Absolutism Global I: Spiconardi. Some Characteristics of an Absolute Ruler.
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Transcript of Absolutism Global I: Spiconardi. Some Characteristics of an Absolute Ruler.
Absolutism
Global I: Spiconardi
Some Characteristics of an Absolute Ruler
Absolutism
Absolutism When a king or queen who has unlimited power/centralized control of the government and seeks to control all aspects of society
Divine Right theory that rulers power comes directly from God and the ruler is only responsible to God
Queen Elizabeth (Reign 1558 – 1603) Daughter of Henry VIII Battle w/Parliament
over finances; economy suffers under her reign
Protestant Made strict rules
against Catholics, but didn’t enforce them
Never married/No heirs (“Virgin Queen”)
Supported the arts; arts flourish under her reign (Shakespeare)
Philip II of Spain (Reign 1556 – 1598)
Devout Catholic Drove Muslim Moors
& Jews out of Spain Tortured, killed or
exiled thousands of Protestants
Attempted to aid a Catholic in regaining the throne of France
Philip II of Spain
The Spanish Armada In attempt to re-Catholicize England, he
attacked England with 130 ships & 19,000 soldiers.
Spain loses in shocking defeat Wars and Inquisition cost Spain tons of
money Left Spain bankrupt
Peter the Great of Russia (Reign 1682 – 1725) Westernize and Modernize
Peter believed Russia was years behind the rest of Europe
Invited European engineers, architects, artists, merchants, shipbuilders, and craftsmen to Russia in order to catch the country up to the rest of EuropeWhy was Russia behind the Why was Russia behind the
rest of Europe?rest of Europe?
Peter the Great
Reforms Changed Russian calendar
to coincide with rest of Europe
All noble children (ages 10-15) had to be taught geometry and mathematics
Outlawed beards unless you paid a special tax
Created poll tax to build up manufacturing
Organized a Russian army and built a navy
… In 1722 the establishment of the Table of Ranks brought to its logical conclusion a process that had been evolving for three centuries. It imposed obligatory lifelong state service on all ranks of the nobility. It established fourteen equivalent grades in the military, naval, and civil service and required that even princes of the most exalted families should begin at the lowest grade and work their way up the ladder. The Table of Ranks offered the privileges of nobility to anyone who performed state service and made service to the state the principal basis for privilege.…
… How great an effect did Peter have upon Russia? When he came to the throne, Russia wasan insignificant state. He made it into a great power feared by all. At his accession [assumptionof the throne] Russia had no armed forces except for the inefficient and untrustworthy Streltsy[hereditary military units]. When he died, there was a professional army of 210,000 men. Hecreated a navy out of nothing, leaving behind him a fleet of forty-eight ships-of-the-line andmany smaller vessels.…
Peter signally [noticeably] failed to create the large, thriving middle class that Russia needed.In spite of the most strenuous efforts, Russia’s commerce and industry remained dependentupon the Tsar, so that when he died, there were not enough wealthy, far-sighted traders andindustrialists to develop what he had begun. This lack of private initiative and enterprise was toremain one of Russia’s greatest social weaknesses until the Communist Revolution of 1917.…
Louis XIV of France (Reign 1643 – 1715) Known as the “Sun
King” Never dressed
himself Gave nobles the
“privilege” and “honor” of dressing him
Built Palace of Versailles Palace may have cost
over US$2 billion
Louis XIV
A portrait of Louis XIV A portrait of Louis XIV depicting him as the god depicting him as the god
Apollo.Apollo.
•Louis XIV revoked France’s policy of religious tolerance
•A Protestant sect, Huguenots, were intimidated and many fled France
•Used the military to bully the Huguenots
•Despite this, Louis wanted to be referred to as, “His most Christian Majesty”
Versailles
Versailles
The Hall of The Hall of MirrorsMirrors
Versailles
Queen’s Queen’s BedroomBedroom
Versailles
King’s King’s BedroomBedroom
…More and more Louis tried to impose uniformity in religious affairs. In the 1680s heintensified persecution of Protestants; his actions made the edict [of Nantes] nothing but a scrap of paper. Finally in 1685 he declared that the majority of French Protestants had been converted to Catholicism and that therefore there was no need for the edict. It was revoked.Now Louis launched a reign of terror. He refused to allow French Protestants to leave thecountry. He promised that those who remained could worship privately, free of persecution, but never kept the promise. Their churches were torn down, their gatherings forbidden, theirchildren made to attend mass. The Waldensians in Savoy were massacred, and six hundredProtestants “caught making assemblies” were executed. Perhaps two hundred and fifty thousand fled abroad to escape persecution.…
AssessmentAssessment
What are some of the commonalities What are some of the commonalities among many of the European absolute among many of the European absolute monarchs of the 17monarchs of the 17thth and 18 and 18thth century century Europe?Europe?
Absolutism
Causes Decline of feudalism
Kings consolidate fiefs Reformation & loss of Church’s authority
Kings no longer have to answer to the Pope Growth of national kingdoms
City-states and territories become countries