System of government •King or Queen has complete control over government & its people Autocracy Centralized
Dec 17, 2015
System of government •King or Queen has complete control over government & its people
AutocracyCentralized GovernmentNation states
•Monarchs based their claim on Divine Right
Authority comes from God Similar to “Mandate of Heaven”
•Monarchs are “Above the Law”
•Common features- Strong armies, limited representative bodies, high taxes, people-few rights
Breakdown of Feudalism/Rise of Nation states
Continuous Warfare
Need for money
Exploration
Declining influence of the church
Regulation of religion & society
Loss of power by nobility & legislatures
New government Bureaucracies
Huge building projects
Costly wars; taxes
The Hapsburg Monarchy1556 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V divides empire
Son Phillip II rules Spain, Netherlands & Italy
Promoted “Golden age of Spain”
•Wealth from colonies helped buildup military; improved navy
•Incredible wealth– gold/silver
•Defender of Catholicism
Europe’s most Catholic king1588-Spanish Armada defeated by England (Elizabeth I)
1600’s Spain power declines Financial problems – high inflation
Phillip II•“Golden Age” –
Velasquez, El Greco• Centralized
government• Married “Bloody Mary”• Persecution &
expulsion of Jews/Muslims hurt economy
• Built “El Escorial” palace
The Bourbon Monarchy•Henry IV increases power of govt. & decreases power of nobility
•Edict of Nantes – religious freedom
•Louis the XIII strengthens & builds up military
Cardinal Richelieu subdues nobles & Huguenots (French Protestants), strengthens economy
Known as “The Sun King”Ruled for 72 years•Mercantilist policies•Built the strongest army in Europe•Expanded bureaucracy•Never called the Estates General•Persecuted the Huguenots
French ProtestantsRevoked Edict of Nantes
•Built Lavish palace atVersailles“Gilded Cage” for nobility
His successors inherited enormous debts (costly wars & extravagance)
Louis XIV cont.
• Lost much land due to French & Indian War (7 Years War) GB defeats Fr. & Indians in American colonies
• Poor crops hurt the people• Became king at age 4; Mazarin helped him rule;
expanded France• Heavy debt from spending, extravagant lifestyle• Colbert – Finance Minister supported sale of French
products• Supported arts and education
•Early Czars Ivan III & Ivan IV (Terrible) used harsh methods to unify Russia & strengthen monarchy1480 Ivan III (Great) drives Mongols from Russia
Moscow key city Autocratic govt. Trivia – married at 12!
Ivan the TerribleFirst to use term czar
(tsar)Good period – Russia
expanded, code of law, ruled justly
Bad period – executed many boyars – landowning nobles); used secret police
Killed son in an argumentTurmoil after death1613 Michael Romanov
begins Romanov Dynasty
•Grand Embassy tour
Toured Europe learning new technologies
•Westernization/Modernization
•Introduced western ideas
•Laws, technology, culture
•Men shaved beards; dressed western
•Built largest army in Europe
Won territory along the Baltic Sea
St. Petersburg becomes “Window to the West”
Major trading port & new capital
Centralized power
Reduced power of the nobility
Brought Orthodox Church under his control
First newspaper
Introduced potato
Peter the Great
•Education, arts, music, science
•Improved status of women
•Appointed officials based on merit & service
Peter the Great
•Excessive spending•Peasants/Serfs required to work on roads/canals or serve in military; thousands died
•Heavy taxation•Put Orthodox Church under state control
Peter the Great
• Could be cruel and tyrannical; executed thousands to challenged his power
• Died saving a man from drowning
Catherine the Great
Most educated monarch
Abolished torture and capital punishment
Supported arts; first currency
Education, trade, religious toleration
Catherine the Great
NegativesDidn’t enforce reforms (esp. torture/capital punishment
Little to alleviate suffering
Controlled Orthodox Church
Negatives• Intolerant of
Muslims & Jews• Crushed peasant
rebellions harshly
Catherine the Great
• Longest ruling female leader of Russia (34 years)
• Leader of Russia during American Rev.
1215 King John forced to sign Magna Carta
Limited King’s powers1295 Edward I establishes Model Parliament
Lawmaking bodyHouse of Lords & House of Commons
Parliament successfully blocked attempted shifts to absolute ruleThe Tudor Monarchs(1485-1603) generally worked well w/ ParliamentEx. Henry VIII & Elizabeth I
Had absolutist tendencies (Strong belief in Divine Right); unpopularImprisoned w/out trialJames I & son Charles I consistently clashed with Parliament over finance & foreign policyAngered Puritans
Known as the Puritan Revolution (1643)Charles’s Cavaliers vs. Roundheads led by Oliver Cromwell (Puritan)Charles I is overthrown by forces loyal to Parliament
Beheaded in 1649Shocks country
England became a Republic called the CommonwealthAt first C;romwell & Parliament share power
•1653 Cromwell assumes Title of Lord Protector & rules as a dictator, Puritan intolerance of Anglicanism; severe moral code; harshCromwell brutally put down revolts in Ireland & Scotland
•Upon Cromwell’s death, Parliament restores Stuart Monarchy to throne
•“Restoration”
•Charles makes some reforms; observes Magna Carta; Habeas Corpus Act
•James II became unpopular due to absolutist policies•Parliament overthrows James II & asks William & Mary to assume throne (Glorious Revolution)
Bloodless Revolution
1688-William & Mary forced to sign English Bill of Rights is signed
Guarantees Parliament’s superiority over the Monarchy
England becomes a Limited Monarchy (Remains today)