Absolute Monarchs in Europe

16th, 17th, & 18th Centuries(1500s, 1600s, 1700s if you are scoring at home)

Aka – Chapter 21

Europe in Crisis

  • 16th and 17th Centuries
  • Religious Wars
  • France = Huguenots (French Protestants) vs. Catholics
  • Philip II (Spain)
  • Queen Elizabeth I (England)
  • Thirty Year’s War
  • Other Wars (with some religion involved)
  • Philip II (Spain) vs. Queen Elizabeth I (England)
  • Economic Problems
  • Price revolution
  • Social Problems
  • Witchcraft craze (way before the Salem Witch Trials)
  • Revolution
  • English Revolution, American Revolution, French Revolution (more on this later)

Religious Wars (France)

  • (French Calvinists)
  • Wanted more rights
  • Growing political force
  • Wanted to remove Protestant influence
  • Fighting from
  • (1598)
  • Edict of Nantes –

Religious Wars (Spain)

  • – “the most Catholic King”
  • Wanted to fight against influences in Europe
  • Called by the pope to defend Christendom (what does this sound like?)
  • (1571)
  • Defeated in the Mediterranean (surprising victory)
  • (Netherlands and Belgium)
  • Revolted because of taxes and religion
  • (1648)
  • Netherlands gained more independence
  • Netherlands becomes great trade center (Americas)

Religious Wars (England)

  • Queen Elizabeth I
  • Henry VIII – started Anglican Church
  • Queen Mary Tudor – Catholic ruler
  • Church of England –
  • Puritans
  • (1519)
  • Philip II
  • Financial and religious reasons
  • Spanish Armada defeated,

Economic and Cultural Crisis

  • Price Revolution
  • Inflation –
  • Growing population –
  • New Markets –
  • “little Ice Age” –
  • Witchcraft

(1618 – 1648)

  • Started in German lands (Holy Roman Empire)
  • vs. (Hapsburg dynasty)
  • vs.
  • (1648)
  • France dominates
  • Religious freedom in Germany
  • no longer exists

Characteristics of Absolutism

Basic Principle

Political

Social

Economic

Cultural

The Absolute Monarchs

France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, & England

France

  • Too young & weak to rule
  • Strengthened Monarchy, took away political rights of Huguenots
  • Network of spies to protect the government
  • Entered France into the
  • Too young to rule at first (4 at coronation)
  • Put down a revolt against the monarchy
  • Ended

Louis XIV (1661 – 1715)

  • “The King”
  • Best example of an absolute monarchy in the 17th century
  • Place to watch over all parts of the government
  • Removed all threats (princes of the blood)
  • Destroyed churches
  • Built palaces and armies
  • Weakened the by excluding from council
  • Louis’s aide develops the economic theory of
  • Mercantilism:
  • Attempted to Expand France’s territories
  • 1667 – 1678 added a small amount of territory from the Netherlands
  • War of Spanish Succession
  • 1701 – 1714
  • Wanted his grandson (Philip of Anjou) to take over Spain

Legacy of Louis XIV

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Prussia
  • Frederick William the Great Elector
  • Built strong army
  • Will fight to gain lands from Austria
  • Austria
  • (Hapsburg dynasty)
  • Too many ethnic groups to truly unite
  • War of Austrian Succession
  • 1740 – 1748
  • vs.
  • Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
  • War (called the French & Indian War in the American Colonies)
  • 1756 – 1763
  • vs.

Russia

  • (tsar or czar)
  • Ivan “the Terrible”
  • Expanded Muscovy (Russian) empire
  • Destroyed (Russian nobility)
  • after his death (no clear leader)
  • (1613)
  • Began dynasty of czars that lasted until 1917
  • 17th century tsars
  • Absolute rulers (divinely ordained)
  • Many revolts

Peter the Great

  • Traveled to, came back wanting to copy ideas and technology
  • Reorganized the and
  • Drafted peasants
  • Divided Russia into
  • Wanted to increase industry
  • Increased taxes
  • Took control of the

Peter Westernizes Russia

  • Introduced the (become the #1 crop)
  • Introduced and edited the first
  • Raised , especially for nobles
  • Adopted (especially for nobles)
  • Opened new (navigation, arts, & sciences)
  • Legacy
  • Helped Russia strengthen
  • Left Russian in debt and distrusting the west

English Revolution

  • Monarchy vs. Parliament
  • vs. Roundheads
  • Who had more power?
  • Queen Elizabeth I dies in 1603 (Ended the Dynasty)
  • Dynasty
  • James I –
  • Divine Right of Kings
  • (1642 – 1649)
  • Charles I –
  • Puritans –
  • (Puritan General)
  • led “The New Model Army” to victory over the Cavaliers
  • Ruled as a
  • After he died, no central leadership
  • Charles II –
  • Restoration (1660)

England and the Limited Monarchy

  • English Revolution
  • Charles II put in power, but still strong force
  • James II openly Catholic, threatened Anglican authority
  • (1688)
  • (Netherlands) and (James’ daughter) “invade” England
  • James II flees to
  • English
  • Constitutional Monarchy
  • (foundation of a more democratic England)

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