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Absolutism

Absolutism. 1650 - 1720. Where?. France - Bourbon - Louis XIV Prussia - Hohenzollern Russia - Romanov - Peter the Great Austria - Habsburg (least absolutist) Sweden - King Charles XI, Charles XII and King Gustavus III (that’s all on Sweden). Why?. War and taxes religious wars

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Absolutism

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  1. Absolutism • 1650 - 1720

  2. Where? • France - Bourbon - Louis XIV • Prussia - Hohenzollern • Russia - Romanov - Peter the Great • Austria - Habsburg (least absolutist) • Sweden - King Charles XI, Charles XII and King Gustavus III (that’s all on Sweden)

  3. Why? • War and taxes • religious wars • English Civil War

  4. Theorists supported it: • Jean Bodin (1530-1596) • “nothing upon earth is greater or higher; next unto God, than the mastery of kings and sovereign princes”

  5. Thomas HobbesLeviathan 1651 • state of nature • “war of every man against every man” • “poor, nasty, brutish and short” • obedience only comes when they are afraid of not doing so • social contract - surrender rights in exchange for protection

  6. Jacques Bossuet1627 - 1704 • kings ruled by “divine right” by virtue of the will of God • How did his idea differ from Hobbes? • power comes from God not a social contract

  7. Absolutism v. Despotism • ruling without constraints does not mean arbitrary rule

  8. Characteristics of Absolutism • control of the nobility • establishing a centralized and efficient bureaucracy • raising and maintaining large standing armies • successful at raising funds • image building through art and architecture • religious unity

  9. Characteristics uniqueto Central and Eastern Europe • win over nobility at expense of peasants = serfdom • no strong middle class to challenge • autocracy in Russia

  10. Limitations • resistance will eventually come from: • representative assemblies • middle class • enlightened thinkers

  11. Setting stage for Louis XIV • Henry IV (r 1589 - 1610) and duke of Sully • Louis XIII (r1610 - 1643) and Cardinal Richelieu • promotes raison d’etat • attack on nobility • generalites and intendants • goes after Huguenots • stops revolts • Louis XIV (as boy only) and Cardinal Mazarin 1602-1661) Italian - “foreign plotter”

  12. Fronde in Paris • Cause: financial crisis = need to increase taxes • Parlement of Paris refuses to approve increase • remonstrances - formal objections to the registration of new royal ordinances, edicts or declarations, which could be overriden by the king • Mazarin orders arrest of defiant members • barricades went up - Parisian mob rioted • Louis XIV is able to stop the frondeurs - not united, people want stability over chaos

  13. Effects of Fronde • Louis XIV decides on absolutism • economy needs to be rebuilt • nobility needs to be controlled

  14. Reign of Louis XIV1643 - 1715 • Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619 - 1683) • finance minister to Louis XIV • increases the taille • mercantilism • can’t keep up with Versailles & wars

  15. Image is everything • L’etate, c’est moit - I am the state • Versailles • Nicholas Fouquet “Never outshine the master” • Jean-Baptiste Moliere - plays

  16. Religion • “One king, one law, one faith” • Revocation of Edict of Nantes 1685 • Persecution of Jansenists

  17. Louis XIV - foreign policy • expansion of French borders = wars for prestige and to contain Habsburg power: Spanish & Austrian • France’s “natural” frontiers - east to Rhine River and south to Pyrenees Mts. • balance of power • biggest opponent - William of Orange,

  18. Louis’ WarsWar #1 • War of Devolution 1667 - 1668 • France v. Triple Alliance: England, Sweden and Dutch Republic • Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

  19. War #2 • The Dutch War of 1672 • Louis v. Prince William of Orange and his coalition: Austria and SPanish Habsburg, Brandburg (future Prussia) • Treaty of Nimwegen 1678 - Louis able to keep Franche-Comte

  20. War #3 • War of the League of Augsburg 1688 • a/k/a Nine Years’ War • in the colonies = King William’s War • Treaty of Ryswick 1697 - Louis gets Alsace

  21. War # 4 - last one • War of the Spanish Succession 1702-1713 • Background to war • Louis v. William of Orange’s coalition: Grand Alliance • Results: • Treaty of Utrecht 1713 • Treaty of Rastatt (Rastadt) 1714

  22. Louis XIV’s death = 1715 • tried to burn memoirs = recovered by his officials • contained confession that perhaps he had “loved glory too much” • foreshadows the coming of....?

  23. Next up. . . . • Peter the Great - Russia - Romanov Dynasty - Autocrat - even more powerful than an Absolutist Monarch

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