Absolute Rulers in Europe

Philip II of Spain

Philip II of Spain

Devout Catholic

Drove Muslim Moors & Jews out of Spain

Tortured, killed or exiled thousands of Protestants

Attempted to aid a Catholic in regaining the throne of France

Philip II of Spain

Devout Catholic

The Spanish Armada

In attempt to re-Catholicize England, he attacked England with 130 ships & 19,000 soldiers.

Spain loses in shocking defeat

Wars and Inquisition cost Spain tons of money

Philip II of Spain

Escorial

Philip’s palace

Unlike Louis XIV, his palace was bland & simple

Each room only had a few pieces of furniture

Philip II of Spain

Decisions…Decisions Philip was indecisive

Always ask advisors for help, but… Frequently didn’t listen to

them

Often took a great deal of time to make decisions and on many occasions waited too long

Legacy Left Spain bankrupt

Went from richest country in the world to one in bankruptcy

Peter the Great

Peter the Great

A Renaissance Man Shipbuilding

Served in military & navy

Loved to wrestle

Fascinated by architecture

Builds St. Petersburg

Dabbled in carpentry

Peter the Great

Westernize and Modernize

Peter believed Russia was years behind the rest of Europe

Invited European engineers, architects, artists, merchants, shipbuilders, and craftsmen to Russia in order to catch the country up to the rest of Europe

Peter the Great

Reforms Changed Russian calendar

to coincide with rest of Europe

All noble children (ages 10-15) had to be taught geometry and mathematics

Outlawed beards unless you paid a special tax

Created poll tax to build up manufacturing

Organized a Russian army and built a navy

The Enlightened Despots

Maria Theresa of Austria

Maria Theresa

Reduced the power of local leaders and increased the power of the crown, but did so to benefit the people of Austria

Reformed the tax system Reduced taxes on peasants, while raising them on nobility

Opened public schools

Removed capital punishment from penal code

Outlawed torture

Decency police Cut down on quality of life crimes

Maria Theresa

Limited the amount of labor nobles could force peasants to do

Sent people to unlived rural areas to increase farm production

When poor weather left many hungry and starving, Maria Theresa ordered the wild animals of her private forest killed since they were eating the peasants food source

Joseph II

Son of Maria Theresa

Expanded many of his mother’s reforms

Chose officials based on their talents and merits rather than status (meritocracy)

Abolished feudalism

Practiced religious tolerance

Frederick the Great

King of Prussia

Granted religious freedom

Improved education

Relaxed censorship laws

“first servant of the state.”

Catherine the Great

Empress of Russia

Wrote letters to Enlightenment thinkers

Built schools and hospitals

Promoted education of women

Tried to end torture

After peasant revolts Catherine overturned many of her reforms