1. Absolutism Notes

2. Absolute Monarchy/absolutism: A king or queen who has unlimited power and seeks to control all aspects of society
Divine Right: The idea that monarchs are God’s representatives on earth and are therefore answerable only to God

3. Rulers of Europe through the years.

5. Causes of Absolutism Long Term Causes: Decline of feudalism
Rise of cities and growth of middle class
Exploration and colonies
Growth of national kingdoms
Loss of Church authority(Protestant Reformation)
Immediate Causes:
Religious and territorial conflicts
Buildup of national armies
Need for increased taxes
Revolts by peasants or nobles

6. Effects of Absolutism Immediate Effects:
Regulation of religion and society
Larger courts
Huge building projects(i.e. Palace of Versailles)
New government bureaucracies
Loss of power by nobility and legislatures
Long Term Effects
Revolution in France
Western influence on Russia
English political reforms that influenced United States democracy

7. Main Ideas: Monarchs acted to establish absolute power
Monarchs used the divine right theory and similar ideas to justify their power
Parliament and the Puritans in England resisted absolutism
A limited monarchy was established in England

8. Absolutism in Europe
Absolute Monarchs: Kings or Queens who believe that all power within their state’s boundaries rests in their hands
Their goal was to control every aspect of society
Believed in Divine Right: the idea that God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth

9. Phillip II
Country: Spain
Years:
Achievements: Hard-working ruler who ushered in the Golden age of Spain – the most powerful nation. He also Helped the Catholic Church persecute Protestants during the Counter-Reformation.
Downfalls: Spanish armada defeated by England. After Philip II Spanish power slowly declined as rulers taxed people too much and spent money on overseas wars.

10. Louis XIV
Country: France
Years:
Achievements: Called himself the “Sun King” and said “I am the state.” Strengthened the monarchy, expanded bureaucracy, built palace of Versailles, strongest army in Europe, made France a wealthy cultural center.
Downfalls: He used the wealth for his own benefit, peasants starved, numerous wars, never called Estates General(France’s legislative body). The French monarchy did not survive long after Louis’ death.

11. Louis XIV At his height, he had a standing army of 400,000 men.
Wanted to ensure the domination of his Bourbon dynasty
Waged 4 wars between
Many European nations formed coalitions against Louis to prevent French domination in Europe

12. Versailles - Louis XIV House

13. Versailles - Louis XIV House

14. Ivan the Terrible
Country: Russia
Years:
Achievements: Introduced extreme absolute power, expanded Russian lands, made Russia more religious.
Downfalls: Set up the first Russian secret police, the Oprichniki, who murdered thousands for him. He killed many nobles and destroyed many towns, and even killed his own son in a fit of rage.

15. Peter the Great
Country: Russia
Years:
Achievements: He expanded Russia into a much larger empire that became a major European power, led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditional systems with ones that were modern, scientific, and “Westernised”
Downfall: Died from infection in 1725, he was the first of the Romanov family that would rule until 1917

16. Absolutism in England
While other nations turned to absolutism in the 1500s and 1600s, England’s Parliament resisted the throne.
Constitutional Monarchy: government in which a legislative body limits the power of the monarch
Parliament: Legislative(law making) body of English government

17. James I
Country: England
Years:
Achievements: Translated the bible, the famous King James version. Continued the Golden Age of Literature in England with authors like Shakespeare rising to fame under his rule”
Downfalls: Had difficulties with Parliament – he needed money for his wars and extravagant lifestyle. He eventually dissolved Parliament and imposed his own taxes. Fought with the Puritans, who were seeking to purify the Church of England.

18. Charles I
Country: England
Years:
Achievements: Strong army, seized other nations.
Downfalls: He put his enemies in prison without trials, high taxes, angered Puritans, he dissolved Parliament and had to call them back because he needed the money. This led to the English Civil War. He was put on trial and beheaded by Parliament in 1649.
Oliver Cromwell Achievement: Cromwell was the skilled military commander who won the civil war and captured Charles I. Charles I was the first king ever to be tried and executed by his own subjects. This event shocked other European monarchies and signified that absolutism would not be tolerated in England.

19. English Bill of Rights
English Bill of Rights – a set of acts passed by Parliament to ensure its superiority over the monarchy. It stated:
King must work with Parliament
House of Commons has financial control
Abolished excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment
Affirmed habeas corpus – no person could be held in jail without first being charged with a crime.
**Instituted under King James II ( ) in which James II tried to reinstitute absolutist policies, but was overthrown in a bloodless overthrow known as the Glorious Revolution