Absolutism in Early Modern Europe

Philip II of Spain- Son of Emperor Charles V (ruler of Holy Roman Empire from 1520-1555)

- Devout Catholic- Ruled Spain 1556-1598- Married at one time to Mary Tudor ofEngland

- Not tolerant of people of other religions

- Forced Marranos (ex-Jews), Morriscos(ex-Muslims) to flee Spain

- Fought Protestant revolt in the Netherlands (1560s)

- Battle of Lepanto (1571)

Defeat of the Invincible Armada (1588)

Gold and silver from the New World

What was the effect of all this gold and silver on Spain?

• Inflation!!!!

Henry IV and the Edict of Nantes in France (1598)

Louis XIV of France (r.1643-1715), the so-called Sun King

Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles

Versailles – not only a status symbol but also a way for Louis XIV to keep an eye on his nobles

Versailles (interior)

Maria Teresa of Austria

-Holy Roman Empress (r. 1740-1765)

-Member of the Habsburg dynasty

-Devout Roman Catholic

-Wanted religious uniformity

-Inherited throne from father Charles VI (r. 1711-1740)

-Pragmatic Sanction (1718)

-Mother of 16 children, including the future queen Marie Antoinette of France

Francis of Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa’s spouse

Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna

Frederick William, the Great Elector of Prussia-Ruled Prussia from 1640-1688 as Duke and Elector (one of 7 in the Holy Roman Empire)

-Controlled Brandenburg also

-Member of the Hohenzollern dynasty

-Lutheran (Protestant)

-Created a permanent standing army

-Exempted nobles (Junkers) from taxes; taxed townspeople and peasants instead

Frederick William I, aka the Royal Drill Sergeant

-Frederick William I was the second king of Prussia (1713-1740)

-Centralized government, strengthened army (see e.g., his special regiment, the so-called Potsdam Giants)

-Not exactly the model of an enlightened ruler; in fact, he was rather crude and bigoted

Potsdam Giants, aka Langer Kerls

Frederick the Great of Prussia

-Great military strategist-Patron of the Arts-Flutist and Composer of music-Francophile-Friend of Voltaire-Skeptic in matters of religion; pursued policy of religious toleration-King of Prussia (1740-1786)-Expansionist; set off several wars (including the War of Austrian Succession (1741-1748), in which Prussia seized Silesia)-Ally of Great Britain during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) – the first real world war-An enlightened despot?

Silesia (Schlesien) and Poland

Sans Souci Palace, Potsdam

Balance of power and realpolitik

Ivan the Terrible of Russia

-Ruled 1547-1584

-Unsettled childhood

-Reformer at first; tried to diminish the power of the boyars (nobles)

-In 1560 his rule changes; he institutes a reign of terror

-Cause?

-A role model for Stalin?

Peter the Great of Russia (r. 1689-1725)-Member of the Romanov Dynasty

-His main goal: to modernize Russia

-Great Embassy to the West (1697)

-Westernization (e.g., he makes the boyars adopt western dress, cut beards)

- Strengthens army

-Builds St. Petersburg, a new capital on the Gulf of Finland

Peter’s Great Embassy to the West

Catherine the Great of Russia (r. 1762-1796)-Originally German

-Converted to Russian Orthodox faith, learned Russian upon marriage to the future Czar Peter III

-took over after husband died under mysterious circumstances after only ruling for six months

-Expanded Russian territory

-Continued program of modernization, westernization

-Allowed nobles to repress peasantry

Czar Peter III, husband of Catherine II