Henry of NavarreLouis XIIILouis XIV

-founder of Bourbon Dynasty- 9 years old-5 years old

-became Henry IV- Cardinal Richelieu served as-Chief Minister was

Chief Minister; wanted to make Mazarin

France an absolute monarchy by

limiting power of nobles & Huguenots

-issued the Edict of Nantes-ruled for 72 years

-took the sun as his symbol

-never used Estates-General

MADE FRANCE STRONGER:

-used intendants

-strongest army in Europe

-diversified economy

(fur trade from N. America)

EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE:

-built Palace of Versailles

-sponsored the arts

COSTLY SETBACKS:

-costly wars (War of the Spanish Succession which tried to unite Spain and France)

-persecuted the Huguenots and revoked the Edict of Nantes- they fled France

AUSTRIA:

- Very powerful German state and part of the Holy Roman Empire

-ruling family was the Hapsburg Family (one of the oldest ruling families in Europe); leader also held title of Holy Roman Emperor

-According to law, women could not rule Austria

-Charles VI had to work out a way that his daughter could inherit throne

-Pragmatic Sanction- agreement by all European leaders that Maria Theresa would inherit throne and all Hapsburg land would be left in tact.

-Maria Theresa became queen, but her husband became Holy Roman Emperor

Prussia-

- German empire in what is now Northern Germany

-Frederick William, the Great Elector, was founder of the Hohenzollern Dynasty, but never ruled

-Frederick I was the first king of Prussia

-Frederick William I was the one who started the military and Potsdam Guard, which served as personal body guards to the royal family; they had to be 7 feet tall; he also had his son’s friend beheaded because he thought his son was not strong enough to be king- he was too sensitive and too interested in the arts

- Frederick II (the Great)- introduced culture to the country and expanded the borders of the country by using the army against Austria and Poland; he enabled Prussia to become a major European power

Russia-

-Ivan the Terrible was an awful ruler and caused Russia to develop slower than the rest of Europe

-After Ivan’s death and the death of his son, the leaders of Russia elected Michael Romanov to take over

-Michael was the founder of the Romanov Dynasty- one of the longest lasting dynasties- ruled until 1918 when Nicholas II and his family (including daughter Anastasia) were executed by the Bolsheviks (communists)

-Peter the Great- studied in Europe in order to westernize Russia, created the city of St. Petersburg to be his “Window to the West”, changed the diet (introduced potato), hygiene habits (cut beards), and the dress of the Russians (shorter waist coats); he expanded their borders by acquiring Siberia, created a modern army and won against Sweden to gain access to the Baltic Sea; never won a warm-water port

-Catherine the Great- she was actually German, married the Russian czar, but she had her husband killed and she took over Russia; she took territory away from Poland, punished the serfs for a rebellion, created schools for girls and her greatest accomplishment was gaining a warm-water port by defeating the Ottoman Turks which gave them access to the Black Sea for trade with the rest of Europe

Note: Poland was divided by several countries- Partitioning of Poland (Poland will disappear from the map for many years)