Absolute Monarchs World Studies October 10

I. Philip II of Spain Husband of Mary I, queen of England Son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles divides his empire & gives just Spain to Philip Ruled Spain from 1556-1598, during Spain’s peak of wealth & power Was terribly suspicious; made EVERY decision himself Felt it was his personal responsibility to save Catholicism; fought home & abroad

II. Louis XIV – The Sun King of France He was only 5 years old when he became king in 1643 The real power was held by the ruthless Mazarin His policies led to 5 years of riot & revolt Louis grew up a scared kid who hated Paris When Mazarin dies in 1661, Louis takes full control of France

Nobles at court helped him get dressed in the morning Had very strong opinions & expected everyone around him to meet his demands Had 500 cooks available 24/7 Nobles at court helped him get dressed in the morning Loved theater; had operas & plays written just to be performed for him Had a palace built at Versailles, so that he could escape Paris Cost somewhere between $2bil & $300tril

Young Louis

Older Louis

Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

Chapel

The Theater & Louis dressed as Apollo

Ms. Malstrom at Versailles

III. Peter the Great of Russia Peter came to the throne in 1682 Like Louis he was young & his early life filled with violence Dreamed of modernization for Russia At 25, took a trip to Europe “in disguise” Learned about technology & culture Particularly interested in ship building

Came back & forced several changes: Demanded that men shave their beards Invited women to social events & wouldn’t allow them to wear veils over their faces Adopted the Western calendar Encouraged new industry Took away power from the boyars (land owners) Expanded Russia’s empire Goal was to gain access to a warm weather port Moved Russia’s capital