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ABSOLUTISM

ABSOLUTISM. Ms. Willia World History Semester 2. What is Absolutism?. Absolute Monarch: kings or queens who held all of the power within their states’ boundaries Their goal was to control every aspect of society including religion

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ABSOLUTISM

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  1. ABSOLUTISM Ms. Willia World History Semester 2

  2. What is Absolutism? • Absolute Monarch: kings or queens who held all of the power within their states’ boundaries • Their goal was to control every aspect of society including religion • Most believed they had divine right: belief that God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth.

  3. What is Absolutism? • An absolute monarch answered only to God, not to his or her subjects • Decline of feudalism, rise of cities, growth of national kingdoms all helped to centralize authority • Rising middle class typically sided with the monarchs

  4. What is Absolutism? • Absolute monarchs would alter Europe’s future and eventually help bring about massive change such as The French Revolution and American Revolution.

  5. Absolute Monarchs

  6. Louis XIV • Was 4 years old when he became king • Louis took total control at age 22 • He excluded the nobles from his councils to strengthen his own power • Increased the power of the intendants, or government agents, who collected taxes and administered justice

  7. Louis XIV • Louis made the nobles dependent on him by making them live with him in the palace • Wanted to make France self-sufficient (Mercantilism: wealth = power) to prevent wealth from leaving France so they manufactured everything needed in France

  8. England • Queen Elizabeth I • We will discuss her later…. • James I • Wrote the King James version of the bible

  9. Peter the Great • Russian • Romanov dynasty begins in 1613 • Romanovs strengthened government by passing a law code and putting down revolts which paved way for absolute rule of Czar Peter I • Peter the Great is known as one of Russia’s greatest reformers

  10. Peter the Great • Russia had adopted the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity (Western Europe was mostly Catholic or Protestant) • Peter was only 24 when he became sole ruler • Reforms: reduced power of great landowners, recruited men from lower classes and promoted them with grants of land, modernized his army

  11. Peter the Great • Peter visits western Europe and comes back ready to westernize Russia • Introduces potatoes- staple part of Russian diet • Started Russia’s first newspaper and edited first issue

  12. Peter the Great • Raised women’s status by having them attend social gatherings • Ordered nobles to give up traditional clothes for Western fashions • Advanced education by opening a school of navigation and introducing schools for the arts and sciences

  13. Peter’s Reforms • Peter had an inquisitive mind and began to study things like sailing with foreigners living in Moscow • In 1697 Peter began his year-long “Grand Embassy” to Western Europe to learn as much as he could so he could strengthen Russia and her amry

  14. Peter’s Reforms • Peter created a professional army that was drilled by European soldiers with European weapons • Taxes were raised to pay for the army and taxes were put on items such as beards, land, inns, mills, leather, coffins, meat & the right to marry • Encouraged industrialization and provided government money for companies to start making products the army needed

  15. Peter’s Reforms • Eastern fashions were prohibited and men could not wear beards • A newspaper was created which helped to increase literacy and exchange ideas • Russians were sent abroad to study • A book of etiquette was published that encouraged Russians not to spit on the floor, scratch themselves or to wear hats indoors

  16. Peter built his new capital, St. Petersburg, on Swedish lands on the Baltic Sea and forced nobles to move there • His new capital provided the ice-free port that Russia had desired for so long

  17. Results of Westernization • Peter’s own son and heir to the throne was tortured and executed for opposing Peter’s changes • Peter, by trying to gain more power, left a legacy of strong man rule and prohibited the development of a democratic government until 1992 • The peasants stayed outside looking in while the nobility continued to enjoy a privileged life– • this gap between classes would have dire consequences for Russia’s future

  18. Catherine The Great

  19. Catherine the Great • Daughter of minor German prince • 15 when married to Grand Duke Peter, heir to Russian throne • Peter was mentally unstable • Mere months after her husband became Czar, she had him arrested and confined

  20. Catherine the Great • Peter conveniently died soon after, murder? • Sought access to the Black Sea- fought two wars with Ottoman Turks to get it • Expanded empire into Poland • Overall, had impressive reign that added a lot of land to the empire

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