Transcript growth of nations - Elmwood Park Memorial High School

Vocabulary
• Monarch- single ruler who inherits
throne
• Absolute Monarch- Monarch with
total power
• Autocrat- (self ruler) one person
rules
• Divine Right- monarch gets their
power and authority from God
Nation Defined
• A group of people occupying
the same country
–Same government
–Same language
–Patriotism (nationalism)
Factors Strengthening Royal Power
• Crusades- weakened feudal lords and
church
• Gunpowder- weakened knights and
need for feudalism
• Church- Reformation reduced power
• King became a symbol of national unity
Absolute Monarchies
• Complete control over
–Chief Lawmaker
–Chief Judge
–Chief Executive
–Head of State
Absolute Monarchies
• FIVE GOALS:
– Subjugate the nobility. Do not allow nobles to share
or interfere with the king’s power.
– Build a giant government to extend the king’s
authority to every corner of the country.
– Collect more taxes to pay for government and
military.
– Build up a large standing army to defend country
and intimidate the king’s subjects.
– Establish religious uniformity which endorses rule of
the king.
REVIEW
• How was trade upset by the
nobles?
• Why would separate legal
systems be a problem?
Examples of Absolute Monarchies
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England
France
Hapsburgs Empire
Russia
Spain
Reading: Louis XIV
• pronounced LOO ee, LOO ihs, or pronounced lwee
(1638-1715), was king of France for 72 years, the
longest reign in modern European history. He was
called "Dieudonne" ("God-given"), "Grand Monarch," or
"Louis the Great." Louis was an outstanding example
of the absolute monarch. He reportedly boasted, "L'etat
c'est moi" ("I am the State"). These words express the
spirit of a reign in which the king claimed the highest
political authority. Louis chose the sun as his royal
emblem, and he liked to be called Le roi-soleil (The Sun
King). Under Louis XIV, France ranked above all other
European nations in art, literature, war, and
statesmanship.
Reading: Louis XIV
• Louis was born at St.-Germain-en-Laye, France.
He succeeded his father, Louis XIII, when he
was only 4 years old. Louis XIV's mother, Anne
of Austria, ruled on his behalf until 1651. She
had great influence even after her son was
declared old enough to rule. Cardinal Mazarin,
Louis's godfather, served as chief minister.
Reading: Louis XIV
• When Mazarin died in 1661, Louis declared that he
would be his own chief minister. He had received a
thorough education for kingship. Mazarin had
taught him to choose wise counselors. The greatest
of Louis's ministers was Jean Baptiste Colbert.
Colbert reorganized French finance and promoted
economy and industry.
• Louis supported writers and artists and played a part
in the growth of French literature. Historians often
describe his long reign as "the Century of Louis
XIV."
Reading: Louis XIV
• Louis fought four major wars. His great aim was to
make himself supreme in Europe. In the first three
wars, fought between 1667 and 1697, Louis hoped to
recapture all lands that had ever been under French
rule. He gained important territories, but his
aggressive moves led other countries to form
alliances against him. In the fourth war, the War of
the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Louis fought to
protect his grandson Philip V's right to be king of
Spain. The War of the Spanish Succession left
France exhausted.
Reading: Louis XIV
• Louis married Maria Theresa of Spain in 1660, but he
was more attracted to mistresses. The most
important mistress was Madame de Maintenon. He
secretly married her after Maria Theresa died in
1683. Madame de Maintenon approved of Louis's
harsh treatment of the French Protestants, who were
called Huguenots. Since 1598, the Huguenots had
enjoyed religious toleration and privileges under the
Edict of Nantes. In 1685, Louis revoked this edict.
The government persecuted the Huguenots savagely
in an effort to compel them to change their religion.
Many thousands of Huguenots fled the country.
Those who left included numerous craftworkers and
business people.
Reading: Louis XIV
• After 1685, Louis's reign was less glorious
than in earlier years. Colbert, who died in
1683, could not prevent the king from
fighting wars and plunging the country into
debt. Louis built a magnificent palace at
Versailles, where he and his court lived in
luxury. To prevent uprisings among the
nobles, Louis made them live at the palace at
Versailles, and serve him personally. They
continued to attend the king until his death in
1715. Louis was succeeded by Louis XV, his
great-grandson.
Review
Review Questions
Questions
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In what ways was France exhausted after
the Spanish war of succession?
How did the leaving of several thousand
Huguenots hurt France?
Why do you think making some of the
nobles of France live at Versailles was a
mistake?
What advantages are there to having a
single ruler?
Do you feel the right to govern (rule) should
come from the people? Explain why or why
not.