 Spain – 1580  Father was Charles V – Holy Roman Empire  Great grandparents – Ferdinand and Isabella  Aggressive; added territory for Spain  Europe’s “most Catholic King”  Crusaded against Muslims for Catholicism  Incredible wealth in gold, silver  Period of art and literature (Don Quixote by Cervantes)  Population increase; inflation; competition from other countries in trade  Dutch Protestant revolt  Defeat of Spanish Armada 1588

 France – 1643  Henry of Navarre (Henry IV) first Bourbon – gave up Protestantism  Passed Edict of Nantes – religious toleration  Louis XIII weak; Cardinal Richelieu focused on strong economy  Louis XIV – guided by Mazarin  Thirty Years’ War  L’etat c’est moi – I am the state  Weakened power of nobles (appointed intendants – gov’t officials)  Colbert - Finance Minister furthered industry, built roads, canals, trading posts in N. America  The Sun King built palace at Versailles  Revoked Edict of Nantes – lost thousands of Protestants which hurt science, culture, etc.  Flowering of French art and literature  Fought costly wars; heavy taxation

 Austria – 1740 – Hapsburg family  Increased royal power; weakened nobles  Abolished local self-govt.  Seized Church lands, controlling Church  Staunch Catholic  Stopped Prussia from taking Austria

 Prussia – Hohenzollern family  Autocratic rule – forced to watch friend beheaded as a child  Believed ruler should be like a father  Allowed Junkers (landholding nobility) to be officers in army  Produced strong militaristic state  Took Silesia from Austria (rich in minerals)  Encouraged religions toleration  Fought Seven Years’ War with Britain

 Russia – 1547  Good period – added lands to Russia, cold of law, ruled justly  Bad period – after wife died – executed many boyars (landowning nobles); used secret police  Killed own son in an argument  Turmoil after Ivan’s death – grandnephew, Michael Romanov began Romanov Dynasty

 Romanov family  Period of serfdom & agriculture  Mongol rule had cut Russia off from Renaissance & Age of Exploration  Visits west and sought western influence  Westernization and modernization of Russia  Introduced potatoes, first newspaper, improved women’s status, encouraged education  Needed warm-water port (Window to the west)  Made men dress like Europeans, shave beards  Modernized and strengthened army  Built St. Petersburg on Baltic coast (after Saint)  Thousands of serfs died from disease, work, etc.

 Russia – Romanov family  Well educated, well read  Some reform attempts – religious toleration, abolition of torture, capital punishment; most not put into effect though  Crushed peasant rebellions  Gave power to nobles over serfs  Strengthened and expanded Russia