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”