Absolutism

Absolutism

• Absolutism▫Kings asserted that they were chosen by

God and they are responsible to Him alone (Divine Right) Exclusive power to make and enforce laws No checks on power

•What are the requirements to have an Absolute ruler?▫Centralized state▫Undermine the nobles and church▫Bureaucracy to run provinces▫Unified army▫Spy network

•Louis XIV

Spain

•Charles I/V▫Hapsburg Empire

Spain, Holy Roman Empire, and Netherlands

Charles V•Conflict

▫Religious•Too scattered

Charles V abdicates•German lands ->

brother Ferdinand•Spain and

Netherlands -> son Philip (Philip II)

Philip II•1556-1598

•Absolute

•Divine Right

Philip II•Guardian of Catholicism

▫Fought Ottomans▫Fought Protestant rebels in

Netherlands (Dutch declared independence 1581)

Philip II•Spanish Armada

▫English Queen (Elizabeth I) was main enemy

▫Built a massive fleet

▫Lost to smaller, faster English ships Weather

Spain’s Decline•Began with defeat of armada

•Economy▫Costly wars▫Tiny middle class▫Soaring inflation (gold and silver from

America)

France•Foundations

▫Henry IV (r. 1589 – 1610) Edict of Nantes Murdered by Catholic Zealot

Cardinal Richelieu•Minister to Louis XIII• intendants

▫Recruited for army, collected taxes, presided over law, checked on nobility

•Ignored Estates-General (like parliament)

Cardinal Richelieu•Policy of statecraft: what is done for the

state is done for God.▫God absolves doings that if privately

committed would be a crime

Louis XIV•Continued to increase royal power

•Louis XIV will take court in his own right in 1661▫Sun King▫“L’etat c’est moi”▫Continued Richelieu’s policies and methods

(intendants, refusal to call Estates-General)

Versailles•Built massive palace outside Paris

▫(Symbol of his wealth and power)▫Housed nobles, officials, and servants

Versailles

Versailles

Other symbols of power•Court ceremonies

▫Ex: Levee (ceremony for kings rising)

▫Goal: keep nobles close so that they do not threaten the crown’s power

•Jean-Baptiste Colbert▫Mercantilist policies

Tariffs East Indies Company

▫Settled Canada Moved south (“Louisiana”)

•Military▫Louis built up military

Professional standing army▫Expand France to “natural” borders

•Issues▫Costly, long wars▫Rejected Edict of Nantes

Suppressed Protestant freedoms only to maintain order

▫Left behind an exhausted bankrupt France

Russia•Muscovite Princes pushed out Mongols

▫Ivan the Great (III) Called himself “Tsar”

•Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible•Grandson of Ivan the Great

1547-1584•Grandmother was niece of

last emperor of Byzantines•Married Anastasia•Officially crowned tsar

(Czar)•Further United Russia

▫Established absolute rule▫Limited power of nobles

•Further bound serfs to their land

Ivan the Terrible•Became mad (after 1560)

▫Killed his own son▫Agents of terror (oprichniki)

to enforce his will They sacked towns and killed

people suspected as disloyal▫Killed boyars (Nobles)▫Many fled (joined Cossacks)

•Autocracy

•Common people believed autocratic government the only way▫But they will hit trouble when there is no

powerful tsar

•Romanov Dynasty (1613-1917)

Peter the Great

•Expanded•Reformed

(weakened) Russian Orthodox Church

•Modernized▫(In his case, this

meant westernize)

Peter the Great•Forced boyars (nobles)

to serve the state▫Shave their beards;

wear western clothes▫Forced public

interaction between genders

▫Protected their interests Ensured serfs were

bound to their land

St. Petersburg•Window to the West

•Tudors▫Worked with Parliament

Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) Elizabeth (r. 1558-1603)

•Stuarts▫James I

(r. 1603-1625)

James I•Clashed with dissenters (Protestants who

differed with Church of England)▫Puritans

Charles I (r. 1625-1649)•Absolute-like•Petition of Right

Charles I•Charles made enemies

▫Scots rebelled▫Needed money;

Long Parliament (1640-1653)

Long Parliament•Tried and executed Charles I’s chief

ministers (including the Archbishop)•Declared that Parliament could not be

dissolved without its own consent

Charles I lashed back•1642 – Charles attempted to arrest

radical leaders▫They escape, raise their own army, and

fight.

Civil War•1642 – 1651•Cavaliers (sup.

Charles)•Roundheads (sup.

Parliament)▫Leader Oliver

Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell•New Model Army

▫Selected officers for skill▫Disciplined army

▫1647 – Charles I captured▫1649 – Charles I executed for being a “tyrant,

traitor, murderer, and public enemy”

▫In England, no ruler can claim absolute power and ignore the law.

Oliver Cromwell•After Civil War

▫Monarchy and House of Lords abolished▫Republic (the Commonwealth)

The Commonwealth•Threats from king’s son

▫Ireland•Threats from within

▫Levelers•Cromwell became Lord Protector

(dictator)

Puritans•Religious people with the goal of rooting

out godlessness

▫Laws for Sunday and religious observance▫Frowned on taverns, dancing, gambling

▫Had to read the Bible education▫Fidelity marriage based on love

End of Commonwealth•Cromwell died 1658•1660 – Parliament invited Charles II back

to throne▫Some Puritanical ideas remained

Charles II•Popular•Reopened theaters and taverns•Practiced tolerance

James II•(Charles II’s Brother)•Openly Catholic

▫Ignored Parliament

•Parliament invited his daughter (Mary) and her husband (William III of Orange) to be rulers of England▫James fled to France▫Glorious Revolution

English Bill of Rights•William and Mary accept Bill of Rights

•Parliament had to be summoned•All laws had to be made in Parliament•Monarch can not suspend laws•House of Commons gets power of the purse•Restated traditional rights

•Created limited monarchy

•Constitutional Government – a gov’t whose power is defined and limited by law.▫Political parties – Tories vs. Whigs▫Cabinet system▫Prime Minister

•A perfect system?

•Or an oligarchy?

Student: Indicate your interest level in the exam below

Austria•Hapsburgs left with just Austria (after

Thirty Years War)▫Expand lands (Bohemia, Hungary, parts of

Poland and Italy)

Austria•Maria Theresa takes throne

▫Very capable▫Trouble being recognized

▫Prussia stole Silesia She fought back (War of the Austrian

Succession) Britain and Russia helped

▫Reform: made clergy and nobles pay taxes Lowered taxes for peasants

Prussia•Hohenzollern family takes control

(Frederick William I)▫Gained support of nobles (Junkers)▫Forged a very strong army▫Trained son in the army

Prussia•Frederick II takes power in 1740

▫Sparked War of Austrian Succession▫People recognized Prussia as powerful▫“Frederick the Great”