Download Age of Absolutism

Chapter 17
The Age of Absolutism
(1550-1800)
The Hapsburgs
 Hapsburgs started out as dukes of Austria
 Will gain control of vast amounts of land through
carefully arranged marriages and diplomacy
 Charles V will inherit all the Hapsburg lands which
will include: Spain, the Netherlands, parts of Italy,
Holy Roman Empire and the Empire of the
Americas
 So powerful was Charles V that diplomacy changed
in Europe—introduction of the idea of balance of
power—no one country should have overwhelming
power over other
Charles V
Fought wars in France, Italy, Germany and against
the Ottoman Turks (Muslims)
Abdicated his throne in 1556 and retired
Split empire between his brother, Ferdinand I
(HRE and Austria)and son, Philip II (Spain,
Netherlands, Empire of the Americas, parts of
Italy)
The Golden Age of Spain
 King Philip II ruled for 42 years as an absolute
monarch—complete authority over the government
and lives of the people
 Believed in the idea of divine right of kings which
meant his right to rule came directly from God
 During his reign Spain was the strongest country in
Europe
 Built magnificent palace, the Escorial
Philip II
 Philip saw himself as the guardian of the
Roman Catholic Church.
 Led the Catholic Reformation in Spain and
used Inquisition against the Moriscoes
(descendants of former Muslim converts)
 In 1571 defeated Ottoman navy at the Battle
of Lepanto
 In 1580 will take over Portugal
Rebellion in The Netherlands
 Philip II tried to centralize power
 Dutch resented Spanish influence because they felt
Philip was putting Spanish interests first—taxes
were high which caused economic issues
(Netherlands richest part of empire)
 Religious differences also caused problems (Dutch
were Protestant)
 Protestants (Dutch Calvinist) revolted in 1566 when
Philip tried to enforce laws against Protestants
Dutch Rebellion
 The Duke of Alva (Alba) was dispatched to put
down rebellion—harsh measures used
 Leader of the Dutch was William of Orange who
used guerrilla warfare tactics
 Added by Elizabeth I the seven northern provinces
(Dutch Netherlands) gained independence
 10 southern provinces remained loyal to Spain and
became the Spanish Netherlands
 Dutch Netherlands came out of rebellion as a
powerful commercial nation
Spanish Armada
 English Sea Dogs –
pirates who attacked
Spanish shipping
 They were supported
by Elizabeth I
 The “Sea Dogs” leader
was Francis Drake—
second to sail around
the world
The Spanish Armada
 To end English attacks and subdue the Dutch, Philip
prepared a huge armada, or fleet, to carry a Spanish
invasion force to England. In 1588, the Armada sailed with
more than 130 ships, 20,000 men, and 2,400 pieces of
artillery.
 Sea battle ensued (English ships smaller and quicker) and
with the help of a storm (Protestant Wind) the Armada was
defeated
 Many Spanish ships destroyed on rocks of coast of Ireland
 England will become dominate naval power and Spain will
begin a long decline
Century of Gold
 1550-1650 was period of great achievements
in literature, painting and philosophy in Spain
 Famous painters include El Greco and Diego
Velazquez
 Cervantes—Don Quixote
 Spain at the height of their splendor
Spanish Decline
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
 Costly overseas wars drained wealth out of Spain
almost as fast as it came in.
 Treasure from the Americas led Spain to neglect
farming and commerce.
 American gold and silver led to soaring inflationSpain too dependent on New World gold
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French Wars of Religion
 Henry II, King of France was killed during a jousting
tournament celebrating his daughter’s marriage
 Catherine de Medici served as regent for her three sons
who inherited the throne– Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry
III
 The Valois dynasty began to decline after Henry II’s death
 Political struggles tore France apart
 Three families fought for control—Valois, Guise (powerful
Catholic noble family), and Bourbon (most powerful
Protestant family)
Wars of Religion
 Violence will erupt between Catholics and
Huguenots (French Calvinist)—9 civil wars
erupted between 1562-1589
 on August 24, 1572 St. Bartholomew Day
Massacre will happen—authorized by Charles IX
on the advice of his mother
 Many powerful Huguenots were attending the
wedding of Henry of Navarre and the king’s sister,
Marguerite
Wars of Religion
 Violence spread to the countryside (both sides
committed atrocities)
 War erupted between the groups wanting the throne
 War is called the War of the Three Henry’s
 Henry III (last of the Valois) allies himself with
Henry of Navarre after the assassination of Henry,
Duke of Guise
 Henry III will later be assassinated leaving Henry of
Navarre to claim the throne
France
 In 1589, a Huguenot prince inherited
the French throne as Henry IV
(formally Henry of Navarre) as the first
Bourbon king
 Crowned king of France (“Paris is well
worth a mass”) after converting to
Catholicism again
To protect Protestants, Henry IV issued
the Edict of Nantes, which granted
Huguenots religious toleration and let
them fortify their own towns and cities.
France
 Henry IV is assassinated
 1624 – 9 year old Louis XIII becomes king and will
eventually appoint a chief minister to oversee
government
 Cardinal Richelieu appointed chief minister and
was a Catholic cardinal
 Sets out to destroy the power of the nobles and the
Huguenots
 Defeats the private armies of the nobles and
destroys their fortified castles
 Outlawed Huguenot armies and took down the
walls around their cities
Richelieu
 Hapsburgs are seen as France’s greatest
enemy—goal was to make France most
powerful nation in Europe
 Richelieu supported any country or state
fighting against Hapsburgs to weaken them
 Did not let religion interfere with political
decisions
Louis XIV – The Sun King
 1643 – 4/5 years old Louis XIV became
king of France– Cardinal Jules
Mazarin his chief minister—Queen
Anne served as regent
 The Fronde (reaction to attempt of
crown to raise money) erupted when
Louis XIV was 9—caused Louis to not
trust Parisians
 1661 – Louis XIV took over the
government (72 years as king)
 Louis took the sun as the symbol of his
absolute power and was often quoted as
saying, “I am the state.”
Louis XIV
During his 72-year reign, Louis did not once call a
meeting of the Estates General.
Louis expanded the bureaucracy and appointed
intendants (originally used by Richelieu), royal
officials who collected taxes, recruited soldiers, and
carried out Louis’s policies in the provinces.
Louis created the strongest army in Europe, which he
used to enforce his policies at home and abroad.
Louis XIV
 Jean Baptiste Colbert – Finance minister
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Believed in mercantilism
Cleared new farm land
Encouraged new industries
High tariffs against imports to protect home
industries
 Encouraged overseas colonies
 Made France the wealthiest nation in Europe
Palace at Versailles
 Louis XIV had a royal palace built just
outside Paris
 More than ¼ mile long
 Over 700 rooms (and over 1,000 fountains)
 Housed more than 10,000 people
 Most famous room is the Hall of Mirrors
 Decorated in baroque style—religious
emotionalism, drama, and lavish decoration
and frescoes
Classical Age of France
French culture, manners, and customs became
the European standard.
The arts flourished in France.
French style of painting, music, architecture &
fashion became the model for Europe
the ballet – new from France
Louis XIV sponsored French Academies
The Wars of Louis XIV
 1685 – Louis XIV revokes the Edict of
Nantes
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100,000 Huguenots flee the country
Hurts the French economy
One king and one country
Religious unity key to political unity
The Wars of Louis XIV
 Louis XIV expands French borders ( 4 major wars)
 Other countries will form alliances to check France &
maintain the balance of power
 War of Spanish Succession – 1700 -1713
 Charles II (S) was born a monstrosity (Hapsburg Jaw)--last
Hapsburg to rule Spain—named Louis XIV grandson heir
 Philip V of Spain is Louis XIV grandson, Louis wants to
join the 2 countries
 1713 – Treaty of Utrecht – France is spent physically &
economically—ended the war of Spanish Succession—
Philip V could stay on throne of Spain but thrones of France
and Spain could never be ruled by same person
 Britain acquired the Asiento, right to supply African slaves
to Spanish America for 30 years
After the Sun King
 1715 Louis XIV dies
 Louis XIV out lives all his sons and
grandsons
 Left France in economic troubles because of
his many wars
 5 year old Louis XV (great-grandson)
becomes king – weak ruler – ignores
France’s economic problems
England
The Tudors believed in divine right, but also
recognized the value of good relations with
Parliament.
When he broke with the Roman Catholic
Church or when he needed funds, Henry VIII
consulted Parliament.
Elizabeth both consulted and controlled
Parliament.
Stuart Time Line
Stuart Kings
 1603 – James I takes over after the
death of Elizabeth I—first of
Stuart kings—believed in Divine
Right
When he needed funds, James I
dissolved Parliament and collected
taxes on his own.
Also clashed with the Puritans over
religion & the Church of England
Had new edition of Bible written in a
concession to the Puritans
Charles I - 1625 -1649
 Charles behaved like an absolute monarch. He imprisoned
his foes without trial and squeezed the nation for money.
 1628, the need to raise taxes forced Charles to summon
Parliament. Before voting any funds, Parliament insisted that
Charles sign the Petition of Right (king subject to the law,
king could not levy taxes without approval of Parliament,
impose forced loans on his subjects, declare martial law in
peacetime, imprison citizens without trial, or quarter troops
in private homes)
 Charles I signs, gets his money & disbands Parliament
Charles I - 1625 -1649
 1640 - A revolt in Scotland forced Charles I
to call Parliament
 Known as the Long Parliament – lasted from
1640 to 1653
Charles I v. Parliament
 Parliament tried and executed many of the
kings chief ministers (Earl of Strafford and
William Laud) & tried to abolish special
royal courts
 Court of Star Chamber
 Court of High Commission
 1642 – Charles I led troops into Parliament to
arrest its leaders – They escaped
 Result: The English Civil War
English Civil War
 Cavaliers v. Roundheads
 Roundheads led by Oliver Cromwell
 New Model Army
 Charles is captured, tried as “a tyrant, traitor,
murderer, and public enemy,” and is
beheaded
Puritan Rule
After the execution of Charles I, the House of
Commons abolished the monarchy, the
House of Lords, and the official Church of
England. It declared England a republic,
known as the Commonwealth, under the
leadership of Oliver Cromwell, Lord
Protector as he was called
Crushed a rebellion in Ireland (long lasting
hatred between Catholics and Protestants)
Puritan Rule
 Instituted strict rules in England
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No theater
Banned newspapers
No dancing
No dueling
No swearing
Extremely strict about what could be done on
Sundays
The Restoration
 1660 - Parliament invites Charles II to become king
of England – The Restoration
 Charles II (Merry Monarch) very careful in his dealings
with Parliament
 1684 – James II becomes king with the death of his
brother. Parliament is concerned because:
 James raised Catholic
 Appointed Catholics to high offices
 Catholic wife gives birth to a son
The Glorious Revolution
Parliament invited William and Mary to
become rulers of England. When William
and Mary landed in England, James II fled
to France. This bloodless overthrow of a
king became known as the Glorious
Revolution.
The Glorious Revolution
Before they could be crowned, William and
Mary had to accept the English Bill of
Rights, which:
ensured superiority of Parliament over the monarchy.
 gave the House of Commons “power of the purse.”
 prohibited a monarch from interfering with Parliament.
 restated the rights of English citizens.
The Glorious Revolution did not create democracy, but a type
of government called limited monarchy, in which a
constitution or legislative body limits the monarch’s powers.

The Glorious Revolution
 Parliament also passed the Toleration Act of 1689
which granted freedom of religion to Protestants
 Act of Settlement made it illegal for a Catholic to
become ruler of England
 1707 Act of Union—Scotland and England united
(Great Britain)
 Upon the death of William III the throne went to
Queen Anne youngest daughter of James II
Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648
 Germany made up of hundreds of small
independent states – in theory under the Holy
Roman Emperor Ferdinand II
 German princes elected the emperor
 Political and religious divisions
 Protestant Union of 1608 – Northern Provinces
 Catholic League of 1609 – Southern Provinces
Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648
 In May 1618, a few rebellious
Protestant noblemen tossed
two royal officials out of a
castle window in Prague.
(Defenestration of Prague)
Ferdinand II moved to suppress
the Protestants
 Started as a local conflict in
Bohemia
Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648
 Ferdinand II sought help from Catholic countries Spain ,
Poland etc.
 Netherlands and Sweden helped the Protestants
 Hapsburgs dominated first 12 years of war
 Early Protestant leader was Gustavus Adolphus, Swedish
king—drove Hapsburgs out of Northern Germany—killed
during battle of Lutzen which will turn tide of war in favor
of Hapsburgs
 Soon war became more political with rulers changing sides-France (Richelieu/Mazarin) will help Protestant side in war
 WHY?
Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648
 The fighting took a terrible toll. Roving armies of
mercenaries, or soldiers for hire, burned villages, destroyed
crops, and killed without mercy.
 Murder and torture were followed by famine and disease.
Wolves, not seen in settled areas since the Middle Ages,
stalked the deserted streets of once-bustling villages. The
war led to severe depopulation, or reduction in population.
Although exact population statistics do not exist, historians
estimate that as many as one third of the people in the
German states may have died as a result of the war.
Peace of Westphalia - 1648
 Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’ War
 the war ended with a general European peace
 Hapsburgs - big loser forced to accept almost total
independence of German princes
 Germany now more than 360 separate states
 Map of Europe redrawn and will not change for 150
years
 Recognized Calvinism as an official religion in
Holy Roman Empire
 Ended wars of religion in Europe
Europe after the Thirty Years’ War
Austrian Hapsburgs
 Charles VI, Hapsburg ruler,
faced a new crisis. He had no
son. His daughter, Maria
Theresa, was intelligent and
capable, but no woman had yet
ruled Hapsburg lands in her own
name. Charles persuaded other
European rulers to recognize his
daughter's right to succeed him
known as Pragmatic Sanction.
When he died, however, many
ignored their pledge.
Maria Theresa
 The greatest threat came in 1740, when
Frederick II of Prussia seized the rich
Hapsburg province of Silesia.
 War of Austrian Succession – 8 years – failed
to get Prussia out of Silesia but helped to
unite her empire
 Became a worldwide war as Great Britain
and France became involved
Prussia
 1600s –
Hohenzollerns
ruled sections of
northern Germany After Peace of
Westphalia they
united the whole
area
Frederick William, the Great Elector
 Lands were formerly part of Brandenburg and
Prussia
 Slowly built up the Prussian army; would not allow
Prussian people to suffer as they had during Thirty
Years’ War—allowed religious toleration
 Used them as mercenaries for other countries to use
to gain money
 Frederick I, son of Frederick William will be the
first king of Prussia
 Spent lavishly on arts but continued to build
military
Frederick William I
 forged one of the best-trained armies in Europe.
Great emphasis was placed on military values.
 Known as the “Sargent King” (loved all things
military)
 Doubled the size of the army
 Potsdam Guard (Potsdam Giants)
 Comprised of men 6’4 or taller
 Finest precision unit in the world
 Gained the support of the Junkers (landowning nobility) by
giving them exclusive right to be officers in his army
Frederick II – Frederick the Great
 Attacked Silesia – 1740—will start War of
Austrian Succession
 Prussian army one of the most powerful in all of
Europe
 Frederick made brilliant use of his disciplined
army, forcing all to accept Prussia as a great
power.
 Known as an “Enlightened Monarch”—one of
the best educated and cultured monarchs in the
18th century (Enlightened Despot)
 Gave limited freedom of speech and press;
eliminated torture except in treason and murder
cases
Russia
 The Golden Horde (Mongols) had kept Russia from
interacting with the rest of Europe for two centuries
 New Russia emerged in 15th century under leadership of
principality of Muscovy and its grand dukes
 Ivan III will led Russians to independence from Mongols
(Moscow becomes most important city)
 Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) came to throne at age 3—will
be first Russian ruler to officially take title of czar (tsar)-Caesar
 Rule was followed by period of anarchy known as the Time
of Troubles
 1613 – first Romanov (Michael) becomes czar & restored
some sort of order to Russia (Romanov will rule until 1917)
Peter I (Peter the Great)
 1682 - becomes czar at age 10
(co-ruled with brother, Ivan)
 1696 – Peter I takes full control
of the government (Ivan dies)
 1697 – spends a year traveling
and studying western
technology—Grand Embassy
 committed to a policy of
westernization in Russia.
Peter the Great
To impose his will, Peter became the most autocratic of
Europe’s absolute monarchs. During his reign he:
 forced the boyars, or landowning nobles, to serve the
state.
 imported western technology and culture; introduced
potato to diets of Russian serfs
 insisted that the boyars shave their beards and wear
western-style clothing
 used autocratic methods to push through social and
economic reforms.
 imposed policies which caused the spread of serfdom.
 brought all Russian institutions under his control.
Peter the Great
created the largest standing army in Europe and set out to
extend Russian borders to the west and south—built Russia’s
first navy
unsuccessfully fought the Ottomans in an attempt to gain a
warm-water port for Russia.
engaged in a long war with Sweden (Great Northern War), and
eventually won land along the Baltic Sea (Treaty of Nystad)
On land won from Sweden, Peter built a magnificent new
capital city, St. Petersburg, his “Window to the West”
hired a navigator –Vitus Bering- to explore what became
known as the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska.
Catherine the Great (Catherine II)
 Peter I died without a clear successor
 Results: power struggle & series of weak
rulers
 One of those was Peter III – Married a
German princess named Catherine
 She adopted Russian ways
 Converted to Russian Orthodox Church
 The people loved her
Catherine the Great
 1762 Peter III is killed or
murdered and Catherine
takes over rule of Russia
 Supported by military
leaders
Catherine the Great
 reorganized the provincial government, codified laws,
and began state-sponsored education for boys and girls.
 embraced and encouraged Western ideas and culture.
 gained a warm-water port on the Black Sea from Turks
 granted special privileges to the boyars.
 allowed the boyars to increase their control of the
peasants and repressed peasant rebellions.
Poland
 1770s – Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great &
Joseph II of Austria all wanted Poland
 They agreed to partition it rather than fight for it
 Poland had the Diet and each noble had the right to
the “liberum veto” which allowed one noble “to
explode the Diet” –Poland weak because nobles had
all the power
 Results: Partitioned in 1772, 1793 and 1795 – no
more Poland