Understanding the Age of Absolutism and Divine Rule

1. Learning Goal By the end of this unit, you will be able to describe in detail the causes, contributors, effects, scope and grandeur of the Age of Absolutism and Divine Rule. • Scene:Imagine yourself a citizen during the period between 1500-1800. Your ruler believes a political theory; his power comes from God. In other words, God chose him to rule you and the state – your country. He is often heard saying “L’etat, c’estmoi,” meaning I am the state. He just implied he is inhuman – he is a country, or, he is so grand, so undeniably remarkable that he is as all encompassing as a country. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ru_S_5k2c&feature=related ACTIVITY • Task 1: Individually, list three ways an absolute monarch's rule may affect your life both positively and negatively (for a total of 6: 3 positive and 3 negative). (5 minutes) • Task 2: Each student will share their 6 with their group, compare opinions, and debate the merit of each. ( 10 minutes) • Task 3: NEXT, each group will choose the 2 most agreed upon positive and 2 most agreed upon negative effects from everyone’s offerings. (15 minutes) • Task 4: NEXT, each group will choose 1 negative OR 1 positive effect and write/create a skit that communicates/describes the effect to the class. • Skit presentations due TOMORROW • Each group must also briefly list the their top 2 positive and top 2 negative effects that were agreed upon

2. Chapter 21Absolute Monarchs in Europe1500-1800 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_u_Xo924A8

3. Importance of Regions • Why is a “region” important? Why might Europe have been a likely center of conflict between powers with territorial ambitions? • Locate Russia. What are the possible benefits and drawbacks of Russia’s location in relation tow Western Europe and how might Russia’s location affect its development?

4. Theory of Absolutism • Goal of monarch: to control every aspect of daily life within society • Belief in divine right • Answers only to God • Monarchs increase power to squelch revolts

5. Causes of Absolutism • Religious and territorial conflicts created fear • Growth of armies causes rulers to raise taxes • High taxes lead to revolts

6. Effects • Regulation of religion • Controls spread of ideas • Increase of courts (to appear more powerful) • Creation of bureaucracies to control economies

7. Power and Authority • The end of European Feudalism results in: • Stronger national governments in: • Spain, France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia • Rise of cities • Centralized authority • Absolute Monarchs (AMs) want control of their economies • Free themselves from nobles • AMs’ power leads to revolutions

9. Phillip II and Spain • Characteristics of Phillip: • Inherits Spain from father – Charles V • Rules with iron fist – aggressive • Seizes Portugal after Port’s king dies (P II: king’s nephew) • Spain + Portugal = $$$$ and large army • Gold and silver from Americas • Hard working • Religious (defender of Catholicism) • Religious and economic instability causes trouble

10. Spanish Decline • Causes: Inflation and Taxes • Population growth • Silver floods market (value drops) • Expulsion of Muslims and Jews • Loss of artisans and businessmen • Nobles paid no taxes • Tax burden on lower class • Spain never develops middle class

11. 21.2The Reign of Louis VIV

12. France and Religious Wars • Huguenots (French Protestants) massacred for going against Catholic government • Flee to Germany, Netherlands, and England • Henry of Navarre tries to heal France • Becomes Henry IV (Bourbon Dynasty of France) • Converts to Catholicism to send message of peace • Allows Huguenots to live in peace • Declares religious toleration in Edict of Nantes • Religious compromise leads to death • 1610 fanatic stabs Henry to death

13. Cardinal Richelieu • Ruler of France • Louis XIII advisor • Increases power of Monarchy • Moves against Hug’s • No walls around cities • Nobles must take down castles • Increases power of middle class (gov. agents) • Wants to make France strongest Euro state • Obstacle: Hapsburg rulers • Hap’s lands surround France • Hap’s rule Spain, Austria, Netherlands, parts of HRE • Enters Thirty Years’ War

14. SkepticismDescartes and Montaigne • Religious wars cause writers to question • Skepticism • Montaigne • Develops essay • No way to know what is truth • New ideas constantly replaced • Descartes • One thing for sure: I exist • “I think, therefore, I am.” Rene Descartes

15. The Boy and Sun King • Louis XIV • Begins reign at four-years old • Actual ruler: Cardinal Mazarin • Mazarin • Increases taxes on nobles • Strengthens central gov. • Nobles revolt but fail • Nobles distrusted each other • Monarch used violence • Peasants grew weary of disorder and war • Accept A.M.

16. Louis Weakens Nobles • At 22, Louis takes over government • Weakens nobles • Excludes them from councils • Increases power of intendants (tax collectors) • Dedicates rule to attain economic, political, and cultural dominance • Jean Baptiste Colbert: finance minister • Mercantilism instituted • Protects French industries • Wants to manufacture everything (no imports) • After Colbert dies • Louis cancels Edict of Nantes • Artisans and businessmen flee France

17. Louis’ Wars • French population soars • 20 million • Four times as many as England • Powerful army • Louis wants to expand boundaries • Invades Spanish Netherlands • Invades Dutch Netherlands • Expansion causes fear and unity among Euro nations • France rules Spain after Louis’ grandson inherits crown • France and Spain are united • England, Austria, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Italian states join together to split France and Spain • War of Spanish Succession

18. Winners and Losers • Loser: Louis, France, and Spain • France plunges into debt (war, taxes, and frivolous spending) • Winners: GREAT BRITAIN!! • Gibraltar (controls entrance to Mediterranean) • Gain permission to send African slaves to Spanish colonies • France gives Britain Nova Scotia and Newfoundland • France abandons Hudson Bay region • Other winners: Austria-Hapsburgs take Spanish Netherlands and lands in Italy • Prussia and Savoy recognized as Kingdoms

19. Louis’s Legacy • Positive: • France was a great power • Leader in art and literature • Military leader of Europe • Negative: • Constant warfare and Versailles plunge France into debt • Resentment of taxation of poor leads to problems for future French monarchs

20. 21.3 Central European Monarchs Clash • Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648): Conflict over religion and territory for power among Euro ruling families • Lutherans vs. Catholics • Both threatened by Calvinist • Fought primarily on German soil • Redrew the religious and political map of central Europe • Lutherans join Protestants • Catholics form Catholic League • Cause: Bohemian Protestant Revolt • Ferdinand II (Catholic ruler) closes Bohemian Protestant churches • Ferdy tries to crush revolt and German Prot. Princes respond

21. Thirty Years War cont… • 1618-1648 • First 12 years: Hapsburgs crush Prot. Princes • Richelieu and Mazarin of France dominate remaining years of war • Richelieu joins German and Swedish Protestants to crush Hapsburg armies • Effects: • Germany’s population declines by 4 million • Trade and agriculture ruins German economy

22. 2 Phase War • Phase I: Hapsburg triumphs • First 12 years Hap’s armies (Austria and Spain) crush Protestant armies. • Phase II: Haps’ defeats • 1630 Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden leads Protestant army – pushes Haps out of Germany • Richelieu and Mazarin of France continue assault on Haps (join German and Swedish Prots)

24. Peace of Westphalia • Effects of treaty • Weakens Hapsburg state of Spain and Austria • France is awarded German territory • German princes independent of Holy Roman emperor • Ended religious wars • Introduces new method of negotiating peace • MOST IMPORTANT EFFECT of 30 Years’ War: • Religion in European politics lapsed. • Eliminated a major destabilizing influence in European politics • Overturned the political balance of power created during the Renaissance. • Modern states begin without rule of Catholic church • Europe is now a group of equal, independent states

25. A New Europe

26. Central Europe Forms - Slowly • Causes of slow versus quick economic development: • Serfs won freedom in Western Europe, moved to cities, created a middle class, and gained economic power thru capitalism • Central Europe restricted serf freedom and movement, kept on farms by nobles to harvest crops

27. Weakened Empires • Ottoman Empire stalls its spread thru Europe • Polish nobility limits powers of king: no law courts and no army creates disunity • Holy Roman Empire weakened • No longer control German states • Effect of weakened empires • Power void for someone to fill

28. Austrian Hapsburg Map 1700

29. Maria Theresa • Father is Charles VI • Hapsburg ruler over a diverse group of people and states • Czechs, Hungarians, Italians, Croatians, and Germans • Convinces Euro leaders to recognize his daughter as heir – Maria Theresa • Faces war with Prussia in the north "This woman’s achievements were those of a great man. I always respected her. She brought honor to her gender.” Prussia’s Frederick the Great

30. Prussia Challenges Austria • Prussian ruling family: Hohenzollerns • Frederick William (Great Elector) secures strong army for protection • To do so he uses Divine Right and A.M. • Refer to themselves as “king” and dissolve representative assemblies • Junkers: landowning nobles resist • Frederick I buys them off: makes them army officers

31. Frederick the Great • Frederick II (The Great) continues father’s military policies, but: • Encourages religious toleration • Legal reform • Believed ruler should be more like a parent to his people “All religions must be tolerated…for every man must get to heaven in his own way.” Frederick II of Prussia

32. War of Austrian Succession • Maria T. succeeded her father • Frederick became king of Prussia, wants and eventually takes Austrian land (Silesia)

33. Seven Years Waror French and Indian Warhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qbzNHmfW0 • Maria allies with French • Frederick signs treaty with Britain (Austria’s former ally) • Who’s fighting whom? • France, Russia, and Austria (FRA) vs. Britain and Prussia (BP) • Fred attacks Saxony (Austrian ally) • Every Euro power joins war • Europe, India, and North America • First global war

34. Seven Years War Map

35. Britain Wins Again!! • France and Britain competing economically in colonies: • North America and West Indies • India • France loses colonies in N.A. • Britain gains sole domination of India

36. 21.4 Russian Rulers • Ivan IV (The Terrible) • 3 year-old king • Boyars (landowning nobles) struggle for power with Ivan • At 16 seizes power from Boyars and marries Boyar woman (Anastasia) • “Good” period of reign • War victories add land, creates code of laws, and ruled justly • “Bad” period of reign • Turns against Boyars (wife poisoned) • Creates secret police • Murders “traitors,” boyars, peasants • Kills eldest son • Ivan dies and weakest son left to rule

37. Romanovs and Peter the Great • Russians choose Michael Romanov to succeed Ivan’s son • Grandnephew of Ivan’s wife • Begins Romanov dynasty • Rom’s restore order • Strengthen government • Passes law code squashing revolt • Paves way for Czar Peter I (Peter the Great)

38. Peter’s Reforms • Peter reforms Russia by: • Wants to compete with Europe economically • Places Russian Orthodox church under state control • Abolishes head of Church • Reduced power of landowners • Hires European officers for training army • Imposes heavy taxes

39. Peter Westernizes • In order to westernize Russia Peter: • Introduces potatoes • Starts Russia’s first newspaper • Raises women’s status • Orders nobles to give up traditional clothing • Advanced education: navigation, arts and sciences

40. St. Petersburg • Russia needed seaport to advance education • Seaport would make it easier to travel and trade with west • Peter battles Sweden for piece of Baltic coast • Russia gains “window to Europe.”

41. 21.5 English Monarchy Limited • Parliaments financial power/control was obstacle to monarchs • King James Stuart I (England and Scotland) inherits debt and issues from Elizabeth I • Main issue was money

42. Charles I • James I dies and his son Charles I takes over • Charles needed money for wars against Spain and France • Parliament refused to give him money • Dissolved Parliament • Petition of Right: document making King agree to terms for money • Not imprison people w/o due cause • Not levy taxes without Parliament’s consent • Not hold soldiers in private homes • Would not impost martial law during peacetime

43. Charles cont… • Charles ignores petition’s terms • Petition went against the idea of divine right and A.M. • Imposes fines and fees • Popularity declines • English Civil War begins • Parliament limits King’s power • Charles arrests Parliament leaders • Charles flees London and raises army of supporters

44. English Civil War cont… • War between Royalists (loyal to Charles) vs. Puritans • Oliver Cromwell (Puritan) creates New Model Army • Captures Charles • Charles tried for treason and executed (1649) • Never before had a monarch been executed

45. Cromwell Rules • Abolishes monarchy and House of Lords • Establishes a commonwealth (republican form of government) • A group of countries or states that have political or economic connections with one another • England’s form of government from the death of Charles I in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660

46. Charles II • England’s citizens grew weary of Cromwell • Puritan morality strict • No dancing, sport, and theatre • Cromwell dies • Parliament is reestablished • Vote to have Charles II rule • Restoration: period refers to the restoration of the monarchy

47. Habeas Corpus • H.C.: Guarantee of freedom passed by Parliament • Latin meaning “to have the body.” • Gave prisoners the right to obtain and hear charges filed against them • Judge then decides to try or set prisoner free

48. James II and Glorious Revolution • Catholic monarch • Appoints Catholics to high office (offends public) • Dissolves Parliament when they oppose him • James’s eldest daughter, Mary, was Protestant • Wife of William of Orange (Prince of Netherlands) • Members of Parl. Ask Will and Mary to overthrow James • James flees to France • This overthrow is known as the Glorious Revolution

49. Political Change and Limiting a Monarchy • William and Mary and the Glorious Revolution create: Constitutional Monarchy • A partnership between a monarch and Parliament that limits the power of the ruler

50. Bill of Rights and Political Changes of Revolution Cont… • 1689 Parliament drafts English Bill of Rights 1. Parliament’s laws may not be suspended 2. No taxes without permission of Parliament 3. No interfering of freedom of speech within Parliament 4. Citizens may petition the King about a complaint