AKS 42: Absolute Monarchs

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Chapter 21 – PAGES 589-617

Chapter 22.2 & 22.3 – PAGES 629-639

France

Background:

Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)

1st king of Bourbon Dynasty

Converted to Catholicism

Devoted reign to rebuilding France & its prosperity

Edict of Nantes

Issued by Henry

Huguenots could live in peace in France & set up

their own houses of worship in certain cities

France

Background:

Cardinal Richelieu

No walls in Protestant cities

Weakened power of nobles by ordering them to

take down their castles & by increasing the power

of government agents

France

Louis XIV (14th) Comes to Power (4 yrs old ):

France suffered from

riots by nobles – Louis’

life threatened at times

Louis never forgot

fear/anger – vowed to

be so strong nobles

could never threaten

him again

“I am the state.”

- Louis XIV

So distinguished

France

Louis XIV Comes to Power:

Jean Baptiste Colbert:

Made France economic power in Europe

Followed mercantilism – making France self-

sufficient

Expanded & protected French industry

Encouraged migration to Canada to increase the

fur trade profits

France

Sun King’s Grand Style:

Controls Nobility

Nobles expected to be at Palace at Versailles – if

not, incomes & social status were decreased

Made nobility totally dependant on Louis

Patron of the Arts

Increased the popularity of the opera & ballet

Supported writers

Promoted art that glorified monarchy & supported

absolute rule

IMPRESSIVE, BUT

COSTLY!!!

France

Disastrous Wars and Legacy:

Expansion

Wanted to expand borders – succeeded at first

Enemy Countries banded together to match

France’s strength – balance of power

France

Disastrous Wars and Legacy:

War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

Charles II of Spain died – throne went to Louis’

grandson – Spain & France now ruled by French

Bourbon kings

Treaty that ended war allowed Louis’ grandson to

stay in power as long as thrones of Spain &

France were not united

Big winner - Great Britain:

Took the Strait of Gibraltar – great for trade!!!

Increased involvement in slave trade

France

Disastrous Wars and Legacy:

Louis XIV’s Death and Legacy:

People rejoiced at news of Louis’ death

Positive Legacy:

Military leader of Europe

Ranked above all others in art, lit., statesmanship

Negative Legacy:

War & construction of Palace at Versailles = massive debt

Tax burden by poor & Louis’ abuse of power would plague

his heirs & set stage for revolution

Russia

The First Czar: Ivan the Terrible

1st to call himself “czar”

1547-1560 – “good period” – won victories, added

lands, code of laws, ruled justly

Terror

1560-1584 – “bad period” – Ivan accused the

boyars (Russian nobles) of poisoning his wife,

Anastasia

Using secret police – Ivan executed boyars, their

families, & peasants who worked their land

1581 – Ivan killed his oldest son – this left only the

weak son to rule

Wow,

he’s ugly

Russia

The First Czar:

Romanovs:

Ivan’s weak son died –

creating a period of turmoil

with no leader

1613 – leaders from

Russian cities met to

choose the next czar – they

chose Michael Romanov

This begins the Romanov

Dynasty (1613-1917)

Mikey!!!

Russia

Czar Peter the Great:

Russia Different Than Europe:

Russians had looked to Constantinople for

leadership

Mongols & geographic barriers had cut Russia off

from the ideas of the Renaissance & the Age of

Exploration

Religious Differences –

Russia was Eastern Orthodox

Western Europe was mostly Catholic or Protestant

Russians viewed them all as heretics

Russia

Czar Peter the Great:

Peter Visits West:

Peter believed Russia’s future

depended on having warm-

water port

1697 – The “Grand Embassy”

took a long visit to Western

Europe

Their goal was to learn about

European customs and

manufacturing techniques

Russia

Peter Rules Absolutely:

Reforms:

Brought Russian Orthodox Church under state

control

Decreased power of great landowners

Modernized army by hiring European officers who

drilled soldiers in European tactics with European

weapons

Paid for army with heavy taxes

“For you know yourself that,

though a thing be good and

necessary, our people will not do it

unless forced to.”

- Czar Peter the Great

Russia

Peter Rules Absolutely:

Westernization:

Introduction of potatoes

Started 1st newspaper

Increased women’s status

Ordered nobles to adopt Western fashion

Advanced Education –

Peter believed this was key to Russia’s progress

Russia

Peter Rules Absolutely:

St. Petersburg:

Wanted a warm-water seaport so it would be

easier to travel to Western Europe

Fought Sweden for land on Baltic Sea

Had St. Petersburg built on a piece of swampy

land

Estimated 25,000 – 100,000 people died in the

effort to build it

England

Defying Parliament:

James I (1603-1625):

Struggled w/ Parliament over

the debt left behind by Queen

Elizabeth I.

He became the 1st Monarch to

rule both England & Scotland

at the same time.

Agreed to a new translation of

the Bible

England

Defying Parliament:

Charles I (1625-1649):

Charles I was forced to sign the Petition of Right:

Petition of Rights said that Charles I could:

Not imprison subjects without due cause

Not levy taxes w/o Parl.’s consent

Not house soldiers in private homes

Not impose martial law during peacetime

This set forth the idea that the power of the LAW

was higher than the power of the KING

Charlie!

England

English Civil War (1642-1649):

Background/Causes:

Parliament passed laws to limit royal power,

outraging the King

The King then arrested Parliament leaders & a mob

began to form.

The mob was split in two:

Royalists/Cavaliers: People loyal to Charles

Roundheads: Puritan supporters of Parliament

YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO READ

THIS MAP FOR YOUR TEST!!!!

England

English Civil War (1642-1649):

Result:

Roundheads win

Oliver Cromwell:

Roundhead General

Tried, beheaded Charles I for treason - 1649

Established a Commonwealth, which is a republic form of

government

Spain

Spanish Empire:

Philip II:

Philip II Seized Portugal because there was no heir to the throne Philip II now ruled an empire

that circled the globe

Empire gave him lots of wealth

His duty was to defend Catholicism.

“His smile and his dagger were very

close.” - Phillip’s court historian

Spain

Defeat of Spanish Armada:

Background:

Philip launched the

Spanish Armada

(AKA the Spanish

Navy) in an attempt

to punish Protestant

England & Queen

Elizabeth I (who

supported Protestant

subjects who had

rebelled against

Philip).

Spain

Defeat of Spanish Armada:

What Happened:

Spanish Armada defeated

Impact:

Seriously weakened Spain

Spain

Spanish Art and Literature:

El Greco (“the Greek”):

His art was unusual & helped to illustrate the deep Catholic faith of Spain

Diego Velasquez:

Painter for the Royal Court of King Philip IV of Spain

Cervantes:

Miguel de Cervantes’ novel: Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) Considered the birth of the modern European novel

Spain - Empire Weakens:

Inflation:

Two causes:

Spain’s pop. increased

Silver bullion flooded the market, made it lose value

Taxes:

Spain’s nobles didn’t pay taxes

Created a burden on the lower classes

They never developed a middle class

Bankruptcy:

To finance wars = Spanish kings borrowed money

from German & Italian bankers

Philip had to declared Spain bankrupt three times

Spain - Dutch Revolt and Dutch Prosper:

1566 Philip raised taxes in the Netherlands &

tried to crush Calvinism Dutch revolted.

1579 The 7 Northern Provinces of the Protestant

Netherlands, united & declared their indpendence

from Spain.

Dutch Art:

Rembrandt – painted portraits of wealthy middle-class

merchants

Dutch Trade:

Stability of gov’t concentration on econ. growth

Dutch East India Trading Company – dominated Asian

spice trade

Prussia

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

Causes:

Lutheran & Catholic Princes tried to gain followers

in Prussia

Split in 2 leagues: Protestant Union & Catholic League

Spark:

Ferdinand II (Holy Roman Emperor) closed some

Protestant churches Protestants in Bohemia revolted

Prussia

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

Hapsburg Wins:

During the first 12 yrs Hapsburg armies

crushed troops hired by Protestant Princes

Hapsburg Losses:

Protestants drove Hapsburg armies out of North

Germany

Prussia

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

Peace (Treaty) of Westphalia:

Weakened Hapsburgs States of Spain & Austria

Strengthened France by giving them German terr.

Made German Princes Independent of the Holy

Roman Empire

Ended religious wars in Europe

Created a new method of reaching peace

negotiations

Prussia

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

Results:

Trade & agriculture were disrupted

Germany’s economy was ruined

Treaty recognized Europe as a group of equal,

independent states

Beginning of modern state system

Austria

Grows Stronger:

Austrian Hapsburgs re-conquered Bohemia

and wiped out Protestants living there.

Created a centralized government & created

a standing army

Austria - Maria Theresa:

Charles VI convinced all

of the leaders of Europe

to sign an agreement

stating that his daughter,

Maria Theresa, was heir

to all Hapsburg territories

They thought agreement

would bring peace,

instead she faced yrs of

war her main enemy

was Prussia

Prussia

Rise:

Army of 80,000 men paid for with permanent

taxation

Weakened representative assemblies of their

territories

Gave the Junkers (Prussia’s landowning

nobility) the exclusive right to be officers in

his army Causing Prussia to become a

rigidly controlled, militaristic society

Prussia

Frederick the Great:

Military policies,

softened some laws

Encouraged religious

toleration & legal

reform

Said that “a ruler

should be a father to

his people”

“…the fundamental role of

governments is the principle of

extending their territories.”

- Frederick the Great

Prussia

War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

War over Silesia bordered Prussia

Hungary & Britain helped Maria Theresa stopped Prussian aggression

Prussia became major European power

Prussia

Seven Years’ War (1756-1763)

Fought in Europe, India, & North America

No change in territory in Europe

British real victors

France lost colonies in North America

Britain gained sole econ. domination in India