up traditional clothes for

western fashion • Wanted a seaport to the west. Fought Sweden for 21

years and won St. Petersburg (named after his patron saint)

• Difficult to build St. Petersburg (many died). Ordered nobles to settle there later

• 1725 Peter died and Russia was a power to reckon with

PRUSSIA: FREDERICK THE GREATRULED: 1740-1786

• 1640 Frederick William (Frederick the Great’s dad) built a strong standing army• Introduced permanent taxation to pay for the

army• Weakened representative assemblies• Junkers (landowning nobility) resisted these

moves but were given army officer positions and Prussia soon became military society• Frederick II (son) followed many of his father’s

policies but with a softer hand and became known as Frederick the Great

AUSTRIA: MARIA THERESARULED: 1745-1765

• Ruler centralized government and created a standing army•Her father took Hungary from Ottomans in 1699• Very Catholic- did not allow any tolerance in her kingdom