1. “Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely” – What does that mean?
Absolutism
“Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely” – What does that mean?

2. Absolutism
Is a political belief that one ruler should hold all the power within the boundaries of a country. (unlimited power)
This became a very popular belief in the 16th – 18th centuries.
Louis XIV of France- example of Absolute monarch

3. Source: King Louis XIV of France, 1638-1715
Causes of Absolutism
Religious and territorial conflicts created fear and uncertainty.
Growth of armies to deal with conflicts caused ruler to raise taxes.
Heavy taxes led to unrest and revolts
Answer was Absolute Power
Source: King Louis XIV of France,
I am the state.

4. Absolute Monarchs
King or queens that held all the power in their states’ boundaries.
Believed in “Divine Right” – the idea tat God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth.
The absolute monarch answered only to God, not to his or her subjects.
Absolute monarch – Catharine the Great - Russia

5. Who were the most famous absolute monarchs?
Phillip II ( , Spain)
Elizabeth ( , Britain)
Louis XIV ( , France)
Peter the Great ( , Russia)
Ieyasu ( , Japan)
Frederick the Great ( , Prussia)
Catherine the Great ( , Russia)

6. Effects of Absolutism
Rulers regulated religious worship and social gathering to control the spread of ideas.
Increased the size of their courts to appear more powerful
Created bureaucracies to control the economies.
Absolute Monarch – Peter the Great – Russia

7. What did absolute monarchs do to achieve unlimited power ?
They controlled the nobles.
They controlled the peasants.
They controlled the military.
They controlled religion.
They controlled taxes and government spending.
They controlled the legal and court systems.

8. How did absolute monarchs try to achieve unlimited power?
Some had talented advisors  Richelieu and Colbert.
Some adopted unique means to solidify their rule  P the G’s Westernization, Louis’ Versailles, Wars (especially of Religion).

9. What kind of philosophy supported YOUR total control of absolute monarchs? Divine Right of Kings
Power to rule comes from God
Idea developed by James VI/I of Britain

10. Can you pick out the characteristics of an absolute ruler?
This is a story of a ruler of the animal kingdom
Lions are often thought of a the most powerful
In the story there are competing forces
The current king has a child, an heir, who will be king.
The King’s brother, now shut out of a royal position by the childe, tries a way to become king.

11. Your Task: Figure out how this story shows a clear-cut case of absolutism.
Listen one time with lyrics
Move into groups of three to find in the song clear statements that show absolutism in the form of rule Scar wishes to have. List them.
Watch the video segment with the song.
In your group add to your list of characteristics. What did you see that shows absolute power?

12. “Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely” – What does that mean?
Absolutism
“Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely” – What does that mean?

13. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who is the most absolute monarch of them all?