Absolutism

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Absolutism Absolute Monarchs in Europe

• 16th, 17th, 18th Centuries

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What is Absolutism?

• Belief that one ruler should hold ALL of the
  power
• Absolute monarchy
• Divine right of kings
• Causes
• Decline of feudalism
• Growth of national kingdoms
• Growth of middle class/decline of nobility
• Reformation ? Breakdown of Churchs power
• Colonization ? more wealth for monarchy
• Conflicts ? monarchs take more power

3
Europe in Crisis

• 16th and 17th Centuries
• Religious Wars
• France Huguenots vs. Catholics
• Philip II (Spain)
• Queen Elizabeth I (England)
• Thirty Years War
• Other Wars (with some religion involved)
• Philip II (Spain) vs. Queen Elizabeth I (England)
• Economic Problems
• Price revolution
• Social Problems
• Witchcraft craze (way before the Salem Witch
  Trials)
• Revolution
• English Revolution (more on this later)

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Religious Wars (France)

• Huguenots (French Calvinists)
• Wanted more rights
• Growing political force
• Fighting from 1562 1598
• Henry IV (of Navarre) (1598)
• Edict of Nantes Catholicism official, but
  Huguenots had freedom of religion and political
  rights

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Religious Wars (Spain)

• Philip II the most Catholic King
• Wanted to fight against Muslim, Jewish, and
  Protestant influences in Europe
• Called by the pope to defend Christendom
• Netherlands (Dutch) Revolt (Netherlands and
  Belgium)
• Revolted because of taxes and religion
• Peace of Westphalia (1648)
• Netherlands gained more independence
• Netherlands becomes great trade center (Americas)

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Religious Wars (England)

• Queen Elizabeth I
• Henry VIII started Anglican Church
• Church of England under Elizabeth became a mix
  of Protestant and Catholic and was strengthened
  as the official church of England
• Caused lots of internal conflict (religious)
• Spanish Armada
• Philip II
• Wanted to take over England
• Financial and religious reasons
• Armada defeated, showed England was superior
  force in Europe

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Economic and Cultural Crisis

• Price Revolution
• Inflation prices for food and land went up a
  quickly
• Growing population forced need for more food
  and land
• New Markets Americas brought new raw materials,
  beginning of industrialization
• little Ice Age weather changed causing
  shorter crop season less food
• Witchcraft
• Mostly in North-Central Europe

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Thirty Years War(1618 1648)

• Started in German lands (Holy Roman Empire)
• Protestants vs. Catholics (Hapsburg dynasty)
• Spain Austria vs. France, Denmark, Sweden
• Peace of Westphalia (1648)
• France dominates
• Religious freedom in Germany
• Holy Roman Empire no longer exists
• Last of the Religious Wars

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Europe after the Thirty Years War
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Characteristics of Absolutism
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Basic Principle

• Monarch rules by divine right and decides what is
  best for state

12
Political

• Ruler holds unlimited power individuals are
  subjects owing loyalty and obedience

13
Social

• Ruler dominates upper classes, which in turn
  dominate lower classes. Ceremonies symbolize
  rulers power.

14
Economic

• Ruler encourages industry and trade to strengthen
  economy.

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Cultural

• Ruler dominates cultural life either as a patron
  of the arts or by censorship.

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The Absolute Monarchs

• France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, England

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France

• Louis XIII
• Too young weak to rule
• Cardinal Richelieu
• Strengthened Monarchy, took away political rights
  of Huguenots
• Network of spies to protect the government
• Entered France into the 30 Years War
• Louis XIV
• Too young to rule at first (4 at coronation)
• Cardinal Mazarin
• Put down a revolt against the monarchy
• Ended 30 Years War

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Louis XIV (1661 1715)

• The Sun King
• Best example of an absolute monarchy in the 17th
  century
• Versailles
• Built to impress visitors
• Place to watch over all parts of the government
• Removed all threats
• Destroyed Huguenot churches
• Built palaces and armies
• Weakened the nobility by excluding from council
• Forced nobility to fight each other for
  attention

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Louis XIV (cont.)

• Louiss aide Jean-Baptiste Colbert develops the
  economic theory of mercantilism
• Mercantilism
• Tax credits to French businesses
• Tariffs (taxes on imported goods)
• Encouraged moving to French colonies (Canada)
• Attempted to Expand Frances territories
• 1667 1678 added a small amount of territory
  from the Netherlands
• War of Spanish Succession
• 1701 1714
• Wanted his grandson (Philip of Anjou) to take
  over Spain
• Eventually will establish the Bourbon dynasty of
  Spain

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Legacy of Louis XIV

• France is a military power
• France is a world wide economic power
• Expansion of colonies around the world
• Huge debt to pay for Versailles and the wars
• Abuse of power which results in problems for his
  heirs
• French style becomes popular around Europe
  adopted by other monarchs

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Central and Eastern Europe

• Prussia
• Frederick William the Great Elector
• Built strong army
• King Frederick I
• Will fight to gain lands from Austria
• Austria
• Maria Theresa (Hapsburg dynasty)
• Too many ethnic groups to truly unite
• War of Austrian Succession
• 1740 1748
• Prussian France vs. England Austria
• 7 Years War
• 1756 1763
• France, Austria, Russia vs. England Prussia
• Treaty of Paris (1763)

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Russia

• Ivan IV (tsar or czar)
• Ivan the Terrible
• Expanded Muscovy (Russian) empire
• Destroyed boyars (Russian nobility)
• Time of Troubles after his death (no clear
  leader)
• Michael Romanov (1613)
• Began dynasty of czars that lasted until 1917
• 17th century tsars
• Absolute ruler (divinely ordained)
• Russian aristocrats bound serfs to the land
• Many revolts

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Peter the Great

• Traveled to Europe, came back wanting to copy
  Western ideas and technology
• Reorganized the army and navy
• Drafted peasants
• Divided Russia into provinces
• Wanted to increase industry
• Increased taxes
• Took control of the Orthodox Church

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Peter Westernizes Russia

• Introduced the potato (become the 1 crop)
• Introduced and edited the first newspaper
• Raised womens status, especially for nobles
• Adopted Western fashion (especially for nobles)
• Opened new schools (navigation, arts, sciences)
• Legacy
• St. Petersburg
• Helped strengthen Russia
• Left Russia in debt and distrusting the west

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English Revolution

• Monarchy vs. Parliament
• Cavaliers (Royalists) vs. Roundheads
• Who had more power?
• Stuart Dynasty
• James I wanted to show power of monarchy
• Divine Right of Kings
• English Civil War (1642 1649)
• Charles I Tried to make Church of England more
  Catholic- angered Parliament
• not consulting them for domestic international
  issues
• ignoring the Petition of Right (1628)
• disbanding Parliament altogether
• Puritans joined side of Parliament
  (anti-Anglican Church) - Roundheads
• Oliver Cromwell (Puritan General)
• led The New Model Army to victory over the
  Cavaliers
• Ruled as a military dictator
• After he died, no central leadership
• Charles II restored monarchy in England
• Restoration (1660)

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England and the Limited Monarchy

• English Revolution
• Charles II put in power, but Parliament still
  strong force
• James II openly Catholic, threatened Anglican
  authority
• Glorious Revolution (1688)
• William of Orange (Netherlands) and Mary Stuart
  (James daughter) invade England
• James II flees to France
• English Bill of Rights
• Constitutional Monarchy
• Limited the power of the monarchy (foundation of
  a more democratic England)