Transcript Absolute Monarchs in Europe

Unit 1:
Absolute Monarchs
in Europe
Global History &Geography 10R
Do-Now:
 Happy Tuesday!!
 Take a primary source handout from the
projector stand.
 Read the primary source on “Divine Rule
Theory” Answer the questions that
follow.
 Using a textbook, complete the map
using page 411 of the Blue World History
textbook.
Bell Ringers:
What do you think of when you
hear the word “ABSOLUTE”
What are some synonyms for
this word?
Quick Introduction…
 What is an ABSOLUTE MONARCH?
 A king or queen who has total, unlimited power,
and seeks to control all aspects of society
 What gives the king their power?

Divine Right – belief that God gave the king his
“right” to be king (God’s Representative)
 Why did monarchs grow increasingly strong
during this period?
Feudalism
Rise of
Middle
Class
Renaissance
Decline of
the Church
Need for Central
Power
Growth of
Cities
Evolution of
Absolutism
Growth of
Nationalism
Absolutism Dominates Europe
 Why did monarchs gain power?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Decline of feudalism
Rise of cities
Merchants supported monarchs
Crises
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Religious and territorial conflicts
Monarchs tried to regulate this by gaining
more power
Economic System: Mercantilism
• Wealth measure by the amount of gold
and silver in the treasury
• Favorable balance of trade
• Export more than you import
• Tariffs (taxes) on foreign goods to
protect domestic industries
9/12/12 – Do-Now
 In your notebooks, answer the following
question(s). (Answer should be 4-5
sentences in length.)
 What are the characteristics of a great
leader? (How much power should a
leader have?; Should a great power be
feared or loved?)
I. Spain’s Rise to Power
 In the 1500s Spain gained land, this meant that Spain gained
“power and influence.”
 Spain had an ABSOLUTE RULER, Charles V (grandson of
Ferdinand and Isabella).
 What he controlled:
 Spain
 Spain’s colonies in the New World
 Parts of Italy, Netherlands, and Austria
 Much of Germany
 Charles V was also Holy Roman Emperor.
 In 1556, Charles V split his land, and retired to a monastery
Phillip II of Spain (1556-1598)
 His father was Charles V (from the other slide)
 Spain became very rich from their colonies in the New
World, this made Phillip very wealthy and powerful.
 Ruled by divine right
 Philip was a defender of Catholicism, (he hated the
Muslims and Protestants) so he sent his large naval
fleet to England to punish all non-Catholics.
Golden Age of Art in Spain
 1550-1650 “Siglo de Oro” (golden
century)
 El Greco produces religious pictures and
portraits of Spanish nobles.
 Velazquez paints Spanish royalty
 Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote
 Lope de Vega famous writer
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
 Who: English vs. Spanish
 When: 1588
 Where : English Channel
 Details:
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130 Spanish Ships attacked the English navy
English Navy outmaneuvered Spanish, and used
long range guns on them
 Results:
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Spain was weakened
English Navy became the strongest navy on the
Planet.
Problems within the
Spanish Empire
 The massive wealth that Spain acquired, led to long-
term financial problems.
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Inflation – value of money is worth less, because so
many people have lots of it.
Tax Problems for the Lower Class, led to the near
elimination of Middle Class.
King had to borrow money from other countries, and 3
times he had to declare bankruptcy.
II. Birth of the Netherlands
The Dutch Revolt
 Phillip had to raise an army
to keep his subjects under
control.
 Many Dutch were Calvinist
(Spain was Catholic).
 The Dutch had a
prosperous Middle Class
 Phillip raised taxes in the
Netherlands and tried to
end Protestantism.
Dutch Revolt (cont’d)
 1566 angry protestant mobs swept
through Catholic Churches.
 1568 Phillip had 1500 protestants killed.
 1579 they claimed their independence
and became the United Provinces of the
Netherlands.
Independent Dutch Prosper
 United Provinces of the Netherlands
practiced religious toleration.
 They were a Republic (each province
had an elected governor)
 Stable gov’t led to economic growth
(large fleet allowed for lots of trading!)
Dutch Art
 During 1600s, the Netherlands became
what Florence had been in the 1400s
(remember the Renaissance?)
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The best banks and artists
Rembrandt van Rijn was the best.
 Portraits
of wealthy merchants
 Group portraits
 Sharp contrast of light and dark, showed
individuality of each person
9/13/12: Do-Now
Using your notes, your HW, and your
knowledge of social studies, create a chart
in your notebook and evaluate Philip II of
Spain. Look specifically at the political,
social, and economic effects of his rule on
Spain.
Does he represent a great ruler?
Why/Why Not?(Use your definition from
yesterday as a rubric.)
Philip II: The Greatest Catholic King?
Political
Social
Economic
•Established a
bureaucracy,
unfortunately it
was inefficient.
•Catholic Church
was feared and
many distrusted
it.
•Creates Spanish
Armada to invade
England and fails.
•Oppressed
Protestants, Muslims
(Moriscos), and
Spanish Jews.
(INQUISITION)
•He was a Patron of
the Arts; brought
about the Siglo de
Oro
•Promoted further
exploration of the
New World and the
riches that could be
•Conquers land and
taxes non-Catholics
and lower and
middle classes.
•Would continue to
borrow money for his
ventures
Bankruptcy twice
•Promotes the
mercantilist
economic system
Absolutism in France
The Reign of Louis XIV
The King is Not a Private
Person. He belongs to
the Public. The Will of the
People is included in his
Will.
--Jean Bossuet--
III. Setting the Stage for Louis XIV
A. Henry IV
 There were BIG problems in France with religious
connotations.
 The Catholics and the Huguenots (French
Protestants) were constantly fighting.
 There was a time of peace when Henry of
Navarre (a Huguenot prince) came to power
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He converted to Catholicism in order to help the
country
Signed the Edict of Nantes – provided religious
toleration for the Huguenots in France.
 He was assassinated by a fanatic.
Setting the Stage for Louis XIV
B. Louis XIII
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WEAK king
Richelieu was his main “advisor”
 He
pretty much ran the kingdom, not Louis
 He hated the Huguenots
 Strengthened his own power by weakening the nobles
influence (made them take down their fortified castles)
 French army expands during Louis XIII’s reign.
 New Thinking & Writing in France
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Skepticism – NOTHING CAN BE CERTAIN
Descartes – took these ideas and applied them to
science
9/19/12 Do-Now: Complete
M/C Questions and then
answer the following questions
 Why do you think historians
consider Louis XIV to be the
model example of an
absolute monarch?
 What did he do that makes
him the “most absolute”?
C. Louis XIV
The Most Powerful Ruler of France
 “L’etat, c’est moi” = “I am the state” –
meaning that he was France (“Sun King”)
 Began his rule when he was 5 years old
 Because he was so young when he took
over, he had an advisor – Mazarin.
 Mazarin’s “rule” caused the nobles to
revolt. Louis hated this and made up his
mind that he would become so powerful
that the nobles would NEVER rise against
him.
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Louis excluded them from councils and taxed
them
The Actions of Louis XIV
 Expanded the economy
 Jean Baptist Colbert – Minister of Finance used
mercantilism to build France’s bank accounts
 Focused on making money in the New World (fur trade)
 Revoked the Edict of Nantes
 Persecuted the Huguenots, so they left, and took jobs and
money with them.
 Pampered himself at Versailles Palace
 Lived in TOTAL luxury, had 500 servants, cooks, etc. who
looked after his every desire.
 Patron of the Arts
 Ballet and the Opera
 Expanded the Bureaucracy
 Appointed Intendents (officials) to collect taxes, recruit
soldiers, and carry out his rule in the provinces.
Louis XIV Extends France’s Borders
 Under Louis’ leadership, France
became the most powerful nation in
Europe.
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Largest Population
French Army: Best trained, best
weapons, most soldiers
 With this large army, Louis began to
expand the French borders.
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Early in his campaigns he had success
Eventually his luck ran out
Hurt the people, b/c the high cost war
was paid with taxes
D. One Last War for the French
 The French people wanted peace.
 What they got was another war
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The War of Spanish Succession
France and Spain were on the verge of unification
Other countries of Europe were scared that this would be
too much power for the Bourbon Kings.
Result: Spain and France were beaten, and the thrones
were not permitted to be unified.
French Expansion
Louis XIV: Legacy & Death
Positives that Louis Brought
 Strengthened France in Art &
Literature
 Strengthened French Military
and influence in Europe
 Strengthened the French
Colonies in the New World
Negatives that Louis Brought
 Constant Warfare
 Massive debts (palace and
costs of war)
 High Taxes for the people,
particularly the middle class
 Set the stage for the French
Revolution
 Louis died in his bed in 1715. The French people celebrated when
they heard the news.
Louis’ Palace:
The Palace at Versailles
 The Palace at Versailles was 14 miles
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outside of Paris.
5,000 acres of forests, gardens, and
lawns
1,400 Fountains, so many that they
could not even run them all at the
same time.
The cost to build the palace was
approximately $2.5 billion.
It took 36,000 people to build the
Palace at Versailles.
People who wanted to speak to the
king could not knock on his door.
Instead, using the left pinkie finger,
they had to gently scratch on the
door, until they were granted
permission to enter. As a result,
many courtiers grew that fingernail
longer than the others
Why do you think that Louis built this palace?
Palace at Versailles
Palace at Versailles
Central European
Monarchs Clash
Do-Now
 Put your HW in the HW bin in the back of
the room.
 Take a handout from the projector stand.
IV. The Thirty Years War
 When: 1618 – 1648
 Where: Bohemia (Czech Republic)
 Who: Protestants (with Lutheran help) and Catholics
 Details: Conflict over religion, territory, and for power among
European ruling families
 Results:
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Hurt Germany most (lost 4 million people). Germany decentralized.
Treaty: Peace of Westphalia – Sovereign nation-state & Government
allegiance
This was the last religious war in Europe
Europe became a group of independent countries, rather than a
Catholic Empire
V. Formation of European Countries
 Central European Countries developed slowly. Western
European countries developed quickly.
Western Europe
 Serfs gained independence
and moved to cities to form
the middle class
 Strong Empires
 Strong Leaders
Central Europe
 Serfs were restricted from
leaving their farming
lifestyles, stuck in the lower
class
 Weak Empires
 Weak Leaders
The Seven Years War
 When: 1756 - 1763
 Where: Europe, India, North America
 Who: England vs. France (and their allies)
 Results: England gained the most
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They took all of France’s holding in the New World
England gained trading domination in India
Absolute
Rulers of
Russia
Russia on the Rise
1200s – 1700s: Russia isolated from
western European developments
(Crusades, Renaissance, Reformation)
Developed based on Eastern Orthodox
Church and the Byzantine Empire
Powerful monarchy – crushed opponents
Nobility, church, towns never rose
against power
Russia’s Absolute Ruler: Ivan IV
 Ivan IV a.k.a “Ivan the Terrible”
 Came to the throne when he was
only 3 years old.
 At the age of 16 he crowned
himself czar (Caesar) and took
control
 Took many steps against the
boyars (nobles) to reduce their
threat to the throne. “czar?”
Two Stages of Ivan’s Life
 “Good Stage” – 1547-1560
 Married
Anastasia
 Expanded Russia’s lands
 Cleaned-up the Russian legal system
WIFE (ANASTASIA) DIED / He thought she was poisoned.
 “Bad
Stage” – 1560-1584
Ivan
put together a “secret
police” who went around
hunting those suspected of
being traitors (killed 1000s)
Killed
his own son (oldest)
Russia’s Struggles
 After Ivan killed his oldest son there was only his
weak, youngest son to rule.
 He was too weak to lead effectively.
 He died without an heir.
 Then there was a question of who would now become
czar…enter Czar Peter the Great
 This began the rule of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia
(lasts 300 years)
Czar Peter I
 Known as Peter the Great
 6’8” tall
 Took over in 1696
 Strengthened the power of the czar (that is added to
his ABSOLUTE POWER)
 Reduced power of the nobility and gained control of
the Russian Orthodox Church.
 When Peter took over Russia was very backwards, in
that they still based their society on Vassals, serfs,
etc., Peter was determined to change this.
Peter’s Reforms
Period of Westernization and Modernization
 In 1697, Peter took a grand tour of Western Europe.
 Peter wanted to learn about their customs and manufacturing
techniques.
 In order to “westernize” Russia, Peter had to strengthen his
ABSOLUTE POWER. Here’s what he did:
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Borrowed ideas from France. Central bureaucracy with local
governments.
Controlled the Russian Church; Created Holy Synod (council of
bishops)
Reduced the power of the Upper Class, and created a Middle
Class
Enlarged the Russian Army (raised taxes to pay them)
Peter’s Westernization of Russia
 The Westernization Process
 Introduced Potatoes as a part of their diet
 Started a newspaper
 Allowed women to attend social gatherings
 Had the Nobles start wearing Western Fashions
 Education Focus: Navigation, Arts, and Sciences
 St. Petersburg: “Window on the West”, Russia’s warm
water port (named after Peter’s Patron Saint)
Results of Peter’s Actions: Russia became modernized,
and better off as a result of his efforts.
Peter’s Strong Foreign Policy
 Goal= To make Russia a European power.
 Created the largest army in Europe.
 Expanded Russian territory south, east, and
northwest and gained ports on the Baltic Sea.
 Peter failed to acquire a warm-water port.

He fought the Ottoman Turks to gain a warm-water
port on the Black Sea.
The Expansion of Russia
Peter’s Economic Policies
Hired western experts to teach and help
build factories, roads, ports, ships.
Government had total control over the
economy
No taxes for nobles. Tax burden on the
poorest classes.
Agriculture and craft production under
strict government control. Gave
incentives to increase production.
9/21/12 – Do-Now
 Reflect on the following quote by Peter the
Great.
 "I have conquered an empire but I have not
been able to conquer myself.“
 What does he mean?
 Take out the primary sources (Decrees of
Peter the Great) and with a partner start to
answer the questions that follow.
 HW: Castle Learning Review Questions
Catherine the Great
1762 seized the throne from
her weak husband and ruled
as empress until 1796.
A German princess, but she
adopted Russian ways and
earned respect of her people
Believed all people born
equal
Catherine the Great
Wanted to free serfs, but a peasant rebellion
changed her mind
Released nobles from governmental service
Allowed nobles to treat peasants how they wanted
More peasants forced into serfdom than ever before
and conditions worsened.
Common people had fewer rights than any other
place in Europe
Catherine brutally squashed any uprisings
Catherine’s “Great” Foreign
Policy
Reason why she has her nickname
Significantly expanded borders and
achieved goal of warm water port
Defeated Ottoman Turks: wins warm
water port on the Black Sea
Acquired territory from
Poland/Partitioned Poland with Austria
and Prussia
Expanded West and South
Austria – Maria Theresa
ruled 1740 - 1780
 Absolute monarch of Austria
 Fought Frederick II of Prussia for
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control of Hungary and Silesia
Reorganized the government
Enlightened Despot
Eased tax burden on her people
Gave more rights to her subjects
Gave birth to 16 children while in
power
9/24/12 – Do-Now
Answer the following questions
in your notebook.
 Think Back: Why did absolute
monarchs come to power?
 Think Ahead: What will be the impact of
absolute monarchs on their citizens?
Other nation’s citizens? The world at
large?
 Think Big: Who is going to challenge
absolute monarchs? And why?
Parliament Triumphs in England
 1215 King John forced to sign the Magna
Carta. Limits his power
 From 1485 to 1603 the Tudor dynasty
worked with Parliament.
 1603 Queen Elizabeth dies leaving no
heirs to the throne.
 Cousin James Stuart King of Scotland
became King of England
 The result: almost a century of turmoil in
England pitting the Stuarts against the
Parliament
Monarchs Defy Parliament
 First, you need to understand that a
MONARCHY is a form of ABSOLUTISM.
 The Monarchs (Kings and Queens) felt that
they were above the law (i.e. – Parliament)

Parliament – English version of Congress
 The Tudor monarchs (Henry VIII & Elizabeth I)
generally worked well with Parliament.
 The Stuart monarchs, with their absolutist
tendencies, clashed with Parliament.
James I vs. Parliament
 James I believed in divine right.
 “I will not be content that my power be disputed upon”
 James I clashed with Parliament over financial issues and
foreign policy.
 James I needed money for his wars and extravagant court life.
 James I eventually dissolved the Parliament and imposed his
own taxes.
 James I also clashed with the Puritans. The Puritans were
seeking to “purify” the Church of England by eliminating
Catholic practices.
Charles I vs. Parliament
 Charles fired Parliament
 Then he needed them back to get him some money –
 He “re-hired” them.
 The only way that Parliament would give him money is if he
signed the Petition of Right.
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No false imprisonment
No taxes w/o Parliament’s consent
No housing of soldiers in homes
No martial (absolute) law in peace time
 Charles signed it – then he IGNORED it.
 Parliament then withheld money – He fired them again…
 His policies sparked the English Civil War.
English Civil War
(Puritan Revolution)
 Why? – Because the people and members of
Parliament were angered by Charles
dissolving the Parliament.
 When? – 1642 – 1649
Loyalists
•Supported Charles
•Called “Cavaliers”
Also called “Royalists”
VS
Puritans
•Supported Parliament
•Called Roundheads
•Leader was Oliver Cromwell
Results of the English Civil
War
 Oliver Cromwell’s
Roundheads
defeated the
Cavaliers and
imprisoned Charles
 They put him on trial,
sentenced him to
death – chopped his
head off.
Changes in Power
 Parliament abolished the monarchy, the
House of Lords, and the official Church
of England.
 England became a Commonwealth.
 Oliver Cromwell took over following the
civil war as Lord Protector of England
 Formed a military state
 Very strict
 Exiled
Catholics to Ireland.
 Passed Puritan laws – theaters
closed, Sundays set aside for
worship, no lewd dancing, taverns,
or gambling.
 When Crowell died, Restoration began
under Charles II
England – Charles II
The Restoration 1660-1685
 Charles II - Popular ruler
 Monarchy restored –
Hence: Restoration
 Bowed to the wishes of
Parliament
 Restored the Church of
England
 Stabilized government
Glorious Revolution
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1685 Charles II died with NO heir
His brother James II took over (but he was
Catholic!)
 He
soon offended Parliament and voted
some Catholic friends into high office (against
the law)
 Parliament protested, so he fired them
 His wife then had a son and the people were
scared that a long line of Catholics would
rule.
 Ran up massive debt.
Glorious Revolution (cont’d)
HOWEVER, James had an older Protestant
daughter (Mary) who married William of Orange.
 Parliament invited William to overthrow James II.
He brought an army, James II was scared and fled
the country
 Thus, the Glorious Revolution began and ended
with no fighting
 William and Mary begin their reign and developed a
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY :
There is a monarch in place,
however they are limited in
their power

English Bill of Rights 
Limited Monarchy
 Stated that the King must work regularly with
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Parliament. Monarchy could not make or suspend
laws.
Guaranteed supremacy of Parliament over monarchy.
Stated that the King must give the House of Commons
financial support.
Trial by jury reinstated. Abolished excessive fines and
cruel and unusual punishment.
Affirmed habeas corpus, meaning that no person
could be held in jail without first being charged with a
crime. Due process of law.
Strengths of Absolutism
 Creation of a Strong Central
Government
 Nationalism Increases
 Wealth and Growth of Middle Class is
supported
 Military Spending increases = Stronger
Armies
 Quicker Decision Making
 Usually has support of the Church
Weaknesses of Absolutism
 State of the Union depends on One
Individual
 Power of the Lower Classes typically
dwindles
 Countless number of Wars
 Higher taxes and lavish spending
 National Welfare vs. Individual Welfare
 Democracy?
Europe in 1740