Absolutely Absolute

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Absolutely Absolute
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What is absolutism?

• Period of time when Europes monarchs got
  stronger
• Monarchs ruled with absolute power
• Divine Right Theory
• Idea that God had chosen the monarch to rule
• Everyone believes the theory during this period
• If you question the king, you question God

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Strengths of Absolute Monarchies

• Efficiency
• Decisions are made by one person
• Nationalism
• Promoted a common culture and identity
• Stability
• The ruler stays in power until death
• Wealth
• No resistance means a large and powerful empire

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Weaknesses of Absolute Monarchies

• Undemocratic
• No collaboration of ideas
• Individual rights
• Often violated
• Stability
• If the ruler was poor, it could affect the
  country for decades

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How to achieve more power?

• Monarchs gained power generally in one of two
  ways
• Raising taxes
• Increased their overall wealth
• Waging war
• Victory often led to riches
• PLUS. many citizens were very willing to trust
  their leader.

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Central Monarchs Clash

• The Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
• Fought between Protestants and Catholics
  (Hapsburgs) in the Holy Roman Empire over
  religious and territorial differences.
• First 12 years, Catholics are successful
• Next 18 years, Protestants eventually gain the
  advantage
• Peace of Westphalia-Ends the Thirty
• Years War
• Helped to shape formation of future nations

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States Form in Central Europe

• Economic Contrasts with the West
• Serfdom still strong in eastern Europe
• Weak Empires
• Ottoman Empire
• Holy Roman Empire
• The rise of Austria and Prussia
• Due to the end of the Holy Roman Empire

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States Form in Eastern Europe (cont)

• Austria Grows Stronger
• Gains Hungary and Bohemia
• Wiped out Protestantism
• Maria Theresa (Hapsburg) Inherits the Throne
• Fought constantly with Prussia
• Limited the labor that nobles could force
  peasants to do

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Prussia Challenges Austria

• The Rise of Prussia
• Became a rigidly controlled, highly militarized
  society
• Controlled by the King and landowning nobles
• Frederick the Great
• Hohenzollern
• Very practical leader
• Atheist- established religious toleration
• Very aggressive in foreign affairs

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Prussia Challenges Austria (cont)

• War of Austrian Succession
• War between Prussia and Austria (1740)
• France helped Prussia, England and Austria
• Prussia wins in 1748, becoming a major European
  power
• The Seven Years War
• Austria, France, Russia vs. Prussia and Britain
• 1756 Frederick attacked an Austrian
• ally, beginning the war
• War did not change European territory
• France lost all colonies in North America and
• India to Britain

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Russian History

• Russia Contrasts with Europe
• Economically
• Still heavily reliant on serfdom
• Socially
• Mongols kept Russia isolated from Renaissance and
  Age of Exploration
• Geographically
• Ports froze during winter
• Size of Russia was a problem
• Religious differences
• Europe Catholic or Protestant
• Russia Orthodox

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The Absolute Rulers of Russia

• The First Czar
• Ivan IV (The Terrible)
• became czar (caesar) in 1533
• Took control over the nobles
• Rule by Terror
• Police force organized to track down and murder
  traitors to Ivan
• Killed many nobles (boyars) and gave the land to
  new, more loyal nobles

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The Absolute Rulers of Russia (cont)

• Rise of the Romanovs
• After Ivan IVs death (1584), the Time of
  Troubles occurred nobles struggling for power
• 1613 Michael Romanov was chosen as the next czar
• Romanov Dynasty 1613-1917

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• For you know yourself that, though a thing be
  good and necessary, our people will not do it
  unless forced to

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Peter The Great1689-1725

• Peters Reforms
• Russian Orthodox Church under state control
• Reduced the power of landowners
• Hired European military officers
• Westernizing Russia
• Peter visits the West
• Wanted to learn about European
• customs and manufacturing techniques
• Introduced potatoes
• Womens status increased
• Nobles had to give up traditional dress
• Advanced education

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Peter Rules Absolutely

• Establishing St. Petersburg
• Wanted to establish a seaport
• Make it easier to get to Europe
• Warm water port would not freeze in winter
• Built on a swamp
• 25-100K people died to build the city
• Became a very important port city

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St. Petersburg
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English Civil War

• War Topples a King
• Parliament tried to limit the powers of King
  Charles I starts a war instead
• English Civil War (1642-1649)
• Royalists (Cavaliers) vs. Roundheads
• Puritan Roundheads won
• Tried, convicted and executed Charles I
• Never had a monarch been tried and executed

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Oliver Cromwell

• Oliver Cromwells Rule
• General during the war who now led the country
• Established a republican government
• Had to squash a rebellion in Ireland
• Puritan Morality
• Ruled with an iron fist.
• Sought to reform society
• Abolish sinful activities sports, theater
• Religious toleration for all except Catholics
• Cromwell ruled until death, govt collapsed

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Restoration and Revolution

• Charles II Reigns
• Restored the Monarchy of England
• Reformed the legal system
• Habeas Corpus- must have a reason to have a
  person arrested.
• James II and the Glorious Revolution
• King James offended many b/c of his Catholicism
• Parliament worried of a Catholic line of Kings
• Jamess Protestant daughter Mary and her husband
  William were asked by Parliament to overthrow
  James
• William invaded, and James fled Bloodless
  Revolution known as the Glorious Revolution

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Limits on Monarchs Power

• Bill of Rights
• William and Mary established a constitutional
  monarchy
• Limits on royal power increased
• Establishment of the English Bill of Rights
• Cabinet System Develops
• Became the link between the King and Parliament -
  advisors to the King
• Leader of the majority party heads the cabinet
  Prime Minister

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English Bill of Rights

• Ruler cannot
• Suspend Parliaments laws
• Levy taxes without permission
• Interfere with freedom of speech
• Penalize a citizen who criticizes the King