Unlimited Governments of Europe Notebook #8 Analyze the characteristics of limited governments and unlimited governments that evolved in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s.

A. Unlimited Govts. of Mainland Europe monarchs in Europe were shocked by events in England they became stricter & created unlimited govts. France- King Louis XIV (14th) set the model of absolutism: he ruled for 72 years banned the Estates-General (French assembly) from meeting

overruled the Edict of Nantes, which had protected the rights of French Protestants he controlled taxes, the military, & business he fought wars to increase France’s power he died & left France in debt & with many enemies Frederick the Great of Prussia & Maria Theresa of Austria followed his example

B. Russian Absolutism 1689-1725 Peter I (Peter the Great) ruled Russia his title was czar he believed in divine right & used France as a model he made himself head of Russian Orthodox Church and crushed nobles’ power Peter strengthened Russia: brought in experts to Westernize Russia built up the military & expanded borders

1762 German princess Catherine II poisoned her Russian husband & took power she thought about reforms but changed her mind after a peasant rebellion her focus was to expand the empire called Catherine the Great died in 1796, the last of Europe’s major absolute monarchs ideas of equality & freedom were taking hold in Western Europe & U.S.