1. Age of Absolutism (c )

2. What is Absolutism? All power invested in one ruler Product of:
Further centralization of Renaissance monarchies
Desire for order as result of Wars of Religion
Limited by technological constraints, power of nobility, and diversity of national populations

3. Philosophy of Absolutism
Bodin -- Rationalism
Bossuet -- Divine Right of Kings
Hobbes -- Social Contract
Filmer -- Patriarchy

4. Common Features Strong, ambitious ruling dynasties
Cooptation of the nobility
Control of religious authority
Large, centralized bureaucracy
Large standing army
Increased taxes

5. Which nations had the largest armies?
Why do Britain and the Netherlands fluctuate?

6. France: Foundations of Absolutism
Cardinal Richelieu ( )
Strips Huguenots of political/military rights
Builds standing army
Network of spies
**Intendants
Cardinal Mazarin ( )
Faces severe problems:
Foreigner
Considered a scumbag
Inherits problems of Richelieu
The FRONDE ( )--tax revolt by the nobility

7. The Fronde (1648-52) Occurred in two waves
tax revolt; nobles and peasants join forces
nobles of the sword attempt to overthrow the government
Formative experience for Louis XIV
One of series of noble revolts across
Europe in late 1640s

8. Builds absolute rule upon foundation laid by Richelieu and Mazarin
Louis XIV ( )
Builds absolute rule upon foundation laid by Richelieu and Mazarin
“one king, one law, one faith”
“L’etat c’est moi” (I am the state)
Bureaucratic control
Co-optation of the Nobility
Religious Uniformity
Mercantilism
Expansion of Military
Propaganda

9. Bureaucratic Control
Intendants
Bribes of local officials

10. Cooptation of Nobility
New privileges to nobles
Creation of approx. 20,000 new nobles
Life at Versailles
Kept nobles close/Spied on them
Favors for those who are close to Louis
Extravagant lifestyle bankrupted nobility:
they became dependent on Louis for their lifestyle

11. Religious Uniformity
“Gallican Church”--Louis had say in appt. of bishops in France
Edict of Fontainebleu (1685)
Prohibited Calvinism
200,000 Huguenots flee France

12. FONTAINEBLEU!
FONTAINEBLUE!

13. FONTAINEBLEU!
FONTAINEBLUE!

14. FONTAINEBLEU!
FONTAINEBLUE!

15. FONTAINEBLEU!
FONTAINEBLUE!

16. Mercantilism
Jean-Baptiste Colbert

17. Military Reforms Increased size of army
Appointed army and naval officers

18. Propaganda Controlled printing presses Foreign books were made illegal
Stayed out of sight at Versailles
Presented image of self as “Sun King”

19. Limits of French Absolutism
Half the population didn’t speak “French”
Inadequate infrastructure
Local officials sometimes obstructed policies
Smugglers evaded mercantilist tariffs
Short-term policies
Wars drain treasury
New Nobles loyal to Louis only
Huguenots fled the country

20. Spain A Weakened Nation Economic Problems Bankruptcy
Weak commercial class
Bloated, overindulgent nobility
Outdated military
Inefficient Government (El Escorial)

21. Spain Count de Olivares & Philip IV (1621-65)
Attempted to centralize government
Reforms failed
Nobles too powerful
Expensive, losing wars
Internal revolts
+ =

22. Austria Leopold I (1658-1705) expanded the state Weaknesses
Treaty of Karlowitz (1699)
Consolidation of Hapsburg lands
Weaknesses
Diverse ethnicities, religions, languages
Nobles oversaw courts and police
Local elites retain autonomy and privileges (e.g. Magyars)

23. Prussia (Brandenburg-Prussia)
Prussia = an army with a country
Frederick William -- “Great Elector” ( )
Large standing army
General War Commissariat
1st modern civil service in Europe
State officials supervise tax collection
“Service State” = Gov’t agreed to protect nobles’ rights to serfs in exchange for nobles’ surrender of their political powers

24. Johnny 5 says: “the
Prussian nobles were
known as JUNKERS”

25. Frederick William I (1713-1740)
Continued centralization
Developed military power
Military = 50% of budget
80,000 troops
Royal guard of “giants”
Conversion of industries
All young men register for draft
1st country with reserve forces

26. Russia Ivan IV “the Terrible” (1533-84) Time of Troubles (1584-1613)
Expanded Eastward
Maintained Loyalty through Fear &
Serv(serf)ice State
Time of Troubles ( )
Boyars battled for control
Michael Romanov named tsar in 1613

27. Russia Peter the Great (1689-1725) Goal to make Russia a world power
Import technology/machinery
Port on the Baltic Sea
Westernize culture
Military Reforms
Administrative Reforms
Religious Reforms
Economic Reforms
Cultural Reforms

28. Wars of Louis XIV (1667-1713) Four wars Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
War of the Triple Alliance (1667)
Dutch War (1672)
War of the League of Augsburg (1689)
War of Spanish Succession (1702)
Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
Allowed Bourbon monarch in Spain
France and Spain agreed to remain separate
Territorial Changes
England emerged as leading naval power