Rulers, Families, and Politics

1. Rulers, Families, and Politics ca 1450 – 1700

2. Italy • City-States • Struggles between HRE, Papacy and merchants contributed to independence • Medici: Ruled Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Florence being the main city) • Giovanni (founder of Medici dynasty): Florence $$$ • Cosimo: Unofficial ruler of Florence • Lorenzo: Pope • 2 Popes, many cardinals, 2 French queens

3. Main places: • Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Republic of Florence) • Republic Genoa • Duchy of Milan • Papal States • Naples (Kingdom of the two Sicilies) • Venetian Republic • 1494 Charles VIII (France) invaded Italy to take Naples – succeeded but couldn’t hold on

4. 1498 Louis XII (France) took Milan – he was great grandson of the Duke of Milan • Spain helped • French-Spanish alliance faltered and Spain kicked France out of Milan • 1508 a similar occurrence happened in Venice • This continued for a long time! • England was occasionally involved

5. France • Hundred Years War between France and England eroded nobility • Kings grew stronger • Commerce brought $ • National army under king formed

6. Francis Valois • Rival to HRE Charles V • Passed taille (direct tax on property) • Concordat of Bologna Pope collect annates (1st year revenue from church) and French king had power to nominate high officials in church thus nationalizing the French church • Henry II Valois persecute Huguenots

7. Catherine Medici and controlled Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III • St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre Catholic mobs slaughtered Huguenots • France divided between Valois, Bourbon, and Guise as well as Catholic and Huguenot

8. Henry IV (Navarre) Bourbon united Huguenots • Converted to Catholicism to finish reuniting France • “Paris is worth a mass” • Edict of Nantes – guaranteed religious and civil freedom to Huguenots • Tax system restructured to increase prosperity (Duke of Sully = finance minister did this) • Henry died and corruption set in

9. Louis XIII Bourbon took over • Cardinal Richelieu was prime minister • Richelieu centralized gov’t and encouraged commerce • Intendant system= bourgeoisie officials answerable only to king supervised provinces • Louis XIV (Sun King) Bourbon • Mother regent (Louis was 4 when VIII died) • Italian Cardinal Mazarin was prime minister

10. Wars of the Fronde (nobles trying to limit the power of monarch – they failed) • 1661 Louis XIV declred himself prime minister “L’Etat c’est moi” • Bishop Jacques Bossuet provided divine right philosophy • Louis ruled over the French Golden Age • France strongest and most cultured

11. French foreign policy • War of Devolution (1667-1668) – unsuccessful attempt at seizing Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) • Tried to expand border to Rhine river – failed • Seizure of Luxemburg and attempt to take Alsace-Lorraine – largely countered by League of Augsburg (Alliance between HRE, Holland, Spain, & England)

12. War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1714) – Bourbons tried to gain control of Spain upsetting the Balance of Power – he was opposed by the Grand Alliance (major states of West Europe) • Treaty of Utrecht settled the dispute – France and Spain forbidden from being ruled by same monarch

13. England • Henry VII Tudor won War of the Roses • Related to both houses (Lancaster and York) • Owed elevation to monarch to Parliament • Regulated trade and raised revenues from middle class

14. Henry VIII Tudor • Impetuous, extravagant, passionate, short tempered, ambitious • 6 Wives • Anglican Church • Worked with Parliament • Edward VI Tudor (10 when dad died) • Duke of Somerset regent (Calvinist and removed) • Another regent made Anglican Book of Common Prayer official

15. Edward died at age 16 • Mary Tudor (1553-1558) • Catholic and married to Philip II of Spain • English hated the Spanish • Bloody Mary was her nickname (executed protestants)

16. Elizabeth I Tudor (The Virgin Queen) • Last Tudor monarch • Power balanced between Parliament and monarch • Edge of Religious upheaval • Wealth from arable land and excellence in trade • Gentry (lesser nobles) mingle with middle class and became powerful through commerce

17. Never married (hence Virgin Queen) • Highly intelligent • The Thirty-Nine Articles (1563) defined Anglicanism and pleased everyone but the Puritans • Allied with the Dutch against Spain • Privateers sent to prey on Spanish ships in the New World • Spain conspired to put Mary Stuart on Eng throne (Eliz executed her)

18. Spain declared war on England • England defeated the Spanish Armada • Golden Age of English literature • Shakespeare • Marlowe • Bacon • Donne • Spenser • Eliz died without heir

19. James I Stuart (1603-1625) • Believed in Divine Right and angered Parliament • He angered the Puritans • Gunpowder Plot (1605) led by Guy Fawkes failed to blow up James • James I – James II was period of English Civil War • James I, Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Charles II, James II

20. Spain • Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon unite (1479-1504) • Created Spain • Catholics • Reconquista – Kick out Jews and Muslims

21. Following this, rulers invested in New World exploration • This brought massive wealth • Navy strongest in world • Colonies split with Portugal • Charles V Hapsburg took over Spain • Ruled HRE, Italian provinces, Spain, and New World • Chose to have 2 heirs

22. Ferdinand Hapsburg received HRE and other European holdings • Philip II received Spain and New World holdings • Philip II Hapsburg (1556-1598) • Married Mary I of England • Deeply religious (Catholic) • Laughed only once: when he heard of St Barth Day Massacre

23. Devoted energy to making Europe Catholic again • Philip, not the pope, led attacks on Protestants • Portugal annexed by Spain in 1580 • Led Catholic Crusade in Low Countries • Involved in 30 Yrs War and Netherlands Revolt • Lost Armada and Naval might to England

24. After Philip II, Spain never recovered from financial drain of Crusades and loss of overseas trade dominance • Philip III – Carlos II Hapsburg • Largely uneventful • War of the Spanish Succession • Carlos II died without heir • Lineage connected Bourbons and Hapsburgs equally