Transcript The Monarchs of Europe 1500-1800

The Monarchs of Europe
1500-1800
Absolute Rulers
&
Enlightened Despots
What is an Absolute Ruler?
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Absolute Monarch: a ruler (king or queen) who holds all
power within the boundaries of their empire. Control
every aspect of society
Based on the idea of divine right, the idea that the
monarchy was created by God, and that the ruler was
God’s representative on earth.
Absolute Monarchs answered only to God, not their
people.
Was Absolutism a New Idea?
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Absolutism was not a new idea.
Divine Right in Europe was the same
idea as the Mandate of Heaven in
Ancient China, as well as the Caesars of
Ancient Rome.
What caused Absolutism in Europe?
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Decline of feudalism
Rise of cities & middle class
Loss of church authority
Growth of nations (Spain, France, England,
Russia)
Religious conflicts
Buildup of armies & navies to protect new
territories
Need for increased taxes
Revolts by peasants or nobles
What were the effects of Absolutism?
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Regulation of religion & society through the
monarchy
Larger more elaborate courts require more $$
Huge building projects (Palace at Versailles) $$
Loss of power by Nobility & Legislatures (Parliament,
Estates General)
American & French Revolutions
Influence of Western Europe on Russia
Absolutism of Spanish Hapsburgs
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Phillip II inherited Spain and its territories from his
father, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in 1555.
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This land included Spain, the colonies in the
Americas, Spanish Netherlands, and parts of Austria
and Italy
 The colonies had yielded vast wealth
 He inherited the strongest navy in Europe
He was Catholic, and married another Catholic (who
soon died) Mary of England
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Together, they sought to purge their countries of
Protestantism… Until Mary died & Elizabeth took over!
Philip II of Spain
Spanish Absolutism cont’d
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Defeat of the Spanish Armada:1588
 England’s Protestant Queen Elizabeth had aided
Protestant Spanish Netherlands in achieving its
independence
 In revenge, Philip sent his Armada to England,
where most of his ships were destroyed
Spanish Hapsburgs maintained Absolute Rule until
the War of Spanish Succession in 1701
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The king of Spain at the time, Charles II, was mentally
incapable of making a good decision, and willed the
throne to the King of France’s Grandson, Philip of Anjou.
War ensued (to be continued…)
Absolute Rule in France: The Bourbons
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Henry IV (1589-1610)
 First Bourbon Monarch
 Converted to Catholicism to unite France
 Issued the Edict of Nantes which decreed religious
toleration to Huguenots (French Protestants)
 Religious zealot murdered him in 1610
Louis XIII (1610-1638) & Cardinal Richelieu
 Louis XIII was weak until he appointed Richelieu, a
Catholic Cardinal, in 1624
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Richelieu passed several measures to persecute Huguenots
and take power away from the Nobility
Involved France in the Thirty Years’ War to limit the power of
the Hapsburgs… made France extremely powerful
Louis XIII (left); Richelieu (right)
Bourbon Monarchs cont’d
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Louis XIV “The Sun King” (1643-1715)
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The most powerful ruler in French history once
declared, “I am the state.”
Became king at age 5, but Cardinal Mazarin ruled in
his stead until 1661
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Mazarin ended the Thirty Years War, but the nobles revolted
against his oppressive rule until 1653
Louis takes control at age 22
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Weakened the power of the nobles, gave more power to
the intendants, or government official
Structured country to be mercantilist, and to be selfsufficient
Cancelled the Edict of Nantes
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Many Huguenots fled the country to pursue religious freedom
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“The Sun King”
Built Versailles (estimated cost: $2.5 Billion)
 This opulent palace occupied 5,000 acres
 Louis XIV hated the Nobility b/c they threatened his life all
through childhood; required hundreds of them to live at
Versailles to keep close watch on them
Huge Patron of the Arts
War of Spanish Succession (1700-1714)
 Louis’ grandson was willed the Spanish throne.
 England, Austria, Netherlands, and others united to
prevent the union of Spain and France’s empires
 Treaty of Utrecht ended war, said Philip could have
Spain as long as he didn’t unite with France
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Great Britain did well; they got Gibraltar and a major stake in
Spain’s slave trade
Louis XIV
Versailles
Legacy of Louis XIV
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France considered military and artistic
leader of Europe
HUGE debt
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War of Spanish Succession
Construction of Versailles
Huge tax burden placed on the poor of France
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Helps contribute to the unrest of the people for the
French Revolution
Hapsburgs in Central Europe
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Thirty Years War 1618-1648
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Ferdinand II (Hapsburg) Catholic ruler of Bohemia
begins it by closing Protestant churches, in violation of
the Peace of Augsburg
In the beginning, the Hapsburg armies won by all-out
war.
Once the French and the Swedes got involved, the
Hapsburgs lost
Peace of Westphalia 1648
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Ended the Thirty Years War
Weakened Hapsburg Austria & Spain
Made Germany independent of the Holy Roman Empire
Awarded German territory to France
Austrian Hapsburgs
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The Hapsburgs reconquered Bohemia and Hungary,
uniting them as Austria under one absolute ruler:
Charles VI (1711)
Charles VI made the national religion Catholicism
 Challenge: uniting the many different ethnic
groups in his country under his rule
 Leaves Austria to be ruled under his daughter,
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa (1740-1780)
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She decreased the power of the Nobility
Limited the amount of labor their serfs could be forced to
do
Prussian Hohenzollerns
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Frederick William & Frederic William I (1714-1740)
 Decided that a strong army was the only way to
ensure safety
 Gave the Junkers permanent officer positions in
the military
 Prussia becomes rigidly controlled, highly
militarized society
Frederick II “Frederick the Great” (1740-1786)
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Starts War of Austrian Succession (wanted the throne of
Austria) (1740-1748)
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Wanted Silesia, an Austrian-held territory.
Won Silesia in Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Seven Years War
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Austria, France and Russia had formed alliances
Prussia & Britain had formed alliances.
1756- Frederick II attacks Saxony, an Austrian
ally.
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Soon, all of these countries and their colonial holdings
were involved in war.
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Known as French & Indian War in the US
Treaty of Paris, 1763
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French lost holdings in North America
Britain gained all North American colonies & sole
trade rights in India
Austria gets Silesia back
Absolute Rulers of Russia
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Ivan the Terrible (1533-1584)
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Inherited the throne at age 3
First to call himself “czar”
Killed his wife and oldest son
Used terror to rule
 Would seek out “traitors” and have his secret
police murder them
Peter the Great (1672-1725)
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Became czar at age 24. Was almost 7 ft. tall, strong, and
bright.
Established St. Petersberg
Went on a trip to Western Europe, brought back &
instituted Western reforms for industrialization & culture
Made Russia a European Power by 1725.
Ivan & Peter
England
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Elizabeth I (1558-1601)
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Elizabeth left no heir, crown goes to nearest relative,
James I (Stuart)
James I (1603-1625)
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Struggled with Parliament over money
Initiated the translation of the bible into English (King
James Version)
Offended Puritan members of Parliament
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puritan: wanted to “purify” the English church of Catholic
practices
1630’s: Great Migration: 30,000 Puritans leave England and
settle in the English Colonies in America.
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Salem, Boston, etc… all Puritan communities
Charles I & English Civil War
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Charles I (1625-1649)
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Biggest problem: dissolved & recalled Parliament 3
times over money issues
Forced him to sign the Petition of Right, which he
ignored
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Tried to arrest Parliament members; spurs English
Civil War
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now part of the English Constitution
Roundheads: Puritans against the king. Led by Oliver
Cromwell
Cavaliers/Royalists: Loyal followers of the king.
Charles loses; is put on trial and beheaded in 1649
The Restoration
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Charles II (1660-1685) “Merry Monarch”
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Son of Charles I, restored to throne after the
oppressive Puritan rule of Cromwell
Restoration: period of time when the English
Monarchy is restored
Parliament passes habeus corpus
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gave any prisoner the right to be informed of charges against
them in a court of law, and receive just trial
James II (1685-1688)
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Catholic Monarch: England is divided
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Tories: supported James Whigs: against James
When James has a son in 1688, he and his family flee
to France b/c the English don’t want another Catholic
monarch
The Glorious Revolution
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William & Mary (1688
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James’s Protestant daughter, Mary, had
married William of Orange of the Netherlands.
They marched into London in 1688, in a
bloodless revolution.
Parliament became their partner in governing;
thus becoming a Constitutional Monarchy
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Establish the English Bill of Rights to place limits
on royal power