Absolute Monarchs in Europe 1500-1800

Europe Developed Into AbsoluteMonarchies• Feudalism had collapsed.• National monarchies replaced.• Intense competition for land and trade leadto many wars.• Religious differences sparked civil wars.• Absolute monarchy emerged to protect thenation and preserve order.• “Gunpowder Revolution” began.

MAP: The Hapsburg ruler, Charles V, ruled his empire as a family estate,rather than a united kingdom. Each part kept its own languages, customs, lawsand forms of government. Charles traveled round, holding court in different capitals.Note how France is surrounded by the Hapsburg Empire.www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/ background/flanders.htmhttp://www.tudorhistory.org/people/charles5/charlesv.jpg

Philip IIKing of Spain (1556-1598)• Inherited Spain fromfather.• Sought to strengthenpower by war,colonies, and theCatholic Reformation.• Weakened Spain byincessant wars andpoor economicchoices.www.tudorhistory.org/ people/

France was wracked by religious warfare untilHenry of Navarre agreed to be king(1589-1610)• First of Bourbondynasty• Issued Edict of Nanteswhich promisedreligious toleration.• Began to rebuildFrench economy.• Assassinated leaving9-year old son to rule.http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/p/pourbus/frans_y/

Cardinal Richelieu created astrong monarchy.• Regent (1624-1642) forLouis XIII (1610-1643)• Richelieu broke the powerof nobles and Protestantsby destroying walled citiesand castles.• Used the middle class forgovernment jobs.• Challenged Hapsburgpower by intervening inThirty Years War.http://home.nyu.edu/~rgr208/richelieu.jpg

When Louis XIII died leaving his five year-old son asking Cardinal Mazarin became regent (1643-1661).• Continued Richelieupolicies.• Generally disliked by theFrench people because ofincreased taxes andcontinued consolidation ofroyal power.• Fronde Revolt by noblesharshly suppressed.http://www.ac-strasbourg.fr/pedago/lettres/Victor%20Hugo/Notes/Mazarin.htm

Louis XIV becomes the mostpowerful king in Europe (1643-1715)• When Mazarin died, Louisassumed full control atage 23.• Worked long hours tostrengthen France.• Broke power of noblesand Protestants.• Restored economy viamercantilism.• Builder of the Palace ofVersailles.http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/France/LouisXIV.html

•Louis XIV, The Sun King•The best and worst exampleOf absolute monarchy.•“L’Etat c’est moi!”• Crippled France by fightinga series of losing wars andrevoking the Edict of Nantes• On his deathbed he urged hisyoung grandson and heirto avoid wars.

Ferdinand IIHoly Roman Emperor (1619-1637)• Wanted greater controlof his Protestantnobles.• Touched off the ThirtyYears War, whicheventually involvedmost of westernEurope.• Took German States100 years to rebuild.http://www.kaisergruft.at/anhang/ezhferdi.htm

The arrival of King GustavusAdolfus’ Swedish forces.Next slide:Soldiers sack and loot a home.The Hanging TreeThe Thirty Years War (1618-1648)•Hapsburgs v. German Protestants•Sweden v. Hapsburgs•France v. Hapsburgs•Peace of Westphalia, 1648 -created modern Europe.

The Thirty Years WarMany cities were destroyed and an estimated 4 millionGermans died. This is the Sack of Magdeburg

Eastern Europe• Slower to develop due tothe many ethnic minoritiesand lack of development—primarily agricultural.• Feudalism still strong.• Hapsburg Family incontrol.• Maria Theresa, Queen ofAustria. (1740-1780)http://www.batguano.com/VLBmcaroline.jpg

Frederick the Great (1740-1786) of Prussia wasdetermined to make Prussia the dominate power.www.ncl.ac.uk/~nhistory/ german.htm• Created a strongaggressive military.“ Most nations have an army,Prussia is an army with anation”.• Promoted religioustoleration and education athome.• Successfully made Prussiadominate power bydefeating Austrians.• ( Seven Years War)

Russia centralizedunder theleadership of thetsars

Ivan IIIThe GreatIvan IVThe Terrible1462-1505 1533-1584Peter the Great1672-1725www.xenophongi.org/rushistory/ rusinwax/wax28s.jpgwww.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/ archive/peter.gif

English monarchs attempted to establishabsolute system• James I (1603-1625)fought with Parliamentover his authority.• Puritans wantedAnglican Church toreflect a Calvinistview.• James refused tocooperate, except for anew Bible translation.www.bbc.co.uk/history

Charles loses his head in anargument• Charles I (1625-1649)pursued an aggressiveforeign policy with Spain.• Continually sought newfunds from Parliament,members checked hispower by forcing him tosign the Petition of Right,1628.• When Charles dissolvedParliament and tried toraise money, civil warresulted.: www.mdarchives.state.md.us/.../ 01glance/images/charles1.jpg

Oliver Cromwell defeats king’sforces and became Lord Protector• Charles executed fortreason.• On paper, Englandwas a republic but inpractice a dictatorship.• Cromwell suppressedrevolt in Ireland.• Imposed Puritan idealson English.http://www.graham.day.dsl.pipex.com/civilwar-cromwell.gif

Monarchy Restored• When Cromwell died,so did his government.• English invitedCharles II (1660-1685) to restoremonarchy.• Reign was a period ofcalm marked by courtdecadence.

Monarchy In Crisis• On Charles’ death, brotherbecame king.• James II (1685-1688) waspro-Catholic, whichangered many.• When his young wifeproduced an heir,Parliament feared arenewed period of turmoiland removed king frompower.www.bbc.co.uk/.../monarchs_leaders/ images/james_2_full.jpg

The Glorious RevolutionWilliam and Mary Restore English Monarchywww.camelotintl.com/heritage/ rulers/images/willmary.gif• Parliament invited Mary,daughter of Charles I, anda Protestant, to jointly rulewith her husband, Williamof Orange. (1689-1702)• Both agreed to followParliamentary laws andaccepted English Bill ofRights.• England became the onlylimited monarchy inEurope. Parliament incontrol.