ABSOLUTISM IN EUROPE WHAT IS ABSOLUTISM Absolutism kings

ABSOLUTISM IN EUROPE

WHAT IS ABSOLUTISM? Absolutism- kings or queens who believe all power within their state’s boundaries rested in their hands • Believed in divine right (God blesses their rule)

WHY DID EUROPE’S MONARCHS GROW? • 17 th century upheaval in Europe and monarchs respond by using power to impose order • Decline in feudalism and rise in cities • Use of colonies to pay for ambitions

SPAIN: KING PHILIP II RULED: 1554 -1598

PHILIP II TRIED TO CONTROL EVERY ASPECT OF HIS EMPIRE’S AFFAIRS • Deeply religious- very Catholic and against Muslims and Protestants ! • Expanded territory- took control of Portugal when Portuguese king died without an heir • Built a large army and palace (with a monastary inside) • Art and Literature flourished under him: Don Quixote de la Mancha – by Miguel de Cervantes was birth of European novel

KING PHILIP’S WARS WEAKEN SPAIN • 1571 took up arms against the Muslims at battle of Lepanto and defeated the Muslims • 1588 war against England- sent Spanish Armada- but lost (showed the waning power of Spain and allowed other Europeans to take over the seas) • Lost the Spanish Netherlands to the Dutch and the Netherlands becomes independent of Spanish rule

FRANCE: KING LOUIS XIV RULED: 1643 -1715

LOUIS XIV: THE SUN KING • “L’etat, c’est moi” I am the state • 1643 became ruler of France at five years old • Weakened power of nobles, strengthened power of central government and government agents called intendants – they collected taxes and administered justice

• Louis wanted France to attain economic, political, and cultural brilliance • Jean Baptiste Colbert- finance minister, who believed in mercantilism and wanted to make France self-sufficient. • Colbert expanded manufacturing, high tariff on imports, and encouraged people to migrate to Canada • 1685 Louis cancelled the Edict of Nantes (a document of religious toleration) and many skilled artisans left the country

• Louis Controls the Nobility • Nobles at the palace to serve him • Required hundreds at Versailles • Palace at Versailles was so large it was like a small royal city • Patron of the Arts • Purpose of art was to glorify the king and promote values of absolute rule

RUSSIA: PETER THE GREAT RULED: 1682 -1725

• Peter the Great got his name because he was a good reformer • To force change on his people he increased his power as an absolute ruler • Brought Russian orthodox church under state control – Holy Synod – group to run the church • Reduced the power of the great landowners • Modernized the army using European trainers • Heavy taxes to pay for the army

WESTERNIZING RUSSIA • • Introduced potatoes Started first newspaper Raised women’s status Ordered the nobles to give up traditional clothes for western fashion • Wanted a seaport to the west. Fought Sweden for 21 years and won St. Petersburg (named after his patron saint) • Difficult to build St. Petersburg (many died). Ordered nobles to settle there later • 1725 Peter died and Russia was a power to reckon with

PRUSSIA: FREDERICK THE GREAT RULED: 1740 -1786

• 1640 Frederick William (Frederick the Great’s dad) built a strong standing army • Introduced permanent taxation to pay for the army • Weakened representative assemblies • Junkers (landowning nobility) resisted these moves but were given army officer positions and Prussia soon became military society • Frederick II (son) followed many of his father’s policies but with a softer hand became known as Frederick the Great

AUSTRIA: MARIA THERESA RULED: 1745 -1765

• Ruler centralized government and created a standing army • Her father took Hungary from Ottomans in 1699 • Very Catholic- did not allow any tolerance in her kingdom