Absolutism Review

Absolutism Study Guide
Spain
A king who can do whatever he wants is called an ABSOLUTE MONARCH.
The belief that a king can rule because god says so is called DIVINE RULE
Spain had been the most POWER nation in the world in the 1400s.
Spain created a huge group of ships, or an ARMADA to attack England.
This group of ships was defeated in the ENGLISH CHANNEL
The English ships were much SMALLER and FASTER than the large Spanish ships.
After this defeat, Spain starts to DECLINE and England becomes the most POWERFUL
nation in the world.
France
In the late 1500’s France was torn apart by RELIGIOUS wars.
These wars were between the majority CATHOLICS and the minority HUGUENOTS.
Henry IV issued the EDICT OF NANTES that granted religious freedom to
HUGUENOTS
Louis XIV came to the throne when he was only FIVE years old.
Louis’s symbol was the SUN because it was the center of the SOLAR SYSTEM just like
he thought he was.
Louis moved his court to VERSAILLES where he could keep an EYE on everyone.
Louis had a ceremony called the LEVEE where nobles would fight over stupid stuff like
getting Louis’s shoes.
Versailles was the most OPULENT palace in Europe.

England
Charles I ruled like an ABSOLUTE MONARCH,or king who could do whatever he
wanted.
He signed the PETITION OF RIGHT which said he couldn’t raise taxes without asking
Parliament and he couldn’t JAIL anyone without a good REASON.
Charles ignore this and DISSOLVED Parliament.
This led to a CIVIL WAR, or war within a country.
The CAVALIERS were the supporters of the king.
The ROUNDHEADS were the supporters of Parliament.
OLIVER CROMWELL was the leader of the Roundheads.
Eventually, Charles I is BEHEADED by the Roundheads.
Oliver Cromwell’s government was called the COMMONWEALTH and he ruled like an
ABSOLUTE MONARCH.
After he died, England went back to having a KING.
Now, however, it was a LIMITED monarchy, where the king was limited by
PARLIAMENT and LAWS.
In time, the PRIME MINISTER, or head of the cabinet, became more IMPORTANT
than the king.
Russia
Russia was a MEDIEVAL like state well into the 1600’s.
The first Russian ruler who tried to bring Russia into the modern era was PETER the
GREAT.

He planned to make Russia more like Europe. This was called WESTERNIZATION.
He made the landowning noble look more like westerners, including cutting their
BEARDS.
Because Russia was so cold, they were looking for a WARM WATER PORT which
would be open year round.
Vocabulary
When something erodes, it BREAKS DOWN OR FADES AWAY.
When someone is suppressed, they are KEPT DOWN.
If you tolerate something, you DEAL WITH IT EVEN THOUGH YOU AREN’T HAPPY
ABOUT IT.
If you aspired to be an actor, you HOPED TO BE ONE.
KNOW HOW TO SPELL: NOBLE, DIVINE RIGHT, PARLIAMENT