Lecture 26: Social Crisis and Absolutism

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Lecture 26 Social Crisis and Absolutism
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-- Period between 1560 and 1650 is toward
absolutism (complete control by
monarchies) -- Thirty Years War (1618-48)
results from dynastic rivalries among German
princes and desire of European powers to limit
power of the Holy Roman Empire and ruling
Austrian Habsburg family -- Four phases
Palatine-Bohemian (1618-25) Danish
(1625-29) Swedish (1630-35) and French
(1636-48) -- Phase I revolt in Protestant
Bohemia against Austrian rulers (Catholics)
results in Austrian defeat Phase II Denmark
enters war against remaining Austrians Phase
III Sweden under Gustavus Adolphus joins
Protestants but are defeated by Catholic France
which joins war to oppose Austrias ally, Spain
Phase IV French receive Alsace and Sweden
receives Baltic provinces under Treaty of
Westphalia (1648)
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-- After 1648, power of Spain and Austria
declines, ) German principalities become more
autonomous population of German states reduced
by 1/3 as a result of war 15-20 of
European population die from armed conflict,
famine and disease -- Power of monarchs
consolidated after 1648, despite protest
of bourgeoisie which revolts against high taxes
(La Fronde) -- 1661 Louis XIV announces he will
be his own first minister, rules France
autocratically for next 54 rules becomes
the symbol of the Age of Absolutism -- Jansenist
s unsuccessfully respond to Louiss dominance
over the Catholic Church (right to appoint
clergy, etc.) -- Palace of Versailles was
Louiss monument to his excess
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-- Louis revokes Edict of Nantes which since 1598
had allowed Protestants to worship legally
French Huguenot preachers are expelled from
France worship forbidden, meeting houses
demolished 200-300,000 Huguenots (artisans,
intellectuals, army officers) leave France --
Louis leads France into four costly wars, all
with aim of reduc- ing power of the Habsburgs
and extending French frontiers 1667 Louis
claims Spanish Netherlands, France loses war
with Spain but gains 11 fortified outposts on
its northeastern borders -- 1672 Louis attacks
the Dutch Republic after six years of war,
gains Franche-Comte on eastern frontier and 12
new towns 1689 coalition of powers forces
Louis to stop annexing territories -- Charles II
of Spain, with no direct heirs, wills his kingdom
to grandson of Louis VIX, Philip of Anjou,
igniting War of Spanish Succession because other
powers fear an enlarged France
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-- War of Spanish succession continues for 13
years (1701-14) ended by Peace of Utrecht
(1713, but fighting goes on until 1714) Philip
of Anjou confirmed as ruler of Spain -- Spain
between 1550 and 1650, Spain has the largest
empire in the world ruled by Spanish Habsburg
dynasty -- Son of Philip II, Philip IV, depletes
the treasury and expels remaining Moriscos,
which decreases labor and rents -- Internal
revolts follow losses after Thirty Years War,
and over-taxed subjects revolt -- Italian
states after 1559 ruled by Philip II of Spain
because his father was the Holy Roman Emperor
until 1715, only Florence, Venice and the Papal
States are relatively independent
much persecution of intellectuals after the
Catholic Reformation Austria replaces Spain as
dominant power
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-- German states 300 German principalities in
northeast, ruled by Hohenzollern family by 1609
add land along Rhine, later Duchy of Prussia, so
that Brandenburg-Prussia is three
disconnected land masses in western, central and
eastern Germany after 1648 Peace Conference at
Westphalia, B-P gains contiguous border ruled by
Frederick William the Elector -- Frederick
William raises army to over 40,000 men, fights
with nobility but give them absolute power over
the peasants, no taxation and highest ranks in
the army (Junkers) -- Frederick William
creates commission which collects new excise
taxes, new industrial and commercial
enterprises -- Follows mercantilist policies of
high tariffs, subsidies and monopolies for
manufacturers invites immigration and
French Huguenots settle in Prussia
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-- Habsburgs after loss of Spanish and German
lands, dynasty turns to East and Southeast
Europe, attempts to expand into areas held by
Ottoman Empire -- 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz gives
Habsburgs control of Hungary, Transylvania,
Croatia and Slovenia after War of
Spanish Succession, Austria receives Spanish
Netherlands, Milan, Mantua, Sardinia and Naples
by beginning of 1700s, Archduke of Austria is
also King of Bohemia and Hungary -- Habsburg
Empire is merely collection of territories, each
with its own laws, national assemblies and
political life -- Russia by 17th century would
emerge as a modern nation state under Peter the
Great (1689-1725) attempts to move Russia from
primitive, feudal state with landed assembly
(Zemsky Sobor) to modern state
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Europe c. 1557
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-- After visit to West in 1697, Peter creates
colleges of war, foreign affairs, justice, etc.
to replace Sobor divides Russian into
provinces builds standing army of 210,000 men
who serve for 25 years -- All landholders
required to serve in either government or
army Peter creates Table of Ranks which gives
non-nobles ability to serve the state and
eventually gain noble status -- Peter attempts
to control powerful Russian Orthodox Church
by creating a Holy Synod lead by layman who
reported to Peter -- Peter attacks Sweden in
attempt to gain warm water port, gains Estonia,
Livonia and Karelia -- 1703 Peter begins to
build St. Petersburg on marshland near northern
Baltic capital until Revolution of 1917 (and
again now)
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-- Scandinavia by 1600s Sweden becomes
independent from Denmark both then fight over
territory in northern Europe -- Denmark,
unsuccessful in 30 Years War and war with
Sweden, have constitutional crisis which leads
to centralized administra- tion with nobility as
chief officeholders -- Sweden Gustavus Adolphus
(1611-32) enlarges central govern- ment and
creates more stable monarchy dies in
battle -- His daughter, Christina abdicates in
favor of her cousin, Charles X 91654-60)
Charles XI (1660-97) creates an absolute
monarchy -- By 1697, Sweden a more bureaucratic,
monarchial state with improved army and navy and
subdued parliament and church -- By 1718,
Charles XII loses most of its northern empire to
Russia, becomes second class state
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-- Witchcraft persecution of witches, most
often older, single women or widows resumes in
much of Europe -- Pope Innocent VIII sends
Dominican monks to Germany to investigate
witchcraft The Hammer of Witches
(standard handbook on practice of witchcraft and
how to identify a witch) is published
(1486) -- 100,000 people prosecuted for
witchcraft virtually all victims belonged to
the lower classes, were poor and
propertyless -- Persecution of witches may have
developed as the result of uncertainties and
religious ambiguities created by the
Reformation, as well as personal revenge