Warm Up Part 2 List 5 characteristics of a good leader List 5 characteristics of a bad leader Do you think a leader should have complete power (absolute power) over an entire country? Why or Why not? Does President Trump have absolute power?
The Age of Absolutism
The Theory of Absolutism European monarchs tried to claim the authority to rule without limits Goal- to control all aspects of society Divine Right- the idea that God created the monarchy and the monarchy acted as God’s representative on Earth Answered only to God, not to the people
What else was happening in Europe A rise of cites A rise in Middle Class merchants…… which usually backed monarchies Monarchs use their wealthy colonies to pay for their ambitions- Mercantilism Church authority broke down, the Reformation and 30 years war occurred Religious and territorial disputes between states led to almost constant warfare Some people wanted a strong leader to guide them through all the problems and changes taking place
Review Questions 1.What did Absolute Monarchs believe? 2. What is divine Right? 3. What did absolute monarchs control?
France And Louis XIV
Louis XIV Ruling Family - Bourbons “I am the State” “L'état, c’est moi” Call me the “Sun King” because all that is good radiates from me How Louis gained Absolute Power 1. Weaken the power of nobles, so that nobody could threaten his power Kept his enemies close. They worked at his palace 2. Increased the power of government workers, but watched them closely
Wanted France to make all its own goods 3. Hired Jean Baptiste Colbert as Minster of Finance. He tried to make France Self-sufficient using Mercantilism. People loved Colbert, because he greatly improved the economy Wanted France to make all its own goods Placed high tariffs on goods from other countries Encouraged people to move to France's colonies to help export more raw materials to France Fur trade from the Americas added money for France
Louis Grand Style 1. Louis surrounded himself with the finest of items Do not write Each meal was a feast with over 500 cooks Louis was awakened everyday at 7:30 and outside stood 100 nobles all waiting to help him dress, however, only 4 were given the honor of getting him his slippers
The Palace of Versailles 2. He built a huge palace, The Palace of Versailles, 11 miles outside of Paris 15,000 acres of gardens 1,400 fountains 36,000 laborers 6,000 horses 2,000 rooms 2 billion dollars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETmC3jkDAwY#action=share
Louis' Downfall 1. Under Louis, France was the most powerful country in Europe with nearly 20 million people, but he made some fatal flaws After Baptiste died Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes. Many skilled protestant artisans and businessmen fled to other countries , thus robbing France of many skilled workers In a series of wars France tried to increase its boundaries. He won a couple territories. However, a European alliance, was formed against France and Louis was stopped.
Louis's Downfall France was also weekend by a series of bad harvests, and high taxes imposed to support the cost of war France was forced to give Britain its North American territories after they lost the Seven Years War
Questions How did Louis make sure he kept his power? Where did Louis live? How did Louis XIV bring disaster to France?
Prussia and Frederick the Great
Prussia Ruling Family - Hohenzollern 1. Prussia was a new state to the north of Austria 2. It will later form part of Germany 3. Prussia rose to power in late 1600s 4. Like the Hapsburgs of Austria, Prussia’s ruling family the Hohenzollerns had big dreams Prussia Ruling Family - Hohenzollern
Frederick the Great 5. Frederick William created a society based on a strong military and paid for it with mandatory taxation. Wanted to avoid another major war, like the 30 Year War 6. Frederick The Great followed in his father’s footsteps and maintained a strong military society
2. What was Prussia’s society based on? Questions 1. Who was the greatest monarch for Prussia? 2. What was Prussia’s society based on?
Ruling Family - Romanovs Russia And Peter the Great
Background – Do not write Ivan IV, called Ivan the Terrible was Russia’s first Czar Good- gained territory, and developed a code of laws He was constantly fighting with the boyars, or landowning BAD- His wife was murdered and to avenge her death he hunted down anyone he thought was a traitor and killed them, usually the boyars “Secret Police” killed thousands After Ivan, Russia fell into a period of turmoil Russia needed a strong leader
Peter the Great 1. Peter took the throne in 1696- Russia was still a land of serfs and boyars- very underdeveloped 2. Russia was cut off from Western Europe and new advancements Mongols kept them isolated during the Renaissance and Age of Exploration Geographic barriers isolated Russia-ICE Religious differences separated them- Russia was Eastern Orthodox
Peter the Great 3. Peter visits Western Europe and finds New inventions and tools Ships and exploration Peter believed Russia needed a warm water port to help modernize the country
Peter the Great 4. Peter’s main goal- westernize Russia 5. Peter believed he needed absolute control to help westernize the country
How He Westernized Russia Brought the Eastern Orthodox church under his control took power away from landowners Modernized the army with western weapons and tactics New army meant taxes for all Introduced potatoes Started a newspaper Increased women’s rights Ordered nobles to wear western fashions Building a new Capital- Saint Petersburg
Peter the Great Peter created a new capital 1. Peter went to war with Sweden to gain control of the Baltic Coast, after 21 years he won. 2. He built Saint Petersburg on the formally owned Swedish land. 3. 25,000 to 100,000 people died while making the new capital 4. Saint Petersburg’s location on a warm water port allowed Russia to trade year round
Questions 1. Who was Russia’s greatest monarch? Why was Russia Isolated? How did Peter help westernize Russia?
England Ruling families: Tudors King Henry VIII Elizabeth I