Absolute Divine Right

Monarchs“5 Guys”

Mr. BoothWorld History 9

Q of D # 1Look at page 588 (Key Concepts) Do not write

the question. Answers should be 2-3 sentences

1.What might people gain from having a ruler whose power is total, or absolute?

2.What factors might weaken the power of an absolute monarch?

Answers1. Social gatherings are places where ideas

are shared. These ideas might question absolutism.

2.

• Rich support absolute dictator/ruler

• People are afraid

• People now protest/overthrow

• Wide gap between rich/poor

Wise Guy # 1 - Phillip II: • Inherited the Spanish Empire from dad

(Charles V)– Consisted of :

1. Spain

2. Spanish Netherlands

3. American Colonies (Fla. etc.)

• Personality: Aggressive, but indecisive• Aggressive: Portugal’s King dies, no heir.

Phillip is the nephew. HE SEIZES• Now the Spanish Empire includes new land

that surrounds globe– Spanish territory in Africa– India– East Indies

Catholicism, Wealth and Spanish Armada

• When Phillip takes throne he defends Catholicism. Family name is Hapsburg– History of kicking out Spanish Muslims, and

defending Spain against Mus.– Attacks Ottoman Empire (Muslim)– Attacks Protestant England

• Result: Spanish Armada is flattened by the English Tudor Queen Elizabeth I– You will investigate later

• Question: How did Spain get rich?– America = 339,000 lbs of gold– 16,000 lbs of silver– ¼ of every ship’s wealth is Spain – Large army of 50,000 soldiers

Decline of Spain/Absolutism in Europe

• Gold and Silver made Spain temporarily wealthy. But, here are three reasons the Spanish Empire declined:

1. Inflation and Taxes– Decline in value of money, prices for goods cost more

– 2 Main causes: Growing population (more demand equals rise in prices for goods) and too much silver in market (decline in value of money

2. Enemies Become Rich– Many goods and clothing were bought from Spain, not Spanish

merchants, so money flowed out of country

– Were involved in too many wars. It cost too much $

3. Dutch Revolt: Protestant Dutch revolt against Catholic Spain, they lost territory

Wise Guy # 2 King Louis XIV of France (Bourbon)

“The Sun King”Use of Absolute Power

1. “L e’tat, c’est moi”

2.Did away w/Edict of Nantes

3. Built palace of Versailles to show royal power (2.5 B, 36,000)

4. Weakens nobles authority by excluding them from his councils/ Intendants collect taxes and administer justice

Palace ofVersailles: Then and Now

Then Now

Wise Guy # 3: Frederick the Great of Prussia

1712-1786Path to Absolute Monarch

• Prussia rises to power in late 1600’s

• Royal Family is the Hohenzollerns

• King Frederick William I decided a strong army will protect lands– Bribes the nobility (Junkers)

by making them officers in the army and they became a highly militarized society.

Wise Guy # 3: Frederick the Great of Prussia

1712-1786• King Frederick William worried

about his son Frederick• Maybe not military enough to rule? Not a tough

guy?

• Son has love of music, philosophy, and poetry

• At 18, he and a friend tried to run away, as punishment his father made him witness his friend’s death

• Despite this, Frederick II (Frederick the Great) followed his dad’s military policies (expanded land through wars), but softened some of his father’s laws.

Frederick the Pragmatist?

• What he did that was different than Dad:

1.Encouraged religious toleration and legal reform

2.Believe he should be like a father to his people

– Act with honesty, help the unfortunate

• Question: How did Frederick’s Dad make Prussia an Absolute Monarchy?

# 4 Russia and Peter the Great (Romanov)

1762-1765• Russia is not like Western Europe

– Still serfdom

– Orthodox, not Catholic or Protestant so they stay away

• Peter visits the West 1680’s to “Westernize Russia”

• Comes back with:

• teachers, engineers, and craftspeople to modernize Russia

Peter the GreatWesternization – 5 key points

1. Sets up new schools

2. Established St. Petersburg by the Baltic Sea to set up a huge trading port with Europe

• (Visits Netherlands – shipbuilding)

3. Raised women’s status by letting them go to social gatherings

• Stops arranged marraiges

4. Ordered nobles to give up old clothing for Western fashions and told them to shave their beards

• Or they’re taxed

5. Modernized army (200,000 soldiers), heavy taxes

Wise Guy # 5: Oliver CromwellFirst, State of England

• When Elizabeth I died (Tudor), she had no heirs– Closes heir is James Stuart (James I)– James fought the battles with Parliament that Elizabeth did

• Raising money for wars

– James dies, his son Charles I takes over• Always needs money for wars against Spain and France• Needs money from Parliament, they say NO!• To get money from Parliament he agreed to in the Petition of Right to:

– Not levy taxes without Parliament’s consent– To get money he imposes all kinds of fees and fines on the English

people?

KEY QUESTIONS1. Does this make him popular or less popular?

2. Even though he ignores the document, why is the document still important?

Continued

• In 1637, Charles tried to force the Presbyterian Scottish (Scotland) to become Anglican. – Wants the kingdom to be one religion

• Scots rebel, form a huge army and threaten to invade England

• Charles I needs money– Parliaments says………NOOOO!– Tries to have them arrested; they escape– Londoners protest outside the palace

English Civil War

• Charles I flees to Northern England where he has loyal supporters

• From 1642 to 1649, supporters and opponents of King Charles fought the English Civil War.

• People loyal to Charles: Royalists/Cavaliers• People supportive to Parliament: Roundheads

– Short hair over their ears– Led by General Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army– Defeated the Cavaliers and held King Charles

prisoner

Execution of King Charles I

• Cromwell brings Charles to trial for treason against Parliament

• Guilty and sentence him to death!

• Q. Why is this revolutionary?

• A. Never before had a

King been put on trial and put to death

Rule of Wise Guy #5: Oliver Cromwell

• As leader, he abolishes monarchy, and tells Parliament to go home– Has associate John Lambert

draft a constitution– Eventually, tears it up and

becomes a military dictator– Q. Why is he an absolute

monarch?– A. He is now above the law

Cromwell

• Puts down Irish rebellion (Catholic)

• Crushed Irish army– Seizes homes and gives them to English

soldiers

• He fought plague and famine, and killed hundreds of thousands

• Also, abolished “sinful activities” like– Theatre, sporting events, and dancing