Absolute Monarchs and the Foundations of French Absolutism

1. Unit III Ch. 16 & 17

2. Absolute Monarchs • Absolutism: a gov’t in which all power is held by the ruler • Divine Right: idea that rulers were chosen by God to rule, that they only answered to God and God alone • Biggest threat of an absolute monarch=the nobility

3. How did they rule? • Higher taxes • -bureaucracies made up of career officials appointed by and responsible to the king alone -generally elite/middle class members • -maintained permanent standing armies -peace and wartime • -glorified the state over all other aspects of culture • -used war and expansionist foreign policy to distract from national problems

4. The Foundations of French Absolutism: Henry IV, Sully and Richelieu -Henry IV “Henry the Great” (r. 1589-1610) -civil wars, poor harvests, depopulation = weak France -promised a “chicken in every pot” -converted to Catholicism -regain support of the pope -Edict of Nantes (1598) –aka: Law of Concord -granted Protestants (mainly Huguenots) the freedom of public worship -wanted to earn the trust of the Protestants

5. Henry IV lowered taxes on peasants and his chief minister, Sully, streamlined tax collection • Cardinal Richelieu was appointed to the council of ministers in 1628 during the reign of Louis XIII (r. 1610-1643) • Richelieu curbed the power of the nobility by reshuffling the royal council, leveling castles, and executing aristocratic conspirators against the king

6. Cardinal Richelieu continued • Divided France into thirty-two generalities • Each ruled by an intendant • Recruited soldiers, supervised tax collection, watched local nobility, and regulated economic activity • In 1685, Louis XIV moved to end Protestant independence put in place by his grandfather, Henry IV • Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

7. Mazarin and the Fronde (1648-1653) • Richelieu’s successor, Mazarin provoked an aristocratic rebellion • The Fronde, as the rebellion became known as, convinced King Louis XIV that the only alternative to anarchy (absence of law) was absolute monarchy • he would be skeptical of the nobility throughout his reign due to the events of the Fronde

8. The Absolute Monarchy of Louis XIV (r.1643-1715) • The Sun King • convinced he was God’s appointed ruler for France -longest reign in European history -72 years -“L;etat, c’est moi” = “I am the state”

9. Louis’ government structure: -highly structured -centered at Versailes -why?: -to keep his nobility under control -did not have a first minister -feared another “Richelieu”

10. Louis’ Financial and Economic Management • Weakness • Limitations on royal absolutism • Taxation • Dealings with the Estates of Burgundy • First estate: Clergy • Second estate: nobility • Third estate: merchants, artisans, peasants • Deal with the nobility: • Old agreement that the king could freely tax the common people so long as he did not tax the nobility • Tax burden then fell on the Third Estate

11. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) • Controller of general finances • Believed France should be self-sufficient • Sell abroad and buy nothing in return • Adhered to the idea of mercantilism • Strict regulation of manufactured goods • Built a worldwide reputation for the uniformly high quality of French goods • Built a large navy to protect France’s empire • By 1683 he had balanced the budget and promoted prosperity • Textile industry superior

12. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) • Louis XIV sought to control religion • Outlawed Protestantism • Protestant churches destroyed • Schools closed • Ordered the Catholic Baptism of Huguenots (exiled if they would not renounce their faith) • Why? • French monarchy did not want to permit religious tolerance • No religious pluralism for the French; one country, one faith

13. Results: -thousands of Huguenots emigrated to Protestant friendly areas of Europe and America -hurt France’s economy -took away tax payers

14. Wars of Aggression • Why? • Land, glory, gold • Louis wanted Spanish and Austrian Hapsburg lands on France’s eastern borders • War of Devolution (1667-1668) • Spanish Netherlands/Burgundy • United provinces against France • Balance of power • Against the Dutch (1672-1679) • Ended with the Peace of Nijmegen • Grand Alliance against Louis • War of the League of Augsburg (1689-1697) • War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713) • Charles II dies from Spain; Louis wanted his nephew king (Phillip of Anjou, no one else does) Phillip remains king of Spain • Maintains balance of power; ends French expansionist policy

15. Death of the Sun King • 1715 • At the time of his death, France was in huge debt, yet, it was one of Europe’s most powerful nations • Precursor to the economic problems leading France to its revolution (1789)

16. Central European Monarchs Clash • Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) • Fought in Germany between the Protestant League and the Catholic League • Conflict over territory, religion, and power among European ruling families • Hapsburg Triumphs • First 12 years • Troops from Austria and Spain defeated Protestant armies • Put down the Czech uprising • Defeated German Protestants

17. Hapsburg Defeats • driven out of No. Germany by Protestant Gustavus Adolphus • Cardinal Richelieu and Mazarin supported Protestants • Oxymoron: • Cardinal (CATHOLIC) supporting Protestants • Why? • To weaken the Hapsburgs of course

18. Peace of Westphalia (1648) **Hubdate** • What did it do? • 1) weakened Hapsburg rule in Spain and Austria • 2) strengthened France with German territory • 3) made German princes independent • 4) ended religious wars in Europe • 5) introduced a new method of peace negotiations • 6) ends religious warfare **Modern State begins**

19. Prussia and Austria Clash • Frederick William (1712-1786) • Steps toward absolutism: • Created a strong army • Introduced permanent taxation • Called themselves kings • Weakened representative assemblies of their territories • Junkers: • Prussia’s landowning nobility • War of the Austrian succession • Frederick II wanted Austrian lands • Maria Theresa (Austrian queen) fights back • Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) • Aka: French and Indian War • Maria signs treaty with French kings • Frederick signs treaty with Britain (Austria’s former ally) • Fought in India, Europe and No. America • Britain emerges as the real victor

20. Russian Czars increase power • Ivan III (1462-1505) • conquered area around Moscow • Liberated Russia from Mongols • Centralized Russian gov’t • Laid the foundations for absolutism in Russia

21. Russian Czars: Ivan IV “The Terrible” • 1533-1584 • Boyars • Russia’s landowning nobility • Wife: Anastasia from the Romanov family • Killed in 1560 • Began Ivan’s “bad period” • Turned against the boyars (killed many) • 1581: killed his heir to the throne, his son • Ivan IV died, Ivan V takes over (not so good) • Ivan V dies w/o an heir • 1613: representatives elect Michael Romanov as czar, begins the Romanov dynasty (1613-1917)

22. Russian Czars: Peter the Great • 1672-1725 • Reformer and absolute ruler • The “Grand Embassy” • Peter visits the West • Westernization: wants Russia to change

23. Peter rules absolutely • Peter’s reforms • Increased absolute rule • Brought the Russian Orthodox church under state control • Hired European officers to modernize the army (imposed heavy taxes) • Believed in the importance of education • Built a new capital, St. Petersburg, along the sea

24. England: Constitutional Monarchy • James I (England, 1603-1625) • Upheld divine right • Struggle with Parliament over money • Was a Calvinist, yet would not make Puritan reforms (led to their emigration from England)

25. England: Charles I • Asked Parliament for money; when they wouldn’t give it to him, he dissolved it • Petition of Right 1628 • Charles agreed to: • 1) not imprison subjects w/o due clause • 2) not levy high taxes w/o Parliament’s consent • 3) not house soldiers in private homes (quartering) • 4) not impose martial law in peace time

26. English Civil War1642-1649 • Charles I wanted both his kingdoms (England and Scotland which he inherited from his mother, Mary Queen of Scots) to follow one religion • The Scots rebel • Parliament would not support a war against the Scots This leads to….

27. WAR!!!!! (civil war, of course) • Royalists/Cavaliers = support Charles I • Roundheads = Puritan supporters of Parliament (Oliver Cromwell) • Cromwell led the New Model Army to defeat the Cavaliers • Put Charles I on trial for treason • Executed in 1649 (publicly) • Cromwell then ruled until 1658, but was kind of a dictator Royalists Roundheads

28. Restoration and Revolution • Charles II succeeded Cromwell and restored the monarchy • James II and the Glorious Revolution • Came to power in 1685 (Catholic) • Parliament members overthrew James II • Put Mary (daughter of James) and William of Orange on the throne • Bloodless revolutions (1688-**Hubdate**)

29. England: Political changes after 1688 • Constitutional monarchy developed • Laws limit the ruler’s power **unique to England at this time** • Bill of Rights 1689 • Listed what a ruler could not do; rights of the citizens • Cabinet system develops • Group of gov’t ministers representing parliament **democracy develops**

30. James I => Charles I => Charles II => James II

31. Unit IV Ch. 18 & 19

32. Scientific Revolution • A major change in European thought starting in the mid-1500s in which the study of the natural world began to be characterized by careful observation and the questioning of accepted beliefs

33. Roots of the Revolution • Before the Sci. Rev. • Scholars decided what was true based on the teachings of ancient authors and/or the Bible • Few questioned • Most believed: • The earth was the center of the universe • Idea came from Aristotle (Greek Philosopher) **Geocentricism** Earth

34. A New Way of Thinking • Based on observation and a willingness to question accepted beliefs • Developed from: • The Renaissance • Age of Exploration • Printing Press

35. Characteristics of the Sci. Rev. • Use of observation and trial and error in developing scientific discoveries • Goes against church truths -contradicts church doctrine • 16th and 17th century scientists built on the idea and findings of those who came before them

36. Copernicus Galileo

37. Heliocentricism: sun in the middle of the universe; proposed by Copernicus

38. Enlightened Absolutism • Enlightened Despot/Absolutist: • Rulers who tried to justify their absolute rule by claiming to rule in the people’s interest by making good laws, promoting human happiness, and improving society

39. Examples of Enlightened Despots • Frederick the Great (Prussia) • Improved educational system • Got rid of torture of accused criminals • Allowed for the freedom of religion and press

40. Peter the Great (Russia) • Westernized Russia • Improved educational system • St. Petersburg

41. Catherine the Great (Russia) • created hospitals • Codified Russian law -Pugachev serf uprising in 1773 led her to reverse some reforms

42. Maria Theresa (Austria) • Est. national army • Limited the power of the Church • Revised the tax system • Limited the power of the lord over serfs • Improved ed. system

43. Joseph II (Austria) • Abolished serfdom • Tolerance of Calvinists and Lutherans • Eliminated restrictions placed on Jews • Abolished capital punishment

44. Agricultural Revolution • The application of new agricultural techniques that allowed for a large increase in productivity in the 18th century • Pre-Revolution: • Poor harvests, “famine foods,” widespread illness, open-field system (rotated crops and communal share of the land)—(communism?) • Revolution: • Crop rotation critical • Enclosure movement • Originated in the “Low Countries”—Holland • Will lead to the growth of the Atlantic economy and slave trade

45. THE END!!!!