Absolute Divine Right

Monarchs“5 Guys”

Ms. LovelaceWorld History 9

Q of DLook at page 588 (Key Concepts) Do not write

the question.

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

Answers1.

•People are afraid

•People now protest/overthrow

•Wide gap between rich/poor causes friction

•One mistake can ruin the ruler

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, shy, religious,

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

Phillip is the nephew. HE SEIZES Portugal• 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, Dutch prosper

Absolutism in Europe

• Absolute Monarchs: King or Queen who holds all the power within their territory, controls every aspect of society

• Divine Right: The idea that God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on Earth. Abs. Monarch only answers to God not their subjects!

Philip II

• Palace = massive walls and gates = power

• Monastery within the palace = demonstration of his devout religious practices

• Maintained huge military force

• Expelled Jews, nobles did not have to pay taxes

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

“The Sun King”

•Becomes King at age 4

•Fears the nobles rebellion as a child and vows to have total control as King when he is older.

•Family Name: Bourbon

Cardinal Mazarin

• In charge while Louis XIV was a boy

• Ended 30 years war in 1648

• Raised taxes and strengthened central gov’t

• Nobles rioted against him

• Dies in 1661 when Louis is 22 and he officially assumes the throne

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 which allowed religious tolerance

3.Built palace of Versailles

4. Weakens nobles authority

1&2

• Le etat Cest Moi = “I am the state!”

• Became the strongest King of his time, started his reign at age 4!

• Colbert dies and Louis ends the Edict of Nantes thousands of protestants flee country and France loses skilled workers

3&4

• Palace of Versailles: shows royal power cost approx. 2.3B in US dollars (2003) to build

• Intendents – middle class gov’t agents he sends out to collect taxes and administer justice.

• Does not include nobles in council meetings, forces them to remove walls around palaces, and makes them visit Versailles constantly

Palace ofVersailles: Then and Now

Then Now

Economic Growth

• Jean Baptiste Colbert (minister of finance)

• Did not want the wealthy to leave France

• Promoted self-sufficieny – taxed foreign goods and expanded manufacturing

The Sun King’s Grand Style

1. Control the Nobility – Made nobles live at Versailles, this decreased their power by removing them from their home (it increased the power of the intendants)

2. Patron of the Arts - Danced the title role in the ballet “The Sun King” - paintings and arts revolved around glorifying the King. (not religion like before)

Disastrous Wars

• Attacks – Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Netherlands, and other weaker countries

• They band together to create the League of Augsburg to fight France

War of Spanish Succession

• Childless King of Spain dies leaving territory to Louis’s 16 year old grandson

• Expands French Bourbon control• 1701 several countries join together to stop this

union = war• Drags on until 1714 until Treaty of Utrecht

signed – calls for thrones not to be combined• Big winner is Britain who takes territories from

Spain

Death & Legacy• Final years were sad

• Regretted all the wars he caused

• Made France a strong European Empire = colonies, trade, arts

• Created staggering debt (Versailles) and abuse of power that would continue in France

• 1715 he died in bed and people rejoiced in the streets of France

Wise Guy # 3: Frederick the Great of Prussia

1712-1786Path to Absolute Monarch

• Where: Prussia rises to power in late 1600’s, located between Poland and present day Germany

• Hohenzollerns = Royal Family Name

• King Frederick William I goal = decided a strong standing army will protect lands so he increases taxes and calls himself a King

Limits Junkers Power:

JUNKERS:

• Prussia’s Noble Class

How?

• Frederick weakens the representative assemblies of the nobles

• bribes the nobility by making them officers in the army and they became a highly militarized society…

• pulls them away from their territories

Wise Guy # 3: Frederick the Great of Prussia

• King Frederick William worried about his son Frederick

• Maybe not military minded 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.Believed he should be like a father to his people

– Act with honesty, help the unfortunate

# 4 Russia and Peter the Great (Romanov = Family

Name)1672-1725

• Russia is not like Western Europe:

1. Still has serfdom

2. Orthodox, not Catholic or Protestant so they stay away from the “heretics”

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

- Wants to learn customs and modern manufacturing techniques!

- Believes Russia needs a warm water port.

Peter returns from Western Europe

Comes back with: •teachers, engineers, and craftspeople to modernize help Russia

Peter the GreatWesternization – 5 key points

1. Sets up new schools, and 1st newspaper

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, introduces potatoes

Wise Guy # 5: Oliver CromwellFirst, State of England

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

• Raising money for wars• Also did not enact Puritan reforms (except new Bible translation)

– James dies, his son Charles I takes over fights w/ Parliament• 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 and imprison w/o cause– To get money he imposes all kinds of fees and fines on the English

people?

KEY QUESTIONS1. Does this make him more 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 Scots (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 publicly

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(Catholic) rebellion 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