Absolutism

• Essential Questions:– How did absolute monarchs centralize power in

government and thereby control the religion, culture and economics of Europe?

Spanish Absolutism

• Starts with Charles I– A Hapsburg King

• Also rules the Holy Roman Empire, Netherlands , and America

• Conquests by Cortes and Pissaro– Spain gains immense

power and influence

Philip II of Spain

• Ruler of Spain during their “golden years.”– Don Quixote is written– El Greco

• Son of Charles V (remember from the Reformation)

• Spain becomes the most powerful nation during his reign (1556-1598)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/El_Greco_-_The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz.JPG

Government tactics

• Appointed family to Royal jobs

• Created a new royal palace (1584)

Military • Expanded Spanish

armada to over 150 ships– Battle of Lepanto (1571)

made Spain strongest navy• Fought in several wars

– Vs. Ottomans (muslim)– Main Catholic League

nation during Reformation– Anglo-Spanish war

• Spanish Armada defeated British

Spanish Inquisition

• Part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation– Attacks Protestants,

Muslims, Jews and Homosexuals

• About 87,000 cases recorded• Continues until

1834

Economy under Philip II• Used silver from the Americas

to pay for most of his programs– Command Economy

• Didn’t build up industry in country– Ex. Sheep or wheat?

• Extreme spending – Debt of 36 million ducats

• When silver mining dries up, Inflation and debt set in and cause a decline in power and wealth

France and Absolutism

• France emerged after Spain as the next great power of absolutism.

• Started over religious conflict.– Huguenots versus Catholics– Henry IV offered the Edict of Nantes

• Created Religious tolerance towards Huguenots• In the process, consolidated his power as king

• The main absolutist in France was Louis XIV.

King Louis XIV: Sun King

• King of France from 1661-1715

• “I am the State”• Strengthened royal

power immensely• Built Versailles to keep

the Estates General (Congress) happy so he can get his way.

Versailles

Versailles Gardens

Versailles Mall

Versailles Gardens

Versailles Gardens

Versailles Gardens

Hall of Mirrors

Louis’ Chapel

Louis XIV

• Foreign Policy– Fought several wars, including the War of Spanish

Succession and others against England and the Netherlands

– Franco-Ottoman Alliance (against Spain)– Had the largest army in Europe at 300,000 soldiers

Religion under Louis XIV

– Persecuted the Huguenots

– Repealed the Edict of Nantes in 1685

– More than 200,000 fled

– Why is this a bad move for Louis?

Economics under Louis

• Mercantilism– Export more than a country imports

• Taxes and tolls– Over 100 tolls within France– Placed high Tariffs on imported goods– Huge taxes on the middle class

• Cost of Versailles: – 10% of total income to maintain

Peter the Great• interested in western European

society/education• attempt to reform Russia to be more

European (westernization)• enlightened despot (social &

political reforms)• centralized all power

(inc. Orthodox church)• failed to gain warm water port

Warm Water Port

• fueled by Russia's need to gain access to the sea

• Emperors waged expansion wars against Ottoman empire

• wanted trade access• route to Pacific was too far

(Siberia & away from Europe)

• goal was Black Sea • finally achieved under

Catherine the Great in 1795

Catherine the Great• Empress of Russia• enlightened despot• daughter-in-law of Peter the

Great• spoke against serfdom• expanded empire to warm

water port• efficient & organized

Empress• 1762- (Empress)

St. Petersburg & Westernization of Russia

• capital designed as "window to the West“

• built by serfs & Italian architects

• Serf: low wage worker

Habsburg Family Crest

Austrian Empire: 1657-1718

Leopold IHoly Roman

Emperor(r. 1658-1705)

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace

Prince Eugène of Savoy: 1718

Holy Roman Empire: 1750

Prussian Family Crest

Prussia & the Austrian Empire: 1721-72

King Frederick I of Prussia (r.1701-1713)

Formerly:Frederick III

of Brandenburg

(r. 1688-1701)

Frederick the Great (r. 1740-1786)

Frederick the Great (r. 1740-1786)

Frederick the Great’s Court

Europe in 1740

Charles VI (r. 1711-1740)

MariaTheresa(r. 1740-

1780)

Maria Theresa & Her Family

Her Notable Children: HRE Joseph II HRE Leopold II Queen Marie Antoinette (Fr.)

War of the Austrian Succession

• What are the benefits of Absolutism? Who benefits?

• What are the problems with Absolutism?

The exception to absolutism

• England’s Parliament held much power.– Queen Elizabeth was able to coerce parliament on

many issues– Charles I- acted as a complete absolutist monarch• Refused to sign the Petition of Right• Jailed civilians• Led troops into the House of Commons to arrest

A breach to Absolutism

• The English Civil War.– Cavaliers (supporters of Charles I)– Roundheads (led by Oliver Cromwell)– Charles I is executed

• The Commonwealth.– A republic led by Cromwell– Puritan laws and power

• The Glorious Revolution– Charles II– Constitutional monarchy– English Bill of Rights• Habeas Corpus