T HE A GE OF E MPIRES Land and Sea Absolutism Constitutional Monarchs Enlightened Despots and more.

THE AGE OF EMPIRESLand and SeaAbsolutism Constitutional MonarchsEnlightened Despotsand more

WHAT IS AN EMPIRE?? REVIEW CONRAD-DEMEREST MODEL

I. Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires: state-level government high agricultural potential in the

area an environmental mosaic several small states with no clearly

dominant state (power vacuum) mutual antagonisms among those

states adequate military resources

II. The primary reason a state succeeded in empire building was an ideology supporting personal identification with the state, empire, conquest, and militarism

III. The major rewards of empire: economic rewards, reaped

especially in the early years and redistributed to the elite and often to all levels of the citizenry

population increase, often supported by the government and its ideology

IV. Empires fall because: the ideology of expansion and

conquest fueled attempts at conquest beyond practical limits

failure to continue conquest indefinitely and to continue to bring home its economic fruits eroded faith in the ideology that supported the empire

revolutions toppled the empire

SO WHAT?

What constitutes a land empire?

What constitutes a sea empire?

DEFINITION OF ABSOLUTISM

Divine Right of Kings king was God’s

representative on earth obedience to king =

obedience to God King could do no wrong

CHARACTERISTICS OF ABSOLUTISM

Title was inherited Decisions of king were

final King controlled

lawmaking body King controlled all

foreign affairs People had no voice

LOUIS XIV1643

Most powerful ruler in French history

“L’etat, c’est moi” Sun King Economic, political and

cultural advances Mercantilism CONTROL Spain, Austria, Prussia,

Russia all looked up to France as model

VERSAILLES

Gains of Louis XIV

Europe against the Sun King

AND SOME MORE…

Philip II (Spain)1556-1598Strengthened Catholic

power

Peter I (Russia) 1696-1725WesternizationRussian Expansion

AND STILL OTHERS…JAPAN

Tokugawa Ieyasu1687Unified JapanTamed the daimyo“What is good for me is

good for my son.”Great stability for Japan

AND STILL OTHERS…CHINA

Kangxi(1661)

Manchu DynastyReduced government

expenses Gained support of

intellectuals by offering jobs

Policy of isolationism

AND STILL OTHERS…GUNPOWDER EMPIRES Suleiman the Lawgiver (1520-

1566) Ottoman Sultan: supreme military and

political ruler Janissaries

Abbas the Great (1587-1629) Safavid Limited the power of “red hats” Punished corruption in

government; promoted officials who proved loyalty

Modernized military

ENLIGHTENED DESPOTS (still absolutists, but with “a heart”)

Catherine the Great (1762-1796) Russia Commission to review laws Religious toleration

Akbar (1556-1605) Mughal Religious freedom Governed through a

bureaucracy of officials

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHIES England and Netherlands

Characterized by limited powers individual rights representative institutions

Prominent merchant class and unusual prosperity

Both built commercial empires overseas with minimal state interference

Constitutional monarchy in England evolved out of a bitter civil war, 1642-1649

SEA BASED

So, what are some commonalities?