ABSOLUTISM: EAT IT

All over the world from 1450-1750, absolutist Empires began centralizing their authority over its populace. Divine right authority (God-granted) coupled with strong militaries extending empires, control over lucrative trade (either overland or maritime) and the centralization of power over one individual who exercised this power with legislation (law making), dispelling any political enemies and the building of monumental architecture to glorify their power and insure their legacy. At roughly the same time in Europe, a new bourgeoisie power rich from new trading policies (mercantilism, banking, joint stock companies and guilds) would challenge the power of the Absolutists and come up with ideas to allow more people to participate in government ( beginnings of more democratic ideas a period called the enlightenment). Thomas Hobbes supported Absolutism identifying a noble obligation (nobles oblige) to take care of the populace while John Locke argued that government should rest w

1. KING LOUIS XIV (BOURBON) OF FRANCE UTILIZED WEALTH FROM NORTH AMERICAN MERCANTILISM TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF PALACE AND BUILD

ONE OF THE MOST LAVISH PALACES IN VERSAILLES.

J. THE SPENDING ON LAVISH LIFESTYLE BOTH JUSTIFIED HIS AUTHORITY AS THE “SUN-KING” YET WOULD SERVE AS A REMINDER ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR

WHICH WOULD. ULTIMATELY LEAD TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

2. PETER ROMANOV OF RUSSIA CENTRALIZED HIS AUTHORITY AND WRESTLED AWAY POWER FROM THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ESTABLISHED A POLICY OF

“WESTERNIZATION” ESTABLISHING THE WARM-WATER PORT OF ST. PETERSBURG AND CREATING RUSSIA’S FIRST GREAT NAVY

I. PETER WOULD LEARN FROM ENGLISH AND DUTCH SHIP BUILDERS HOW TO DEVELOP A FORMIDABLE MILITARY AND BECOME A COMPETITIVE EMPIRE AFTER

CENTURIES OF ISOLATION AND MAKE RUSSIA AN EMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH WHILE DOING AWAY WITH OLD SUPERSTITIOUS IDEAS WHICH HINDERED PROGRESS

3. TOKUGAWA IEAYSU DECIDED TO CENTRALIZE JAPAN’S POWER IN THE PORT OF EDO AND ISOLATE JAPAN PREVENTING JAPANESE FROM LEAVING AND

FOREIGNERS FROM ENTERING EXCEPT THE DUTCH WHICH WAS LIMITED TO THE PORT OF NAGASAKI JUST ONCE A YEAR

H. JAPAN’S HISTORICAL ISOLATION DURING THE AGE OF EXPLORATION, ENLIGHTENMENT AND SCIENCE GAVE IT A DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE IN THE

TECHNOLOGY FIELD WHEN THEIR LIMITATIONS WOULD BE TESTED BY AMERICAN ADMIRAL PERRY IN 1857

4. ENGLAND AFTER YEARS OF CIVIL WAR AND STRUGGLE BETWEEN PARLIAMENT (EST. BY MAGNA CARTA) AND THE MONARCHY HAD A GLORIOUS REVOLUTION WHICH WOULD INSTALL THE FIRST BILL OF RIGHTS ILLUSTRATING SPECIFIC

FREEDOMS FOR ENGLISH CITIZENS.

G. THE ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS, INFLUENCED BY ENLIGHTENED THINKERS, CONTINUED ENGLAND’S TRADITION OF CODIFYING RIGHTS AND INCLUDED

FREEDOMS OF SPEECH, NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, FREEDOM TO PETITION, AND FAIR TRIALS TO INSURE LITTLE ABUSE OF POWER

5.SPAIN’S PHILLIP II (HAPSBURG) FIGHTING A SERIES OF COSTLY WARS OF RELIGION INCLUDING THE WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION (IN THE NETHERLANDS) AND THE 30 YEARS’ WAR ( A BLOODY WAR OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

COSTLY WARS DRAINED THE ROYAL TREASURY OF ALL THE GOLD AND SILVER PROCURED THROUGH MERCANTILISM AND LED TO FINANCIAL

HARDSHIPS, DEBT AND THE NEED TO INCREASE CRIPPLING TAXES

6. ENGLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS FORMING CONSTITUTIONS TO PLACE LIMIT ON THE MONARCHS, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE CITIZENRY AND ALLOW

PRIVATE OWNERSHIP IN BUSINESSES (JOINT STOCK COMPANIES) AND LAND

E. LIMITS ON ABSOLUTE POWER HELPED THE ENGLISH AND DUTCH PREVENT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND CHANGE GOVERNMENT POLICIES OF INTOLERANCE AND BRING ABOUT

DEMOCRATIC CHANGES TO ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND LIMIT THE POWER OF THE MONARCHY THROUGH SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES (LIKE MONTESQUIEU WROTE ON)

7. IVAN THE GREAT (RUSSIA) USING THE COSSACKS (FREED SERFS) TO EXTEND HIS EMPIRE FURTHER EAST AND TAKE IT FROM INDIGENOUS SIBERIANS USING BLOODY WARFARE (GUNPOWDER TECHNOLOGY).

D.AFTER THROWING OFF THE TYRANNY OF THE GOLDEN HORDE (MONGOLS) IVAN CONSOLIDATED HIS AUTHORITY IN MOSCOW AND STARTED A CAMPAIGN OF

GAINING NEW TERRITORIES IN THE EAST WHERE LANDS COULD BE USED FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE LUCRATIVE FUR TRADE

8. ROYAL PATRONAGE OF SOCIETIES TO ADVANCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SCIENTIFIC IDEAS OF ISAAC NEWTON,

WILLIAM HARVEY AND ROBERT HOOKE

C. ROYAL SOCIETIES BEGAN TO DEVELOP IN COFFEEHOUSES AND UNIVERSITIES LIKE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE TO FACILITATE KNOWLEDGE IN SCIENCE AND

MATHEMATICS TO APPLY TO THE NEWEST COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGIES WHERE SCIENCE AND RELIGION COULD COMPROMISE IN THE NEW DEIST IDEAS.

9.THE USE OF NAVY BY THE HAPSBURG CHARLES V TO UTILIZE COLONIES IN THE AMERICAS FOR LAND, LABOR AND CAPITAL

(MERCANTILISM

B. A STRONG NAVY UTILIZING CARAVEL TECHNOLOGY WITH SIDE MOUNTED CANNONS MADE THE SPANISH ARMADA ONE OF THE MOST FEARED UNTIL THE ENGLISH QUEEN’S NAVY GREW MORE POWERFUL

10.THE ASSURANCE BY CONSTITUTIONS IN ENGLAND TO PROVIDE FREEDOMS OF RELIGION, SPEECH , PRESS AND TRIAL

BY JURY

A.THE PRINCIPLES OF BASIC FREEDOMS ( SPOKE ABOUT BY VOLTAIRE AND ROUSSEAU) ALLOWED AN INFORMED CITIZENRY TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST

TYRANNY AND INJUSTICE AND OVERTHROW IT IF IT IS NOT DERIVED FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED (LIKE JOHN LOCKE SPOKE OF)