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Absolutely Absolute

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Title: Absolutely Absolute


1
Absolutely Absolute
2
What is absolutism?
  • Period of time when Europes monarchs got
    stronger
  • Monarchs ruled with absolute power
  • Divine Right Theory
  • Idea that God had chosen the monarch to rule
  • Everyone believes the theory during this period
  • If you question the king, you question God

3
Strengths of Absolute Monarchies
  • Efficiency
  • Decisions are made by one person
  • Nationalism
  • Promoted a common culture and identity
  • Stability
  • The ruler stays in power until death
  • Wealth
  • No resistance means a large and powerful empire

4
Weaknesses of Absolute Monarchies
  • Undemocratic
  • No collaboration of ideas
  • Individual rights
  • Often violated
  • Stability
  • If the ruler was poor, it could affect the
    country for decades

5
How to achieve more power?
  • Monarchs gained power generally in one of two
    ways
  • Raising taxes
  • Increased their overall wealth
  • Waging war
  • Victory often led to riches
  • PLUS. many citizens were very willing to trust
    their leader.

6
Central Monarchs Clash
  • The Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
  • Fought between Protestants and Catholics
    (Hapsburgs) in the Holy Roman Empire over
    religious and territorial differences.
  • First 12 years, Catholics are successful
  • Next 18 years, Protestants eventually gain the
    advantage
  • Peace of Westphalia-Ends the Thirty
  • Years War
  • Helped to shape formation of future nations

7
States Form in Central Europe
  • Economic Contrasts with the West
  • Serfdom still strong in eastern Europe
  • Weak Empires
  • Ottoman Empire
  • Holy Roman Empire
  • The rise of Austria and Prussia
  • Due to the end of the Holy Roman Empire

8
States Form in Eastern Europe (cont)
  • Austria Grows Stronger
  • Gains Hungary and Bohemia
  • Wiped out Protestantism
  • Maria Theresa (Hapsburg) Inherits the Throne
  • Fought constantly with Prussia
  • Limited the labor that nobles could force
    peasants to do

9
Prussia Challenges Austria
  • The Rise of Prussia
  • Became a rigidly controlled, highly militarized
    society
  • Controlled by the King and landowning nobles
  • Frederick the Great
  • Hohenzollern
  • Very practical leader
  • Atheist- established religious toleration
  • Very aggressive in foreign affairs

10
Prussia Challenges Austria (cont)
  • War of Austrian Succession
  • War between Prussia and Austria (1740)
  • France helped Prussia, England and Austria
  • Prussia wins in 1748, becoming a major European
    power
  • The Seven Years War
  • Austria, France, Russia vs. Prussia and Britain
  • 1756 Frederick attacked an Austrian
  • ally, beginning the war
  • War did not change European territory
  • France lost all colonies in North America and
  • India to Britain

11
Russian History
  • Russia Contrasts with Europe
  • Economically
  • Still heavily reliant on serfdom
  • Socially
  • Mongols kept Russia isolated from Renaissance and
    Age of Exploration
  • Geographically
  • Ports froze during winter
  • Size of Russia was a problem
  • Religious differences
  • Europe Catholic or Protestant
  • Russia Orthodox

12
The Absolute Rulers of Russia
  • The First Czar
  • Ivan IV (The Terrible)
  • became czar (caesar) in 1533
  • Took control over the nobles
  • Rule by Terror
  • Police force organized to track down and murder
    traitors to Ivan
  • Killed many nobles (boyars) and gave the land to
    new, more loyal nobles

13
The Absolute Rulers of Russia (cont)
  • Rise of the Romanovs
  • After Ivan IVs death (1584), the Time of
    Troubles occurred nobles struggling for power
  • 1613 Michael Romanov was chosen as the next czar
  • Romanov Dynasty 1613-1917

14
  • For you know yourself that, though a thing be
    good and necessary, our people will not do it
    unless forced to

15
Peter The Great1689-1725
  • Peters Reforms
  • Russian Orthodox Church under state control
  • Reduced the power of landowners
  • Hired European military officers
  • Westernizing Russia
  • Peter visits the West
  • Wanted to learn about European
  • customs and manufacturing techniques
  • Introduced potatoes
  • Womens status increased
  • Nobles had to give up traditional dress
  • Advanced education

16
Peter Rules Absolutely
  • Establishing St. Petersburg
  • Wanted to establish a seaport
  • Make it easier to get to Europe
  • Warm water port would not freeze in winter
  • Built on a swamp
  • 25-100K people died to build the city
  • Became a very important port city

17
St. Petersburg
18
English Civil War
  • War Topples a King
  • Parliament tried to limit the powers of King
    Charles I starts a war instead
  • English Civil War (1642-1649)
  • Royalists (Cavaliers) vs. Roundheads
  • Puritan Roundheads won
  • Tried, convicted and executed Charles I
  • Never had a monarch been tried and executed

19
Oliver Cromwell
  • Oliver Cromwells Rule
  • General during the war who now led the country
  • Established a republican government
  • Had to squash a rebellion in Ireland
  • Puritan Morality
  • Ruled with an iron fist.
  • Sought to reform society
  • Abolish sinful activities sports, theater
  • Religious toleration for all except Catholics
  • Cromwell ruled until death, govt collapsed

20
Restoration and Revolution
  • Charles II Reigns
  • Restored the Monarchy of England
  • Reformed the legal system
  • Habeas Corpus- must have a reason to have a
    person arrested.
  • James II and the Glorious Revolution
  • King James offended many b/c of his Catholicism
  • Parliament worried of a Catholic line of Kings
  • Jamess Protestant daughter Mary and her husband
    William were asked by Parliament to overthrow
    James
  • William invaded, and James fled Bloodless
    Revolution known as the Glorious Revolution

21
Limits on Monarchs Power
  • Bill of Rights
  • William and Mary established a constitutional
    monarchy
  • Limits on royal power increased
  • Establishment of the English Bill of Rights
  • Cabinet System Develops
  • Became the link between the King and Parliament -
    advisors to the King
  • Leader of the majority party heads the cabinet
    Prime Minister

22
English Bill of Rights
  • Ruler cannot
  • Suspend Parliaments laws
  • Levy taxes without permission
  • Interfere with freedom of speech
  • Penalize a citizen who criticizes the King
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