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THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM (1550-1800) Absolutism

• Form of monarchical power when a ruler has a complete authority over the and lives of the people • Two types of A.: 1. Ruler 2. Ruler + Chief Minister • Took place in: , France, Prussia, Russia, Austria Map of states under Absolutism Setting the Stage

• Europe was in a period after Reformation. Still divided religiously. – Catholic territory: Spain, France, Italy, Southern Germany. – Protestant territory: England, Netherlands, Northern Germany • Spain, France, and England had colonies in Asia, the Americas, and Africa. Spain (Charles V: King of 2 Crowns)

• Grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella: Inherited Spain and Austrian Hapsburg in 1519. • Struggled to suppress Protestant movement in German states as well as the Ottoman empire led by Suleiman. • Tired of the constant warfare of this diverse empire, Charles V gave up his title and entered a monastery. • Division of his empire: • Hapsburg land→brother Ferdinand • Spain, Netherlands, southern Italy→son Philip Spain (Philip II) • Thanks to silver from Americas, his empire became the wealthiest in Europe. • Absolute monarch: complete authority over government and lives of people. • Ruled by divine right: believed his authority to rule came directly from God. • Sought to protect and strengthen the Catholic Church. Counter- reformation; turned Inquisition against Protestants. Enforced Catholic unity in his lands. Spain (The Wars of Philip II) • Defeated Ottoman Muslims in the Mediterranean region. • Battled Protestant rebels in Netherlands who resisted Philip’s efforts to crush Protestantism there. Also opposed high taxes and autocratic rule. • Netherlands eventually won independence from Spain after many years of war and became known as the Dutch Netherlands in 1648. Spain (The Wars of Philip II) • Queen Elizabeth I was chief Protestant enemy who supported the Dutch . • She also knighted Sir Francis Drake, a pirate who looted Spanish treasure ships. • In response, Philip II Prepared a huge Armada (fleet of 130 ships) against England. • Due to storm on English Channel, armada was destroyed. England won and suprassed Spanish power thereafter. Victory for Elizabeth I Spanish Golden Age: 1550-1650

• Philip II was a patron of the arts and founded academies for science and math. • Painters: – El Greco: religious pictures and royal portraits – Diego Velázquez: best known court painter. • Writers: – Miguel de Cervantes: wrote Don Quixote, the first modern novel in Europe. Mocks medieval chivalry. Spain’s Economic Decline: 1600s

• Economic decline because: 1.There were less able successors after Philip II 2.Wars overseas drained Spain financially. 3.Expulsion of Muslim and Jew= deprived the economy of many skilled artisans and merchants 4.France (and England) replaced Spain as most powerful European nation. France

• From 1560s-1590s, religious war between Huguenots (French Protestants) and the Catholic majority tore France apart. • Worst incident: Charles IX: Bartholomew´s Day Massacre. 3,000 were killed. Symbolized complete breakdown of order in France. France: (Henry IV)

• Henry IV: In 1589, a Huguenot prince inherited the throne. • Issued Edict of Nantes in 1598: protected Protestants and promote religious tolerance. • He ruled alone but royal officials helped him. Strong to restore order. • Royal officials: 1. Administered justice 2. Improved roads,built bridges 3. Revived agriculture ***Laid foundations for royal absolutism. France (Louis XIII) • Henry IV assassinated→ 9 years old son Louis XIII inherited throne. • Young Louis XIII appoited Cardinal Armand Richelieu as his chief minister and ruled with his help. • Richelieu further strengthened central government France (Richelieu) Richelieu sought to destroy the power of Huguenots and nobles so he: • Smashed the • Defeated the Huguenots cities private nobles and outlawed armies and their armies destroyed their castles • BUT he allowed them to practice • BUT he tied their own nobles to king religion by giving them high posts at court or in royal army France (Louis XIV & Marazin) • Richelieu handpicked his successor Cardinal Jules Marazin, • Reign of Louis XIV: 1. Ruled with Marazin´s help 2. Disorder again swept France • After Marazin died Louis took the government under his control • Claimed “I Am The ” or the “Sun King.” Believed in divine right to rule. Took sun as symbol of absolute power. France (Louis XIV) • Never called a meeting of the Estates General, a council that was established to check royal power. • Appointed intendants to collect taxes, recruit soldiers, and carry out his policies throughout France. • Under Louis XIV, French army became the strongest in Europe. • His finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert followed mercantilist policies, helping make France the wealthiest state in Europe. France (Louis XIV & Versailles) • Built palace of Versailles, the most magnificent building in Europe. • Versailles became symbol of the Sun King’s wealth and power. Housed 10,000 people. • No expense was too great. Lavish lifestyle. • Court of Louis supported splendid century in the arts. French academies established. France (Louis XIV) • Reigned for 72 yrs, longer than any other monarch. • French culture, manners, and customs replaced those of Renaissance Italy as the standard for European taste. • Revoked Edict of Nantes forcing over 100,000 Huguenots to flee France. Caused serious blow to French econ. • Also drained economy with warfare. Refused Philip V of Spain’s attempt to unite the two crowns. • By the time Louis XV inherited throne, France was in a state of chaos. England (The Tudors & Parliament)

• Power was maintained far differently in England than in France and Spain. • Tudor dynasty reigned from 1485-1603. • Henry VII believed in divine right, but valued Parliament and maintained good relationships. • Elizabeth I was popular and successful thanks to good Parliamentary relations. English Parliament

• House of Lords: • House of Commons – Upper house – Lower house – Hereditary rule or – Democratically appointed by elected body. sovereign – Prime Minister leads – Lord Spiritual and this house. Lord Temporal lead this house. England (The Stuarts & Parliament)

• When Elizabeth died without a direct heir, the throne passed to the Stuarts, the ruling family of Scotland. • James I, the first Stuart monarch contested Parliament and sought absolute rule. • Leaders in the House of Commons (body of Parliament) resisted his claim to divine right. • In 1625, Charles I inherited the throne. Also behaved like an absolute monarch. Imprisoned foes without trial and created bitter enemies. • For 11 years, he ruled the nation without Parliament. When he finally summoned Parliament to get help suppressing a Scottish , it launched its own revolt. Parliamentary Rebellion and

• When Parliament finally reconvened they staged the greatest political in English history. • Charles lashed back against the reforms they proposed. • When he attempted to arrest the most radical leaders, they escaped and formed an army. • A civil war ensued, lasting from 1642-1649. In the end, forces triumphed. • led the triumphant New Model Army for Parliament, and by 1647, the king was in the hands of parliamentary forces. Execution of King Charles

• After the war, Parliament set up court to put King Charles on trial. • He was condemned as , traitor, and public enemy, and beheaded. • 1st time in history that a monarch had been tried and executed by his own people. • Sent clear message that in England, no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of . The Commonwealth

• After execution of Charles I, House of Commons abolished , House of Lords, and Church of England. • Declared England a called the Commonwealth, which was led by Oliver Cromwell. Enforced strict rule. • Under the Commonwealth, Puritans replaced the Church of England. Strict piety. • After Cromwell died, Puritans lost their grip on England. Charles II

• Many English were tired of military rule and strict Puritan ways • After a decade of kingless rule, Parliament invited Charles II to return to England from exile. • Unlike his father, Charles II was a popular ruler who avoided his father’s mistakes in dealing with Parliament. • Restored Church of England and promoted religious tolerance. James II, William & Mary

• Charles II’s brother James II inherited the throne. • Unlike Charles II, he angered Parliament and attempted to restore Catholic Church. • Parliament invited his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange to become rulers of England. • When they arrived, James fled to France. Non-violent overthrow known as the Glorious Revolution. English Bill of Rights

• Before they could be crowned, William and Mary had to accept several acts passed by Parliament that became known as the English Bill of Rights. • It ensured superiority of Parliament over the monarchy. • Required monarch to summon Parliament regularly and forbade monarch from interfering with debate or suspending . • Also restored trial by jury and affirmed principle of habeas corpus in which no one could be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime. • Created a limited monarchy form of government. Set England apart from the rest of Europe. Austria & Prussia

• Struggle between Protestant North and Catholic South in Germany triggered the Thirty Years’ War. • The war led to severe depopulation. As many as 1/3 of the people in the German states died during the wars. • Finally exhausted combatants accepted treaties like the Peace of Westphalia. • Left Germany divided into more than 360 separate states. Hapsburg Austria

• Though weakened by war Hapsburgs wanted to create a strong united state. • Focused attention on expanding their own lands. Added Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland to Austria. • Difficult to unite these diverse lands. • When Hapsburg emperor Charles VI died, many did not recognize his daughter, Maria Theresa’s right to rule. Maria Theresa

• Maria Theresa appealed to Hungarian assembly for help . They agreed. • Despite resistance, she was able to preserve her empire and win support of most of her people. • She strengthened Hapsburg power by reorganizing the bureaucracy and improving tax collection. • Forced nobles to pay taxes, easing the tax burden on peasants. • Formed strong Catholic state. Rise of Prussia

• Meanwhile, Prussia emerged as a new Protestant power. • Under Prussian ruler Frederick William I, a great army was assembled . He became known as Frederick the Great. • Prussia emerged along with Austria, France, England, and Russia, as one of the great powers of Europe. Russia

• Russia was in a period called “Time of troubles” • Untouched by Renaissance and European reformations and completely isolated • Conservative Russians held onto Russian Orthodox Church and traditions • Not until 1682 did a czar emerge who was strong enough to regain order and maintain absolute power of earlier czars. • Peter Mikhailov (Peter the Great) was that czar who pushed Russia to become a great modern power. Russia Peter The Great and The Romanovs

• The most dominant figure in the Russian history • He learned from European cultures and was inspired by them to completely reform Russia. • Traveled around Europe examining the way modern government, technology, and culture were managed in Western Europe. Wanted to catch Russia up to them. Russia Peter The Great • Embarked on a policy of westernization, or adoption of western ideas, technology, and culture. • Had difficulty convincing Russians to change their way of life. • To impose his will, he became the most autocratic of Europe’s monarchs. Tortured and killed those who challenged him. • Also strengthened military, expanded Russian borders, • Brought Russian Orthodox Church under his control, and expanded serfdom (like /slavery). • Used serfs to serve the state. They were used to work on government projects like building roads, canals, etc. • Enforced mercantilist policies and expanded trade. Russia St. Petersburg

• Built new capital city at St. Petersburg. Called it a “window on the West.” • Just as Versailles was a monument to French absolutism, St. Petersburg became symbolic of Russian absolutism as well as a symbol of modern Russia. Russia Catherine The Great • A German princess, who got to the throne by marrying Russian heir • Continued at what Peter started – extended Russian territory, brought even more reforms • Intelligent and educated woman, a student of French thinkers, who led Enlightment • Many similiarities in her reign to that of Peter the Great. Strong ruler, but often ruthless. Russian absolutism

• Absolute power of the czars was inherited.

• Cruel, almost tyrannical reign of Peter was necessary in order to tame turmoil and prevent upheaval of power in Russia.