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AP European Studies Study Guide: Absolutism and Constitutionalism College Board Overview Absolutism and Constitutionalism Between 1648 and 1815, the sovereign state was consolidated as the principle form of political organization across Europe. Justified and rationalized by theories of political sovereignty, states adopted a variety of methods to acquire the human, fiscal (financial), and material resources essential for the promotion of their interests. Although challenged and sometimes effectively resisted by various social groups and institutions, the typical state of the period, best exemplified by the rule of Louis XIV in France, asserted claims to absolute authority within its borders. A few states, most notably England and the Dutch Republic, gradually developed governments in which the authority of the executive was restricted by legislative bodies protecting the interests of the landowning and commercial classes. Between the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), European states managed their external affairs within a balance of power system. In this system, diplomacy became a major component of the relations among states. Most of the wars of the period, including conflicts fought outside of Europe, stemmed from attempts either to preserve or disturb the balance of power among European states. While European monarchs continued to view their affairs in dynastic terms, increasingly, reasons of state influenced policy. Main Theme or Themes States and other Institutions of Power (SP) Additional Themes Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions (OS) Key Concept Different models of political sovereignty affected the relationship among states and between states and individuals. I. In much of Europe, absolute monarchy was established over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries. A. Absolute monarchies limited the nobility’s participation in governance but preserved the aristocracy’s social position and legal privileges. i. Absolute monarchs II. III. 1. Louis XIV 2. Peter the Great of Russia 3. Philip II, III and IV of Spain B. Louis XIV and his finance minter, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, extended the administrative, financial, military, and religious control of the central state over the French population. C. In the 18th century, a number of states in eastern and central Europe experimented with Enlightened absolutism i. Enlightened Monarchs 1. Frederick II of Prussia 2. Joseph II of Austria D. The inability of the Polish monarchy to consolidate its authority over the nobility led to Poland’s partition by Prussia, Russia, and Austria and its disappearance from the map of Europe. E. Peter the Great “westernized” the Russian State and Society, transforming political, religious, and cultural institutions. Catherine the Great continued this process Challenges to absolutism resulted in alternative political systems. A. The outcome of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution protected the rights of gentry and aristocracy from absolutism through assertions of the rights of Parliament i. English Bill of Rights ii. Parliamentary sovereignty B. The Dutch Republic developed an oligarchy of urban gentry and rural landholders to promote trade and protect traditional rights. After 1648, dynastic and state interests, along with Europe’s expanding colonial empires, influenced the diplomacy of European stats and frequently led to war. A. As a result of Holy Roman Empire’s (HRE)limitation of sovereignty in the Peace of Westphalia, Prussia rose to power and the Habsburgs, centered in Austria, shifted their empire eastward. i. Prussian and Habsburg Rulers 1. Maria Theresa of Austria 2. Frederick William I of Prussia 3. Frederick II of Prussia B. After the Austrian defeat of the Turks in 1683 at the Battle of Vienna, the Ottomans ceased their westward expansion. C. Louis XIV’’s nearly continuous wars, pursuing both dynastic and state interests provoked a coalition of European powers opposing him. i. Dutch Wars ii. Nine Years’ War (France vs the rest of Europe) iii. War of Spanish Succession D. Rivalry between Britain and France resulted in world wars fought in both Europe and the colonies, with Britain supplanting France as the greatest European power. The English Civil War The Stuart Kings James I James II Charles I Charles II William and Mary Thomas Hobbes Leviathan John Locke Parliamentarians Levellers Roundheads Cavaliers Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector Glorious Revolution Right of Revolution Absolute Monarchy Constitutional Monarchy The Stuart Restoration English Bill of Rights House of Commons ship money "Rump" Parliament Long Parliament Act of Settlement Commonwealth and Protectorate English Civil War divine-right monarchy Petition of Rights (213) Short Parliament Long Parliament Magna Carta Anglican Church The New Model Army The Test Act Whigs Tories Limited Monarchy and Republics How did Britain’s monarchy become the world’s first constitutional monarchy? What events and people were involved in this process? What were the struggles between the king and Parliament in England? How did religion contribute to the increasing tensions in England? What caused the English Civil War? How did the government of England change under Cromwell? Why did some, who supported Parliament in its fight against the king, worry about achieving victory? Why did Scotland support Parliament? In what ways was the government of England a limited monarchy? Was the English Civil War a religious war or a secular war? What is absolutism? The Dutch Republic Terms Federalism oligarchy confederation William of Orange/The House of Orange States General Stadtholder Dutch East India Company The Dutch Reformed Church “real wages” Rembrandt, The Night Watch (1642) Vermeer Tariffs Concepts What was the “Golden Age” of the Dutch Republic? Why was it called this? Why is it incorrect to call the Dutch Republic “Holland”? When and from whom did the Dutch gain their independence? Describe the structure of the Dutch Republic. How was it organized? What factors (economic, political, social and religious) led to the “Golden Age” of the Dutch Republic? What allowed the Dutch Republic to become an economic power in Europe? Who/what threatened the success of the Dutch Republic? What characterized Dutch painting? What factors led to the decline of the Dutch Republic? Absolutism Concepts List and explain the various political theories that grew out of the Age of Absolutism. By what methods did absolute monarchs gain power? How was art influenced by absolutism? What was the relationship between absolutism and religion? What were the foundations of absolutism in France? To what extent was France an absolute monarchy? Who were the various people who controlled French finances (finance ministers)? What were their policies? What was the purpose of Versailles? How did it contribute to the power of the French Monarchy? What was the purpose of Louis XIV’s wars? What was the economic theory of mercantilism? How did the development of the nations of central and Eastern Europe differ from those of France and England? Who was the “sleeping giant” of Eastern Europe? What were the limits of Absolutism? Cardinal Richelieu Louis XIII Louis XIV the "Sun King" Cardinal Mazarin Bishop Jacques Bossuet Cardinal Fleury Edict of Fontainebleau (aka. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes) Versailles The Fronde intendants War of the Spanish Succession [1701-1714] Treaties of Utrecht [1713-1714] mercantilism Taille Jean-Baptiste Colbert Parlement of Paris Estates General The capitation Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) War of the Austrian League The War of Spanish Succession The “Modern” State Peter the Great tsar Muscovy Ivan III Ivan IV ["The Terrible"] boyars Time of Troubles Duma The “Time of Troubles” Frederick William, the Great Elector Frederick III [King Frederick I] Brandenburg-Prussia Ottoman Empire Junkers Austrian Habsburgs Hohenzollern