Download THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM (1550

THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM
(1550-1800)
Absolutism
• Form of monarchical power when a ruler has a
complete authority over the government and lives of
the people
• Two types of A.: 1. Ruler
2. Ruler + Chief Minister
• Took place in: Spain, France, Prussia, Russia,
Austria
Map of states under Absolutism
Setting the Stage
• Europe was in a period after Reformation. Still
divided religiously.
– Catholic territory: Spain, France, Italy, Southern
Germany.
– Protestant territory: England, Netherlands,
Northern Germany
• Spain, France, and England had colonies in
Asia, the Americas, and Africa.
Spain
(Charles V: King of 2 Crowns)
• Grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella:
Inherited Spain and Austrian
Hapsburg empire in 1519.
• Struggled to suppress Protestant
movement in German states as well
as the Ottoman empire led by
Suleiman.
• Tired of the constant warfare of this
diverse empire, Charles V gave up
his title and entered a monastery.
• Division of his empire:
• Hapsburg land→brother
Ferdinand
• Spain, Netherlands, southern
Italy→son Philip
Spain
(Philip II)
• Thanks to silver from Americas,
his empire became the wealthiest
in Europe.
• Absolute monarch: complete
authority over government and
lives of people.
• Ruled by divine right: believed his
authority to rule came directly
from God.
• Sought to protect and strengthen
the Catholic Church. Counterreformation; turned Inquisition
against Protestants. Enforced
Catholic unity in his lands.
Spain
(The Wars of Philip II)
• Defeated Ottoman Muslims in the Mediterranean
region.
• Battled Protestant rebels in Netherlands who resisted
Philip’s efforts to crush Protestantism there. Also
opposed high taxes and autocratic rule.
• Netherlands eventually won independence from
Spain after many years of war and became known as
the Dutch Netherlands in 1648.
Spain
(The Wars of Philip II)
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Queen Elizabeth I was chief
Protestant enemy who supported
the Dutch rebellions.
She also knighted Sir Francis
Drake, a pirate who looted
Spanish treasure ships.
In response, Philip II Prepared a
huge Armada (fleet of 130 ships)
against England.
Due to storm on English
Channel, armada was destroyed.
England won and suprassed
Spanish power thereafter. Victory
for Elizabeth I
Spanish Golden Age: 1550-1650
•
•
•
Philip II was a patron of the
arts and founded academies for
science and math.
Painters:
–
El Greco: religious pictures
and royal portraits
–
Diego Velázquez: best
known court painter.
Writers:
–
Miguel de Cervantes:
wrote Don Quixote, the
first modern novel in
Europe. Mocks medieval
chivalry.
Spain’s Economic Decline: 1600s
• Economic decline because:
1.There were less able successors after Philip II
2.Wars overseas drained Spain financially.
3.Expulsion of Muslim and Jew= deprived the
economy of many skilled artisans and
merchants
4.France (and England) replaced Spain as most
powerful European nation.
France
• From 1560s-1590s, religious war between Huguenots
(French Protestants) and the Catholic majority tore
France apart.
• Worst incident: Charles IX: Bartholomew´s Day
Massacre. 3,000 were killed. Symbolized complete
breakdown of order in France.
France:
(Henry IV)
• Henry IV: In 1589, a Huguenot prince inherited the
throne.
• Issued Edict of Nantes in 1598: protected Protestants
and promote religious tolerance.
• He ruled alone but royal officials helped him. Strong
central government to restore order.
• Royal officials: 1. Administered justice
2. Improved roads,built bridges
3. Revived agriculture
***Laid foundations for royal absolutism.
France
(Louis XIII)
• Henry IV assassinated→ 9 years old son Louis
XIII inherited throne.
• Young Louis XIII appoited Cardinal Armand
Richelieu as his chief minister and ruled with
his help.
• Richelieu further strengthened central
government
France
(Richelieu)
Richelieu sought to destroy the power of Huguenots and nobles so he:
• Smashed the
Huguenots cities
and outlawed
their armies
• BUT he allowed
them to practice
their own
religion
• Defeated the
private nobles
armies and
destroyed their
castles
• BUT he tied
nobles to king
by giving them
high posts at
court or in
royal army
France
(Louis XIV & Marazin)
• Richelieu handpicked his
successor Cardinal Jules
Marazin,
• Reign of Louis XIV:
1. Ruled with Marazin´s help
2. Disorder again swept France
• After Marazin died Louis took
the government under his
control
• Claimed “I Am The State” or
the “Sun King.” Believed in
divine right to rule. Took sun
as symbol of absolute power.
France
(Louis XIV)
• Never called a meeting of the Estates General, a
council that was established to check royal power.
• Appointed intendants to collect taxes, recruit
soldiers, and carry out his policies throughout
France.
• Under Louis XIV, French army became the strongest
in Europe.
• His finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert followed
mercantilist policies, helping make France the
wealthiest state in Europe.
France
(Louis XIV & Versailles)
• Built palace of Versailles,
the most magnificent
building in Europe.
• Versailles became symbol of
the Sun King’s wealth and
power. Housed 10,000
people.
• No expense was too great.
Lavish lifestyle.
• Court of Louis supported
splendid century in the arts.
French academies
established.
France
(Louis XIV)
• Reigned for 72 yrs, longer than any other monarch.
• French culture, manners, and customs replaced those
of Renaissance Italy as the standard for European
taste.
• Revoked Edict of Nantes forcing over 100,000
Huguenots to flee France. Caused serious blow to
French econ.
• Also drained economy with warfare. Refused Philip
V of Spain’s attempt to unite the two crowns.
• By the time Louis XV inherited throne, France was
in a state of chaos.
England (The Tudors & Parliament)
• Power was maintained far
differently in England than
in France and Spain.
• Tudor dynasty reigned from
1485-1603.
• Henry VII believed in
divine right, but valued
Parliament and maintained
good relationships.
• Elizabeth I was popular and
successful thanks to good
Parliamentary relations.
English Parliament
• House of Lords:
– Upper house
– Hereditary rule or
appointed by
sovereign
– Lord Spiritual and
Lord Temporal lead
this house.
• House of Commons
– Lower house
– Democratically
elected body.
– Prime Minister leads
this house.
England (The Stuarts & Parliament)
• When Elizabeth died without a direct heir, the throne passed
to the Stuarts, the ruling family of Scotland.
• James I, the first Stuart monarch contested Parliament and
sought absolute rule.
• Leaders in the House of Commons (body of Parliament)
resisted his claim to divine right.
• In 1625, Charles I inherited the throne. Also behaved like an
absolute monarch. Imprisoned foes without trial and created
bitter enemies.
• For 11 years, he ruled the nation without Parliament. When
he finally summoned Parliament to get help suppressing a
Scottish rebellion, it launched its own revolt.
Parliamentary Rebellion and Civil War
• When Parliament finally reconvened they staged the
greatest political revolution in English history.
• Charles lashed back against the reforms they
proposed.
• When he attempted to arrest the most radical
leaders, they escaped and formed an army.
• A civil war ensued, lasting from 1642-1649. In the
end, revolutionary forces triumphed.
• Oliver Cromwell led the triumphant New Model
Army for Parliament, and by 1647, the king was in
the hands of parliamentary forces.
Execution of King Charles
• After the war, Parliament
set up court to put King
Charles on trial.
• He was condemned as
tyrant, traitor, and public
enemy, and beheaded.
• 1st time in history that a
monarch had been tried
and executed by his own
people.
• Sent clear message that in
England, no ruler could
claim absolute power and
ignore the rule of law.
The Commonwealth
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After execution of Charles I,
House of Commons abolished
monarchy, House of Lords, and
Church of England.
Declared England a republic
called the Commonwealth, which
was led by Oliver Cromwell.
Enforced strict military rule.
Under the Commonwealth,
Puritans replaced the Church of
England. Strict piety.
After Cromwell died, Puritans
lost their grip on England.
Charles II
• Many English were tired of military rule and strict
Puritan ways
• After a decade of kingless rule, Parliament invited
Charles II to return to England from exile.
• Unlike his father, Charles II was a popular ruler who
avoided his father’s mistakes in dealing with
Parliament.
• Restored Church of England and promoted religious
tolerance.
James II, William & Mary
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Charles II’s brother James II
inherited the throne.
Unlike Charles II, he angered
Parliament and attempted to
restore Catholic Church.
Parliament invited his Protestant
daughter Mary and her husband
William of Orange to become
rulers of England.
When they arrived, James fled to
France. Non-violent overthrow
known as the Glorious
Revolution.
English Bill of Rights
• Before they could be crowned, William and Mary had to
accept several acts passed by Parliament that became known as
the English Bill of Rights.
• It ensured superiority of Parliament over the monarchy.
• Required monarch to summon Parliament regularly and
forbade monarch from interfering with debate or suspending
laws.
• Also restored trial by jury and affirmed principle of habeas
corpus in which no one could be held in prison without first
being charged with a specific crime.
• Created a limited monarchy form of government. Set England
apart from the rest of Europe.
Austria & Prussia
• Struggle between Protestant North and Catholic
South in Germany triggered the Thirty Years’ War.
• The war led to severe depopulation. As many as 1/3
of the people in the German states died during the
wars.
• Finally exhausted combatants accepted treaties like
the Peace of Westphalia.
• Left Germany divided into more than 360 separate
states.
Hapsburg Austria
• Though weakened by war Hapsburgs wanted
to create a strong united state.
• Focused attention on expanding their own
lands. Added Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland
to Austria.
• Difficult to unite these diverse lands.
• When Hapsburg emperor Charles VI died,
many did not recognize his daughter, Maria
Theresa’s right to rule.
Maria Theresa
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Maria Theresa appealed to
Hungarian assembly for help .
They agreed.
Despite resistance, she was able to
preserve her empire and win
support of most of her people.
She strengthened Hapsburg
power by reorganizing the
bureaucracy and improving tax
collection.
Forced nobles to pay taxes, easing
the tax burden on peasants.
Formed strong Catholic state.
Rise of Prussia
• Meanwhile, Prussia
emerged as a new Protestant
power.
• Under Prussian ruler
Frederick William I, a great
army was assembled . He
became known as Frederick
the Great.
• Prussia emerged along with
Austria, France, England,
and Russia, as one of the
great powers of Europe.
Russia
• Russia was in a period called “Time of troubles”
• Untouched by Renaissance and European
reformations and completely isolated
• Conservative Russians held onto Russian Orthodox
Church and traditions
• Not until 1682 did a czar emerge who was strong
enough to regain order and maintain absolute power
of earlier czars.
• Peter Mikhailov (Peter the Great) was that czar who
pushed Russia to become a great modern power.
Russia
Peter The Great and The Romanovs
• The most dominant figure in the
Russian history
• He learned from European
cultures and was inspired by
them to completely reform
Russia.
• Traveled around Europe
examining the way modern
government, technology, and
culture were managed in Western
Europe. Wanted to catch Russia
up to them.
Russia
Peter The Great
• Embarked on a policy of westernization, or adoption of
western ideas, technology, and culture.
• Had difficulty convincing Russians to change their way of life.
• To impose his will, he became the most autocratic of Europe’s
monarchs. Tortured and killed those who challenged him.
• Also strengthened military, expanded Russian borders,
• Brought Russian Orthodox Church under his control, and
expanded serfdom (like feudalism/slavery).
• Used serfs to serve the state. They were used to work on
government projects like building roads, canals, etc.
• Enforced mercantilist policies and expanded trade.
Russia
St. Petersburg
• Built new capital city at St.
Petersburg. Called it a
“window on the West.”
• Just as Versailles was a
monument to French
absolutism, St. Petersburg
became symbolic of Russian
absolutism as well as a
symbol of modern Russia.
Russia
Catherine The Great
• A German princess, who got to the
throne by marrying Russian heir
• Continued at what Peter started –
extended Russian territory, brought
even more reforms
• Intelligent and educated woman, a
student of French thinkers, who led
Enlightment
• Many similiarities in her reign to
that of Peter the Great. Strong ruler,
but often ruthless.
Russian absolutism
• Absolute power of the czars was inherited.
• Cruel, almost tyrannical reign of Peter was
necessary in order to tame turmoil and
prevent upheaval of power in Russia.