Absolutism

SSWH14 The student will analyze the Age of Revolutions and Rebellions.

a. Examine absolutism through a comparison of the rules of Louis XIV, Tsar Peter the Great, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Absolutism

• A political system in which a ruler holds total power (p. 441)

• Tied to the divine right of kings• Kings responsible to no one but God • Absolute monarchs had tremendous

powers such as to make laws, levy taxes, administer justice, control the state’s officials, and determine foreign policy

Louis XIV – The Sun King Reigned 1643 – 1715

• Long regarded as the best example of the practice of absolutism in the 17th century

• Came to the throne in 1643 at the age of 4

• Took over supreme power at the age of 23 with the death of chief minister Cardinal Mazarin

Louis XIV

Government & Religion under Louis XIV

• One of the keys to his power was his control of the central policy making of the government

• Royal court established at Versailles had three purposes– Personal household of the king– Chief offices of the state were located there– Powerful subjects came to find favors &

offices for themselves

Govt. & Religion Under Louis XIV Continued….

• Government ministers EXPECTED to obey his every wish.

• Complete authority over foreign policy, the Church, and taxes

• In the provinces, the king had less power so he bribed important people to guarantee his policies were carried out

• Goal to make France the preeminent power in Europe & achieve military glory

How did Louis XIV achieve his goal?

He waged 4 wars between 1667 and 1713.

Tsar Peter the Great of Russia • One of most prominent members of the

Romanov dynasty

• Became czar (or tsar) in 1689

• Absolutist monarch who claimed divine right to rule

• Visited the west and came back determined to westernize or Europeanize Russia

• Under Peter, Russia became a great military power

• By his death, Russia was an important European state

Military & Government Changes

• Reorganize the army

• Form the first Russian navy

• Divided Russia into provinces

• Hoped to create a police state

• Hoped for civic duty from officials, but his fears prevented it

Cultural Changes

• Began to introduce Western customs, practices, & manners into Russia

• Beards were shaved and coats shortened to imitate the west

• Insisted Russian upper class women remove the veils that had traditionally covered their face and move out into society

St. Petersburg

• Object of reforms = Make Russia into a great state and military power

• To do this he needed a port with access to Europe

• A long and hard fought war with Sweden achieved this goal

• St. Petersburg- a port city on the Baltic Sea became the capital and would remain such until 1918

St. Petersburg

Tokugawa Ieyasu

• Moved Japan’s capital to Edo, the later became Tokyo

• He required the daimyo to spend every other year at the capital so he could keep an eye on them.

• Reducing the power of the daimyo helped restore a centralized government.

• He established the Tokugawa Shogunate.

• The rule of law overcame rule by the sword.