Definitions and IDs

1. Definitions and IDs • Absolutism • “L’ Etatc’estmoi!” • The “Sun King” • Junkers • Cossacks • Peter the Great

2. Questions and Imperatives • Discuss family life in the early modern era • Discuss the absolutist leaders of the Bourbon, Habsburg, Hohenzollern, and Romanov families of the 17th century, noting similarities and differences. • How do political systems reflect the structure of social and economic life? (Class discussion)

4. What is Absolutism? • complete and unrestricted power in government • roots of absolutism found in the late feudal period • struggling monarchies had to combat the privileges of the Catholic Church and nobility • Absolutism more an ideal than practical reality • corrective to excessively decentralized institutions • seen as the personal power of some monarchs over the limited power of other monarchs • absolutism was a cry from the people when they felt that the monarch had too much power • Term coined in 1830, after absolutist monarchs

5. Bourbons of France • Henry IV and Edict of Nantes • Henry IV 1589-1610, succeeded by 9-year-old son Louis XIII • Marie de’ Medici served as regent for her son • Calvinists feared for their safety • Nobles began to reassert themselves • Marie summoned the Estates General in 1614 • nothing came of the meeting • Marie soon declared her son of age and dissolved the regency

6. King Louis XIII of France • France had no direction for the next 10 years until Cardinal Richelieu 1624 • Marie had tried to regain some power; “Dismiss Richelieu,”, but he concentrated his power • Richelieu • Reduced the independence of the nobility • Abolished a number of guarantees in the Edict of Nantes • Sold offices at a great rate and • Taxes…led to peasant uprisings • concentrated on foreign affairs • Richelieu died in 1642 • King Louis XIII died the following year, 1643

7. Another young King • 5-year old Louis XIV succeeded, but with a regent • Louis XIII’s widow, Anne of Austria (daughter of King Philip III of Spain), took over the government, placing power in the hands of Italian Cardinal, Mazarin, a protégé of Richelieu’s • When Mazarin died in 1661, Louis XIV was of age • Louis XIV, THE SUN KING

8. The Sun Kingreigned 1643-1715 • “L’état, c’estmoi!” • Absolutism proved a failure • AncienRégime (political & social system in France before Rev.) • Many sought the King’s favor • Versailles • tiny, crowded rooms, no palace toilet facilities, and often so cold that their drinking water froze at dinner parties • Louis XIV reorganized and created new government institutions • strengthened his authority at home and increased his power over neighbors abroad

11. Louis XIV - France

12. Absolutism under Louis XIV • Louis’s Foreign affairs • Acquired more territories • Left royal treasury bankrupt • most powerful army in Europe • Louis in domestic affairs • extended absolutism into the areas of social and religion • revoked the Edict of Nantes • Improved economy of France with reform measures • stimulated manufacturing, agriculture, and trade • welfare helped lower classes to find more opportunities as cities began to grow • Many people breathed sigh of relief when he died in 1715

14. The Habsburg Empire • Habsburg Leopold I - HRE (1658-1705) • new palace in Schönbrunn • had come to the throne through the death of his brother • indecisive, but deeply religious • 30 years war showed HRE no longer had control over princes • Leopold’s affairs run by members of noble families • Prince Eugènehad been passed over by Louis XIV • Eugènebecame field Marshall of Austria’s troops • Eugèneinfluenced Habsburg affairs for the next 40 years • 1690s, Eugèneurged Leopold to take bolder course against the Turks and Austria expanded into the Ottoman Empire of the Turks

16. Prince Eugene

17. DIFFERENCES??? • The difference between the absolutism of Louis XIV and Leopold I: • Louis supported his nobles after he subdued their independent positions in the provinces • Leopold gave his nobles influence in government • Leopold’s absolutism was one in which the aristocracy retained far more autonomous power and a firmer base of local support stimulated by regional loyalties than was the case in France

18. The Hohenzollerns • new power emerged from Brandenburg- Prussia • close alliance established between ruler and his nobles (Junkers) • Frederick William of Hohenzollern (1640-1688) • “the Great Elector” • ruled scattered territories in the north of “Germany” • took advantage of Thirty Years’ War and chaos that followed • His army grew to 22,000; he began to impose his will on his own territories • Prussia became the leading force in unification and a model for a unified Germany • Having military had been key (nobles and leader did well for each other)

19. Frederick William

20. PRUSSIA • “granary of Europe” & nobles made most of economic potential • Unlike Louis XIV in France, Frederick William did not force his nobles to revolve their life around him • He began to develop his capital, Berlin into a major city and cultural center • founded a great library in his palace there and set up the double blvd of Unterden Linden • grew to an equal setting with the other great powers of Europe • Successors improved the cultural and social atmosphere • Frederick III made his palace a center of art & polite society, hoping to compete with Versailles • He continued the growth of Berlin with many churches and an Academy of Sciences

24. Charlottenburg Palace - Berlin

25. To the East = • Ottoman Empire • central control in the Ottoman Empire was effective by the early 1500s and the first signs of decline came in 1566 after death of one of the great Sultans, Suleiman the magnificent • the Ottoman continued to be formidable enemies to the west and were constantly at war with the Hapsburgs • Ottomans began to lose ground to Habsburgs in the 18th century

26. To the East • Poland • largest kingdom in Europe and as de-centralized as the HRE • King of Poland could exercise control over his personal lands, but powerful nobles held control elsewhere in the country • Poland was also continually at war • Poland fought to push out Protestantism • religious divisions and power of local nobles became serious problem • Like rest of Europe, Poland faced a major internal clash in the mid-17th century

27. To the East • crisis arose in Ukraine, borderland that had long been occupied by soldier farmers, known as Cossacks • Like their Russian counterparts, these Cossacks were allowed a great deal of independence because they protected the countryside • They were firm adherents to the Greek Orthodox Church and did not like the push for Catholicism • They rebelled in 1648 and took control of Eastern Ukraine and in 1654, offering allegiance to Tsar • Czar – Tsar – Caesar -- Kaiser • this title was adopted by Ivan III (or Ivan the Great) a Russian sovereign looked for national unity • Ivan III is known as the founder of the modern Russian state • His grandson Ivan the Terrible…

28. Ivan the Terrible • ruled as Tsar of Russia from 1533-1584 • member of Rurik dynasty, began 9thcentury • he used his military strength both at home and in conquests • Russia still feudal & Ivan had fewer political limitations than any other ruler in Europe • peasant class was serfs & the Lords were called boyars, who controlled the local areas • Ivan had come to power at age 3 • At age 16, he pushed aside the hated boyars who had been used as advisors • launched vicious campaigns to bring more area under his rule & enlarged bureaucracy

29. Ivan the Terrible • Ivan married Anastasia Romanov and thus entered the dynasty to follow • Ivan continued warring throughout the regions and in 1557 moved on Poland • Many had had enough and fled toward regions to the east and south • There they formed outlaw groups, Cossacks (they came from the lower classes) • With Ivan’s death came great confusion , given his tight fist around his reign • warring factions vied for the leadership against Fedor, Ivan’s son • The Romanov’s step in in 1613 with Michael (Michel) • The first Romanov Tsar, Michael, was the great-nephew of Anastasia (her brother’s grandson)

30. Peter the Great • another absolutist of the 17th-18th c. • only one among his contemporaries to declare himself “emperor” • named the city St. Petersburg after his Patron Saint • Made “great” contributions to Russia, but known as peculiar & called a moral monster • So, why was he great? • took control of the Russian Church when the patriarch died in 1700…he took over the monasteries, used their income for his own purposes • The Church became a branch of the government • Peter basically ignored his advisory council • GREAT???

31. GREAT!? • He copied western models • his reign marked the beginning of bureaucracy that characterized Russia from then on • He laid the foundation for a two-class society that persisted until the 20th century • Now, all peasants were one level, and there existed below them, serfs • He created a uniform class of nobles • The result was a greater control than seen in the west • Peter demanded the support of the nobles but helped to build their fortunes • He created a navy with little success, but it was a beginning • He brought Russia closer to being a power in Europe

32. So, what about these leaders – similarities, differences, future???

33. DISCUSSION QUESTION: Does the term “absolutist” reverberate anyway/anywhere today?