The Age of Absolutism
Dec 17, 2015
Absolutism• During the Age of Absolutism, monarchs had
absolute power– kings and queens make every decision
• Monarchs goal was to centralize their power• Monarch believed in the divine rights of kings
– idea that power was bestowed from God– everyone must obey God’s pick– similar idea to the Mandate of Heaven of China
Thomas Hobbes was a British philosopher.He wrote in the 1600s that a powerful
monarch was the best way to unify a nation.
In the Age of Kings,many monarchs hadabsolute power over
their subjects. Peopleoften believed thata monarch’s powercame from God.
Monarchy in France• King Louis XIV
– known as the “Sun King”– believed everything revolved around him – known for saying “I am the State!”
• Persecuted the Huguenots– Huguenots: French Protestants
• Repealed/took back the Edict of Nantes– Edict of Nantes: allowed Protestant worship
• Fought numerous wars and fell into debt• Spent a lot of money on the Palace of Versailles
– more debt
Louis XIV of France provided a modelfor other absolute monarchs. Under
his rule, the king’s command waslaw. As the monarch said, “L’etat
C’est moi” or “I am the state.”
To control France’snobles, Louis XIV
built a huge palaceat Versailles. Leadingnobles were expectedto spend most of the
year at Versaillesunder the watchful
eye of the king.
Louis XIV chose the sun as hisemblem. The sun gave life
to all things and regulated everythingas it rose and set. Like the sun,
life in France revolved around the king.
Monarchy in Russia • Led by Peter the Great and Catherine the Great• Both modernized and westernized Russia• Brought Russia in the mainstream of civilization• Forced men to shave their beards• Forced people to act more “western” • Established St. Petersburg as Russia’s “Window
to the West”
The tsars or absoluterulers of Russia also
were absolute monarchs.Peter the Great forcibly
westernized and modernized Russia. Catherine the Great
continued to modernize Russia.