1. Chapter Five Absolute Monarchs in Europe (1500 – 1800)

2. Chapters in Brief – Overview 1500 - 1800
Spain lost territory over money
The Netherlands split from Spain and grew rich from trade
For a time, France was Europe’s most powerful country, where King Louis XIV ruled with total control
Austria’s queen resisted a Prussian land grab
Peter the Great modernized Russia
England’s Parliament struggled with different kings and became the greatest power in the country

3. Chapters in Brief – Questions
Why did Spain weaken in power?
How did Richelieu and Louis XIV increase the power of the French King?
How did the Thirty Years’ War affect Germany?
What did Peter the Great do to modernize Russia?
How did England develop away from an absolute monarchy?

4. Chapters in Brief – Answers
Why did Spain weaken in power?
> it lost the effort to invade England because it lost the
Spanish Netherlands
> the economy
- the constant rising of prices
- overtaxing of the poor
- loss of silver to other nations
How did Richelieu and Louis XIV increase the power of the French King?
> broke the power of the nobles
> reduced the power of the French Protestants
> hired people from the middle-class – not nobles – for
government; then kept in close communication with those
officials

5. Chapters in Brief – Answers
How did the Thirty Years’ War affect Germany?
> devastated Germany
> killing about 4 million people
> weakening the economy
> would take 200 years to recover
What did Peter the Great do to modernize Russia?
> increase the power of the czar by gaining control over the
Russian Orthodox Church
> cutting power of the nobles
> built up an army; trained it better
> brought potatoes as new food
> began first newspaper
> gave more social status to women
> told the nobles to adopt Western clothing
> promoted education

6. Chapters in Brief – Answers
How did England develop away from an absolute monarchy?
> Petition of Right of 1628 put some limits on the
rulers power
> with the English Civil War and the execution
of Charles I, Parliament showed that it had
more power than did the king
> it was established by the Glorious Revolution
of 1688 and by the Bill of Rights

7. Absolutism in Europe

8. Absolutism Objective
Summarize the development of absolute and constitutional monarchies in Europe from 1500 to 1800

9. First things first… What is an Absolute Monarchy? Absolute =
All Powerful
Monarch =
King or Queen
Absolute Monarch = an all-powerful king or queen
also, kings and queens handed their power down to their children
it was a line of succession that stayed in the family

10. It’s GREAT to be the King!
Absolute Monarchs
It’s GREAT to be the King!
“I am the state”
Characteristics
made all the laws
NOT subject to the laws

11. Absolute Monarchs they ruled by “divine right”
Divine Right: right to rule
directly from
GOD
accountable only to GOD
NOT accountable to the people!
Absolute Ruler Requirements
have complete control
successful foreign policy
protect and expand the state

12. Monarchs used their wealth to build LARGE, PERMANENT ARMIES!
no more need to depend on feudal contracts with their vassals
these armies were loyal to the King, NOT to the country!

13. They used these armies to wage war against each other - of course!
NOW WHAT???
They used these armies to wage war against each other - of course!

14. Crisis Leads to Absolutism
the 17th century was a period of great upheaval in Europe
religious and territorial conflicts between states led to almost continuous warfare
governments built huge armies and levied higher taxes on the already suffering population
in response to these crises, monarchs tried to impose order by increasing their own power
Hence……Absolutism begins throughout Europe

15. Chapter Five – Section One Spain’s Empire and European Absolutism
Trying out Absolutism

16. Chapters in Brief
Charles V ruled the Holy Roman Empire and various other European countries. In 1556, he retired from the throne and split his holdings. His brother, Ferdinand, received Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. His son, Phillip II, got Spain and its colonies. Philip expanded his holdings by taking Portugal and gaining its global territories. When he tried to invade England in 1588, though, he failed. The defeat made Spain weaker. However, Spain still seemed strong because of its wealth – gold and silver – that flowed in from the colonies in America. This wealth led to some serious problems, however. The prices of goods constantly rose. Also, unfair taxes hit the poor, keeping them from building up any wealth of their own. As prices rose, Spaniards bought more goods from other lands. The silver from the colonies, then began to flow to Spain’s enemies.

17. A Powerful Spanish Empire
Charles V
Philip II (Son) Ferdinand (Brother)
Inherits Spain Takes Germany and Austria
Spanish Netherlands
and
American Colonies

18. Philip II
shy, serious, suspicious, untrustworthy, and extremely religious (Catholic)
King of Portugal dies – no heir
Philip takes it over (it was his uncle)
works to expand the Empire
does not allow anyone to help him
makes vast sums of money in
gold and silver

19. ** Elizabeth I – of England – defeated Phillip II and
Philip II
called on to fight the Ottomans (by the Pope)
Battle takes place near Lepanto
Spain is victorious
1588—Spanish Armada
to stop the reformation
sails to the English Channel
defeated by Elizabeth I
still appears powerful due to wealth
** Elizabeth I – of England – defeated Phillip II and
his Spanish Armada **

21. The Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
Spain’s great wealth did more than build palaces
it allowed monarchs and nobles to become patrons of artists
during the 16th and 17th centuries, two great painters show both the faith and pride of Spain during this time period

22. The Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
Diego Velázquez—Painter
glorified the monarchy via art
court painter for Philip IV
best known for painting the court
family scenes

23. The Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
Las Menias
“The Maids of Honor”
King Philip IV’s daughter and her attendants

24. Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
El Greco – Painter
art puzzled the people of his time
chose brilliant, clashing colors, distorted
the human figure, and expressed emotion
symbolically

25. Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
Miguel de Cervantes (suhr VAN teez) – Writer
Don Quixote – book
called the birth of the modern European novel
about a poor Spanish nobleman who went a little crazy after reading too many books about heroic knights

26. The Spanish Empire Weakens
Reasons for Weakening:
1. Inflation
value of gold drops
value of goods rises
population growth—more demand,
high price
flooding of gold and silver
2. Taxes
nobles didn’t pay tax
lower class generated taxes
less money to create business
no middle class develops

27. The Spanish Empire Weakens
Reasons for Weakening (continued)
3. Guilds control price
prices up or prices down?
4. France, England and Netherlands
have cheaper goods
money goes to Spain’s enemies
hurts the Spanish economy
5. Philip declares Spain bankrupt 3 times

28. The Dutch Revolt
in the Spanish Netherlands, Philip had to maintain an army to keep his subjects under control
Dutch had little in common with their Spanish rulers
Spain
Catholic
sluggish economy
Netherlands
Calvinists
prosperous middle class
Philip raised taxes and try to crush Protestantism
Dutch and Spanish fought for 11 years
1579 = northern province of the Netherlands declared their independence from Spain = became the United Provinces of the Netherlands

29. The Independent Dutch Prosper
United Province of the Netherlands was different
practiced religious tolerance
not a kingdom but a republic; each province had an elected governor
During the 1600s, the Netherlands became what Florence had been during the 1400s
best banks
best artists in Europe
wealthy merchants sponsored
many of these artists

30. The Independent Dutch Prosper
Rembrandt van Rijn (*RYN) – Artist
greatest artist of the period
painted portraits of wealthy
middle-class merchants
used sharp contrasts of light
and shadow to draw
attention to his focus

31. The Night Watch
showed the individuality of each man by capturing distinctive facial expressions and postures

32. Essential Question
Explain why absolute monarchs believed they were justified in exercising absolute power.
Answer the question in three complete sentences in your summary section.

33. Absolutism Objective
Summarize the development of absolute and constitutional monarchies in Europe from 1500 to 1800