Absolutism

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Absolutism
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Objectives

• Examine absolutism through a comparison of the
  rulers, including Louis XIV and Tsar Peter the
  Great.

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Absolutism in Europe

• The Theory of Absolutism
• Absolute monarchs kings or queens who held all
  of the power within their states boundaries.
• Believed in divine rights the idea that God
  created the monarchy and that the monarch acted
  as Gods representatives on earth.

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Growing Power of Europes Monarchs

• Factors which affected the growing power of
  monarchs
• Feudalism declined.
• Rise of cities
• Growth of national kingdoms
• Growing middle class-Supported due to peace and
  best chance for business
• Church authority broke down
• Crises Lead to Absolutism
• Continuous warfare
• Monarchs responded to the crises by increasing
  their own power. Built huge armies, raised taxes.
  Increased their power

Centralized authority
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Spanish Empire

• Phillips II Empire
• Shy, serious, and deeply religious
• Aggressive
• Seized the Portuguese kingdom
• Phillips empire provided him with wealth
• Spain supported an army of about 50,000 soldiers

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Spanish Empire

• Defender of Catholicism
• Defend Catholicism against the Muslims of the
  Ottoman Empire and the Protestants of Europe
• 1571 sends ships to defeat an Ottoman fleet at
  the popes request
• Spanish Armada
• Even after the defeat, Spain still appeared to be
  powerful because of its wealth.

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French Empire

• Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)
• Inherited throne in 1589
• Converted to Catholicism to be king
• Signed the Edict of Nantes in 1598
• Declared that the Huguenots could live in peace
  in France and set up their own houses of worship
• Reign devoted to rebuilding France and its
  prosperity
• Stabbed to death in 1610

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French Empire

• Louis XIV
• Became king in 1643 at the age of 14
• Cardinal Mazarin true ruler
• Greatest triumph was ending the Thirty Years
  War
• Nobles hated Mazarin because he increased taxes
  and strengthened central government

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French Empire

• As he got older, Louis gained more power
• He weakened the nobles authority
• Excluded nobles from his councils
• Increased the power of government agents,
  intendants
• They communicated with him regularly.

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The Palace at Versailles
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French Empire

• Louis XIV continued
• Attempted to expand Frances boundaries
• 1667 Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands
• 1672 led an army into the Dutch Netherlands
• Ended in 1678 with the Treaty of Nijmegen.
• Fought additional wars
• By 1680s an alliance in Europe formed to stop
  France

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French Empire

• Louiss Death and Legacy
• France was a power to be reckoned with in Europe.
• Ranked above all nations in art, literature, and
  statesmanship.
• France was in staggering debt
• Resentment over the tax burden eventually leads
  to revolution

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Austria Grows Stronger

• Charles VI
• Pragmatic Sanction
• Maria Theresa
• She suspended the meetings of the estates in most
  parts of her dominions
• Favored education, trade, religious toleration,
  the emancipation of the agricultural population
  from feudal burdens only if nothing was to be
  done to weaken her authority

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Prussia

• Frederick the Great
• Followed his fathers military policies when he
  came to power
• Encouraged religious toleration and legal reform

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Absolute Rulers of Russia

• The First Czar
• Ivan IV (The Good Years)
• Seized power and crowned himself czar.
• Won great victories
• Added lands to Russia
• Gave Russia a code of laws
• Rule by Terror (Ivan the Terrible)
• Turned against the boyars
• Organized his own police force
• Using the secret police executed many boyars,
  their families, and the peasants who worked their
  land

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Russia

• Czar Peter I
• 1696 Peter became sole ruler of Russia
• Brought the Russian Orthodox Church under state
  control
• Reduced the power of great landowners
• Modernized army

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Russia

• Westernizing Russia
• Introduced potatoes
• Started Russias first newspaper
• Raised womens status
• Ordered the nobles to give up their traditional
  clothes for Western fashions
• Advanced education
• Established St. Petersburg
• Window on Europe

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English Monarchy

• James I
• Fought with Parliament
• Charles I
• Signed Petition of Right. He agreed to four
  points which forced him to share power with
  Parliament
• Dissolves Parliament
• Charles II Reigns
• Parliament passes habeas corpus
• James II
• Appointed several Catholics to high office
• Parliament protests, James dissolves it
• Glorious Revolution

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Limits of Monarchs Power

• William and Mary crowned king and queen.
• Recognized Parliament as their partner in
  governing
• England becomes a constitutional monarchy(limit
  rulers power)
• Pass Bill of Rights
• States a ruler cannot
• Suspend laws of Parliament
• Levy taxes without a specific grant from
  Parliament
• Interfere with freedom of speech in Parliament
• Penalty for a citizen who petitions the king of
  grievances
• Cabinet System Develops
• Overtime, the cabinet became the center of power
  and policymaking

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Spain France
Type of government Absolute Monarchy king or queen who have complete (absolute) power. Absolute Monarchy king or queen who have complete (absolute) power.
Leaders Phillip II Henry IV Louis XIII Louis XIV
Strengths Brought power and wealth to Spain (i.e. colonies) Made France the most powerful European nation
Weaknesses Inflation Taxation Spanish Armada Debt Palace of Versailles Spanish Succession Taxation
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England Austria/Prussia
Type of government Absolute Monarchy but later becomes a Constitutional Monarchy where laws (Bill of Rights) limits power Absolute Monarchy king or queen who have complete (absolute) power.
Leaders James I Charles I Charles II James II William and Mary Charles VI (Austria) Maria Theresa (Austria) Frederick the Great (Prussia)
Strengths Bill of Rights Reforms Religious toleration Education Proved to be powerful European empires
Weaknesses Debt Civil War Absolute monarchy turns into a constitutional monarchy Thirty Years War War of Austrian Succession Seven Years War
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Russia
Type of government Absolute Monarchy king or queen who have complete (absolute) power.
Leaders Ivan IV Peter the Great
Strengths Expanded Russias borders Code of laws Modernization
Weaknesses Taxation Police state
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The Ottoman Empire

• Suleyman I (son)
• Brought it to its greatest size
• Conquered parts of southeastern Europe
• Won control of the Mediterranean Sea
• Revised laws within his empire
• After his rule, the empire remained, but
  experienced a decline

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Ottoman Expansion
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Safavid Empire

• Shah Abbas
• Reformed his army(2 armies/artillery)
• Removed corrupt government officials
• Empire declined after his death(same mistake as
  Sulyeman made)

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Mughal Empire in India

• After Gupta Empire (remember), Huns and Mongols
  controlled this region. Then fighting between
  the Hindus and Muslims
• Babur
• North India
• Great military leader
• Expanded the empire
• Akbar
• Even as a Muslim, he was accepting of other
  religions
• Ruled very fairly
• Ended a tax against his people regardless of
  their faith
• Successful military leader
• Shah Jahan
• Built Taj Mahal

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Tokugawa Ieyasu

• Japanese military leader and statesman
• Founder of the Tokugawa dynasty of shoguns
• United Japan(alternative attendance policy)
• Worked hard to restore stability to Japan and
  encouraged foreign trade