Transcript Age of Absolutism - Deer Creek Schools

Age of Absolutism
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Sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands
of a king who claimed to rule by divine right – power from god
Themes
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 During the 17c and 18c, Britain, France, Austria,
Prussia, and Russia were able to establish or maintain
a strong monarchy, standing army, efficient tax
structures, large bureaucracy, and a more or less
domesticated, divided or loyal nobility so that this
period is known as the "Age of Absolutism."
Themes
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 French culture and political power dominated Europe
in the 17-18c.
 England and France experienced very different
political and social developments in the late 17c.
Themes
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 One of the major reasons for the strong position of
England from 1685-1763 lies in the supremacy of a
parliament dominated by landowners and nobles of
similar interests. The 18c became known as the "Age
of the Aristocracy". Therefore, this supremacy of
Parliament provided Britain with the kind of unity
sought elsewhere through absolutism.
Themes
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 This period saw the beginnings of two long-term
conflicts--Britain and France over trade and overseas
empires and Austria and Prussia over the leadership
of Germany.
France – Henry IV
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 Bourbon Dynasty to end War of 3 Henries
 Edict of Nantes – religious toleration
 Cut privileges of Fr. nobility
 “Chicken in every pot” – well loved by citizens
 Murdered by catholic fanatic
Cardinal Richelieu
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 Primary goal to strengthen French monarchy
 eliminated military/political rights of Huguenots
 used spies to uncover plots
 royal intendants to execute orders of gov
 increase taxes
 involved France in 30 Years War
Cardinal Mazarin - Louis XIV
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 Put down the Fronde - revolts by nobility
 Died when Louis XIV 23
 Voltaire - period of 1661-1715 “Age of Louis XIV”
 Sun King - source of light for all his people
“I am the State”
Administration & Gov
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 Large bureaucracy made up of lesser nobles and
middle class
 distracted the upper nobility with life at Versailles
Religious Policy
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 “one King, one law, one faith”
 Edict of Fontainbleau - revoked Nantes
 minority groups could lead to a divided nation
 Some 200,000 Huguenots flee France
Financial Issues
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 Versailles, maintaing court, wars cost $
 Jean-Baptiste Colbert - controller of finances
 mercantilism - regulate economy
 tax exemptions for industries
 built roads/canals to move goods
 overseas colonies – Quebec & Louisiana
 raised tariffs on imports
 Problem - more Colbert brought in, the more Louis
spent
Wars of Louis XIV
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 1667 invades Spanish Neth. and Franche-Comte
 Triple Alliance stops (Dutch, English,Swedes)
 1672 invades United Provinces
 Coalition of Brandenburg, Spain & HRE stop Louis
 France received Franche-Comte from Spain
 War of League of Augsburg - east against HRE
 Treaty of Ryswick Louis keeps Strasbourg and part of Alsace
 War of Spanish Succession - Spanish throne left to
grandson of Louis XIV
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balance of power rest of Europe moves against France/Spain
Wars continued
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 Peace of Utrecht 1713 & Rastatt 1714
 Philip V Spanish ruler but Spain and France to be separate
 Spanish Neth, Milan & Naples given to Austria
 Brandenburg-Prussia gained additional territories
 England gained Fr territories in New World
 France left surrounded by enemies and bankrupt
How absolute was Louis?
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 Adv:
 made France more powerful w/ improved military
 centralized Fr gov
 tamed the Fr aristocracy
 Dis Adv:
 taxed the peasants
 created huge debt
 court at Versailles too removed from lives and problems of
common people
Spain in Decline
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 Philip II - Left Spain Bankrupt
 Philip III - weak rule allowed duke of Lerma to run
affairs – which he only helped his family
 Philip IV (1621-1665)
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tried to centralize power and cut influence of Catholic Church
aristocracy too strong
30 Yrs War defeat @ Rocroi
decline of silver from New World 1620s-40s killed economy
internal struggles - no real middle class
German States
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 Peace of Westphalia - Germany independent states
 By 17th c - 2 emerging empires
 Brandenburg-Prussia
 Austria
Austria
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 Hapsburg power over HRE declined after 30 Years
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War
Turned attention to traditional Hapsburg lands of SE
Europe
16th c wars of religion had added Bohemia and parts
of NW Hungary to Haps land
Ferdinand II (1619-1637) crushed Protestantism in
Bohemia – land to loyal Catholic aristocracy
Ferdinand III (1637-1657) permanent standing army
Leopold I (1658-1705) crushes Ottoman advance at
Vienna 1687
Austria continued
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 Treaty of Karlowitz added Hungary, Transylvania,
Croatia, Slovenia to Austrian Empire (from Ottoman)
 War of Spanish Succession - Austria gains Spanish
Neth and Spanish influence in Italy:
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Milan, Mantua, Sardinia, Naples
 Never became centralized absolutist state bc of
various national groups but strong bond in support of
House of Hapsburg and Catholic faith
Brandenburg Prussia
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 1415 Hohenzollerns begin rule in Brandenburg
 1600s acquire land in west Germany and East Prussia
 Frederick William, the Great Elector(1640-1688)
 General War Commissariat (military run state)
 members of Commissariat - Prussian aristocrats, Junkers
 Frederick makes deal with nobility
 free hand in running gov for unlimited power over peasants
Brandenburg Prussia continued
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 Frederick and Economy - mercantilist
 favored nobility at expense of middle class
 Frederick’s son, Frederick III helps HRE in War of
Spanish Succession - in return granted title of King of
Prussia - King Frederick I (1689-1713)
 Frederick William I (1713-1740)
 Increased army – 12 in pop yet 4th largest army
 Forced conscription - …”army that possesses a state”
Russia
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 Ivan IV the Terrible 1533-1584 1st to use title tsar
 Used cruelty and fear to crush boyars – nobility
 Expanded east to include nearly a billion acres
 Son too weak to rule – end of dynasty
 Time of Troubles – famine and civil unrest
Russia continued
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 1613 Zemsky Sober chose Michael Romanov
 Dynasty last until 1917
 Peter the Great 1689-1725
 Strong military (conscription of 25yr service)
 Table of Ranks – based on merit
 Military consumed 4/5 of revenue bad for taxed peasants
 Mercantilist policies but had to resort to heavy taxation
 Tried to “westernize” – women benefited
 Window to the West – Great Northern War against
Sweden to gain port – St Petersburg capital - 1917
Ottoman Empire
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 Never granted a seat at European table
 Oppressive yet tolerant
 Christian slaves – raised Muslim and military training
Opportunity to move up based on merit
 Janissary Corp becomes voluntary for Muslim or Christian
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Millet System – religious communities granted autonomy for
paying taxes to sultan
 Suleiman the Magnificent – 16th century golden age of
Ottomans – expansion and domination of trade in
eastern Med.
England
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 England moves from Divine Right to Constitutional
Monarchy
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Response to Reformation – religious reasons
Rising middle class – gentry w/ “Protestant work ethic”
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House of Commons full of willing taxpayers that want influence
James I
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 E-Liz cousin (son of Mary, queen of Scots) – STUART
 Divine Right – not real friendly w/ Parliament
 Refused Puritan request to “purify” church of bishops
Charles I
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 Goes back on Petition of Right 1628
 Kicks out Parliament 11yrs, taxes through ship money
 Married Louis 13 Catholic sis – Henrietta Maria
 LAST STRAW – tried to force Anglican practices on
Scotland – Scotland mostly Presbyterian (Calvin brand)
English Civil War
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 Has to call Parliament - needs army to put down
Scottish revolt and growing rebellion in Ireland
 Parliament won’t deal unless they get reform (Long
Parliament 1640-1660)
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Triennial Act – must call Parliament every 3 years
Impeach Archbishop Laud
 Charles starts arresting radical parliamentarians
(roundheads)
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ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
Oliver Cromwell & Protectorate
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 Puritans forces of Parliament led by Oliver Cromwell
capture Charles I 1646
 Parliament Splits
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Cavaliers– loyal to king
Roundheads – support Cromwell
 Charles looks for help from Scotland, captured again 1648
 Rump Parliament charges Charles w/ treason – off with
his head
 Cromwell – New Model Army military rule til death 1658
Restoration of Charles II
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 Parliament reestablishes Anglican Church – laws
forcing Catholics and Puritans – Test Act 1673
 Charles tried to remain neutral as did not want his
dad’s fate but sympathized w/ Catholics
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Secret alliance with cousin Louis XIV
 Parliament attempts to pass bill to block his bro
James II (catholic) from throne – Whigs & Tories
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Whigs – suspicious of Catholics want to keep James out
Tories – loyalty to monarchial tradition and supported James
Glorious Revolution
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 Parliament was going to wait out James II until had
a Catholic boy
 Nobles invite William of Orange, husband of James’
daughter Mary
 Bill of Rights 1689
Dutch Republic
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 7 Northern Provinces broke from Spain late 16th c.
 Rejected absolute rule in favor of republic
 Separate provinces with local assemblies (Estates)
 Wealthy merchant class made up Estates
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Appointed an executive officer – stadholder
Federal assembly – States General handled foreign affairs
 Holland largest Navy and most wealthy
 Amsterdam – financial center of 17th c
 Shipbuilding and trade brought in great wealth
 Religious toleration attracted entrepreneurs
European Culture
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 Many phases after Renaissance
 Reflected the tension and emotion of the period
 Religious
Wars, Counter Reformation, Absolutism
 Music - Bach
 Art - Mannerism - Baroque
 Architecture - big palaces
Mannerism - Italy 1520s/30s
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 Attempted to break down High Ren. principles of
balance and harmony
 Elongated figures - sense of suffering, strong
emotion filled w/ anxiety and confusion
 El Greco
Baroque - End of 16th-17th c.
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 Emphasized emotion and power
 objects
in motion
 diagonal movement
 Contrasts of light - shadow
 Italy/Spain - Supported Catholic Reformation
attract viewers back to the Church
 France - mix of religion and absolute power
 Protestant Europe - secularized, genre focused
 reflective of emerging middle class patronizing art
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Night Watch - Rembrandt
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Men getting their rifles together
Light/shadow, in motion
Street in Amsterdam
Ecstasy of St. Theresa - Bernini
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Vision of Spanish mystic an angel pierced heart of
St. T - transporting her to a state of religious
ecstasy
Raw emotion, light/shadow
Religious focus
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Attract viewers in
Las Meninas - Valazquez
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Maids of honor that serve the princess
King Philip and queen reflection in mirror on back
wall
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Power, absolutism
People in motion, not portrait
Light/Shadow
Raising of the Cross - Rubens
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Religious in subject matter - Counter Reformation
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Emotional - draw viewer in
Light/Shadow
Diagonal movement
Entombment - Caravaggio
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Jesus being taken from the cross - emotional
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Counter Reformation
Diagonal movement
Light/Shadow
Syndics of the Cloth Guild - Rembrandt
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Group of Protestant merchants - secular theme,
genre
Rise of middle class
Light/shadow
Dutch Masters Cigars
Judith Slaying Holofernes - Gentileschi
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Biblical story of Judith saving Israelites cutting off
head of Holo - very graphic, emotional
Woman artist, woman hero - role of women
stepping out in society more
Movement
Light/shadow
Architecture
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Versailles
Stockholm
Schonbrunn
“builds his versailles, has
his mistresses, and
maintains his army” Fred Great