1. The Monarchs of Europe 1500-1800
Absolute Rulers
&
Enlightened Despots

2. What is an Absolute Ruler?
Absolute Monarch: a ruler (king or queen) who holds all power within the boundaries of their empire. Control every aspect of society
Based on the idea of divine right, the idea that the monarchy was created by God, and that the ruler was God’s representative on earth.
Absolute Monarchs answered only to God, not their people.

3. Was Absolutism a New Idea?
Absolutism was not a new idea.
Divine Right in Europe was the same idea as the Mandate of Heaven in Ancient China, as well as the Caesars of Ancient Rome.

4. What caused Absolutism in Europe?
Decline of feudalism
Rise of cities & middle class
Loss of church authority
Growth of nations (Spain, France, England, Russia)
Religious conflicts
Buildup of armies & navies to protect new territories
Need for increased taxes
Revolts by peasants or nobles

5. What were the effects of Absolutism?
Regulation of religion & society through the monarchy
Larger more elaborate courts require more $$
Huge building projects (Palace at Versailles) $$
Loss of power by Nobility & Legislatures (Parliament, Estates General)
American & French Revolutions
Influence of Western Europe on Russia

6. Absolutism of Spanish Hapsburgs
Phillip II inherited Spain and its territories from his father, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in 1555.
This land included Spain, the colonies in the Americas, Spanish Netherlands, and parts of Austria and Italy
The colonies had yielded vast wealth
He inherited the strongest navy in Europe
He was Catholic, and married another Catholic (who soon died) Mary of England
Together, they sought to purge their countries of Protestantism… Until Mary died & Elizabeth took over!

7. Philip II of Spain

8. Spanish Absolutism cont’d
Defeat of the Spanish Armada:1588
England’s Protestant Queen Elizabeth had aided Protestant Spanish Netherlands in achieving its independence
In revenge, Philip sent his Armada to England, where most of his ships were destroyed
Spanish Hapsburgs maintained Absolute Rule until the War of Spanish Succession in 1701
The king of Spain at the time, Charles II, was mentally incapable of making a good decision, and willed the throne to the King of France’s Grandson, Philip of Anjou. War ensued (to be continued…)

9. Absolute Rule in France: The Bourbons
Henry IV ( )
First Bourbon Monarch
Converted to Catholicism to unite France
Issued the Edict of Nantes which decreed religious toleration to Huguenots (French Protestants)
Religious zealot murdered him in 1610
Louis XIII ( ) & Cardinal Richelieu
Louis XIII was weak until he appointed Richelieu, a Catholic Cardinal, in 1624
Richelieu passed several measures to persecute Huguenots and take power away from the Nobility
Involved France in the Thirty Years’ War to limit the power of the Hapsburgs… made France extremely powerful

10. Louis XIII (left); Richelieu (right)

11. Bourbon Monarchs cont’d
Louis XIV “The Sun King” ( )
The most powerful ruler in French history once declared, “I am the state.”
Became king at age 5, but Cardinal Mazarin ruled in his stead until 1661
Mazarin ended the Thirty Years War, but the nobles revolted against his oppressive rule until 1653
Louis takes control at age 22
Weakened the power of the nobles, gave more power to the intendants, or government official
Structured country to be mercantilist, and to be self-sufficient
Cancelled the Edict of Nantes
Many Huguenots fled the country to pursue religious freedom

12. “The Sun King” This opulent palace occupied 5,000 acres
Built Versailles (estimated cost: $2.5 Billion)
This opulent palace occupied 5,000 acres
Louis XIV hated the Nobility b/c they threatened his life all through childhood; required hundreds of them to live at Versailles to keep close watch on them
Huge Patron of the Arts
War of Spanish Succession ( )
Louis’ grandson was willed the Spanish throne.
England, Austria, Netherlands, and others united to prevent the union of Spain and France’s empires
Treaty of Utrecht ended war, said Philip could have Spain as long as he didn’t unite with France
Great Britain did well; they got Gibraltar and a major stake in Spain’s slave trade

13. Louis XIV

14. Versailles

15. Legacy of Louis XIV
France considered military and artistic leader of Europe
HUGE debt
War of Spanish Succession
Construction of Versailles
Huge tax burden placed on the poor of France
Helps contribute to the unrest of the people for the French Revolution

16. Hapsburgs in Central Europe
Thirty Years War
Ferdinand II (Hapsburg) Catholic ruler of Bohemia begins it by closing Protestant churches, in violation of the Peace of Augsburg
In the beginning, the Hapsburg armies won by all-out war.
Once the French and the Swedes got involved, the Hapsburgs lost
Peace of Westphalia 1648
Ended the Thirty Years War
Weakened Hapsburg Austria & Spain
Made Germany independent of the Holy Roman Empire
Awarded German territory to France

17. Austrian Hapsburgs
The Hapsburgs reconquered Bohemia and Hungary, uniting them as Austria under one absolute ruler: Charles VI (1711)
Charles VI made the national religion Catholicism
Challenge: uniting the many different ethnic groups in his country under his rule
Leaves Austria to be ruled under his daughter, Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa ( )
She decreased the power of the Nobility
Limited the amount of labor their serfs could be forced to do

18. Prussian Hohenzollerns
Frederick William & Frederic William I ( )
Decided that a strong army was the only way to ensure safety
Gave the Junkers permanent officer positions in the military
Prussia becomes rigidly controlled, highly militarized society
Frederick II “Frederick the Great” ( )
Starts War of Austrian Succession (wanted the throne of Austria) ( )
Wanted Silesia, an Austrian-held territory.
Won Silesia in Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

19. Seven Years War Austria, France and Russia had formed alliances
Prussia & Britain had formed alliances.
1756- Frederick II attacks Saxony, an Austrian ally.
Soon, all of these countries and their colonial holdings were involved in war.
Known as French & Indian War in the US
Treaty of Paris, 1763
French lost holdings in North America
Britain gained all North American colonies & sole trade rights in India
Austria gets Silesia back

20. Absolute Rulers of Russia
Ivan the Terrible ( )
Inherited the throne at age 3
First to call himself “czar”
Killed his wife and oldest son
Used terror to rule
Would seek out “traitors” and have his secret police murder them
Peter the Great ( )
Became czar at age 24. Was almost 7 ft. tall, strong, and bright.
Established St. Petersberg
Went on a trip to Western Europe, brought back & instituted Western reforms for industrialization & culture
Made Russia a European Power by 1725.

21. Ivan & Peter

22. England Elizabeth I (1558-1601) James I (1603-1625)
Elizabeth left no heir, crown goes to nearest relative, James I (Stuart)
James I ( )
Struggled with Parliament over money
Initiated the translation of the bible into English (King James Version)
Offended Puritan members of Parliament
puritan: wanted to “purify” the English church of Catholic practices
1630’s: Great Migration: 30,000 Puritans leave England and settle in the English Colonies in America.
Salem, Boston, etc… all Puritan communities

23. Charles I & English Civil War
Biggest problem: dissolved & recalled Parliament 3 times over money issues
Forced him to sign the Petition of Right, which he ignored
now part of the English Constitution
Tried to arrest Parliament members; spurs English Civil War
Roundheads: Puritans against the king. Led by Oliver Cromwell
Cavaliers/Royalists: Loyal followers of the king.
Charles loses; is put on trial and beheaded in 1649

24. The Restoration Charles II (1660-1685) “Merry Monarch”
Son of Charles I, restored to throne after the oppressive Puritan rule of Cromwell
Restoration: period of time when the English Monarchy is restored
Parliament passes habeus corpus
gave any prisoner the right to be informed of charges against them in a court of law, and receive just trial
James II ( )
Catholic Monarch: England is divided
Tories: supported James Whigs: against James
When James has a son in 1688, he and his family flee to France b/c the English don’t want another Catholic monarch

25. The Glorious Revolution
William & Mary (1688-
James’s Protestant daughter, Mary, had married William of Orange of the Netherlands.
They marched into London in 1688, in a bloodless revolution.
Parliament became their partner in governing; thus becoming a Constitutional Monarchy
Establish the English Bill of Rights to place limits on royal power