The Rise of European Absolutism

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The Rise of European
Absolutism
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What is Absolutism?

• Absolutism
• A form of
  government in
  which all power is vested
  in a single ruler or
  authority

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The Divine Right of Kings

• The belief that God
  granted monarchs
  with the power to
  rule
• Implications
• The king was
  answerable ONLY to
  God

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Development of Absolutism

• Long-Term Causes of Absolutism
• The rise of cities the support of the
  middle class
• The growth of national kingdoms
• The loss of authority within the church
• The decline of feudalism

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Development of Absolutism

• Immediate Causes of Absolutism
• Religious and territorial conflicts
• Revolts by peasants and nobles
• The growth of national armies
• The need for higher taxes

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Long-Term Causes
Immediate Causes
ABSOLUTE RULER
Long-Term Effects
Immediate Effects
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Effects of Absolutism

• Immediate Effects of Absolutism
• Strict regulation of religious social
  gatherings
• Loss of power among the nobility
• Tight economic controls
• Large building projects

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Effects of Absolutism

• Long-Term Effects of Absolutism
• The westernization of Russia
• Widespread political reforms in England
  significant impact on the development of U.S.
  democracy
• Political revolution in France

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• After the Age of Exploration, FIVE European
  countries emerged and began to dominate Europe
• ENGLAND
• FRANCE
• AUSTRIA
• PRUSSIA
• RUSSIA

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Russian Absolutism
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Ivan the Terrible
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Boyar Policy

• Boyars
• Russian nobles
• Boyar Policy
• Ivan reduced the
  nobilitys threat
  to the
  throne by seizing their
  land and
  placing it under his control

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Oprichniki

• Established by
  Ivan
  the
  Terrible
• A secret police force that was used to terrorize
  the Russian people

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Peter the Great
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Western Customs

• Peter the Great forced the Russian nobility to
  adopt western customs
• EXAMPLES
• Clothing
• Hair Styles
• Women parties

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NOOO! Not the beard!!
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Saint Petersburg

• Built a new
  
  Russian capital
• Window
  to the
  West
• Nobles were required to have a house in Saint
  Petersburg

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Territorial Expansion

• Peter the Great took territory from Sweden
• Gave Russia access to the sea
• North Baltic region

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Noble Taxation

• Russian nobles
  paid
  NO taxes
• Burden fell on
  
  the poor in
  
  Russia

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Economic Reforms

• Brought agriculture
  
  craft production under
  
  strict government
  
  control
• Gave incentives to
  increase production
  in
  mining metalworking

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The German States
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The Thirty Years War

• Religious conflict in the Holy Roman Empire
  (Germany)
• Protestant States v. Catholic States
• The Peace of Westphalia ends the war
• Divides the Holy Roman Empire into 30 Kingdoms

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Austria

• The Hapsburg
  
  family of Austria
  
  sets up a strong
  
  monarchy
• Most famous
  monarch
  Maria
  Theresa (1740)

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Prussia

• Very militaristic
• Becomes the most powerful of the German states
• The heart of modern-day Germany

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France
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Edict of Nantes

• A declaration of
  religious
  toleration
• Issued by Henry IV
• Granted Protestants
  the right
  to worship
  in areas
  where they
  were a
  majority

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Edict of Nantes

• Ended religious strife in France
• Allowed the French to focus on rebuilding

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Rebuilding

• Henry IV
• Issued the Edict of Nantes
• Restored the crowns treasury
• Supported trade/industry
• Gained the support of the common people

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Intendants

• Local administrators who
  represented the crown
• Administrators came from
  the middle class
• King had the power to
  appoint remove these
  administrators

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Intendants

• Weakened the
  power of the
  nobility
• Originally
  
  introduced by
  Louis
  XIIIs chief
  minister Cardinal
  
  Richelieu

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Huguenot Policy

• Huguenots French
  
  Protestants
• Richelieu believed
  that Huguenot cities
  
  prevented a strong
  centralized
  
  government from forming

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Huguenot Policy

• Directed an
  
  attack on
  
  Huguenot
  
  
  seaports, but
  
  maintained
  
  
  religious
  toleration

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French Academy

• Established by Cardinal Richelieu
• Established fixed rules for the French language
  became the preferred language of European
  diplomacy
• Elevated FR on the international scene

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Letat, cest moi

• King Louis XIV
• The Sun King
• Source of all
  political
  
  authority
  
  in France

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Palace of Versailles
Built by Louis XIV
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Noble Taxation

• Nobles were
  
  exempt from
  
  paying most
  
  taxes
• Helped the king gain loyalty while reducing the
  power of the nobles

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Huguenots (1685)

• In 1685 the Edict of Nantes was revoked
• Ended religious toleration for Protestants
• All Frenchmen under the
  control of
  the Catholic
  Church