Unit 7 Political Revolutions 1750-1914

1. Unit 7 Political Revolutions1750-1914 New Political Philosophies Inspire Change and Revolutions through Enlightenment Ideology based upon the belief of Individual Rights, Democracy and in the case of Russia – Communism.

2. Warm up: With your elbow partner, explain the significance of the following quote as it pertains to you as an American citizen : Every individual has the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson Write your answer in your spiral under Bellwork #15

3. Lesson Objective: We will explain the impact of Absolutism on Enlightenment Ideologies and identify the major causes and describe the major effects of Political Revolutions from 1750 - 1914.

4. Background Until the 18th and 19th centuries, most people in Europe had accepted beliefs that kings ruled by divine right and that well-to-do nobles had privileges not enjoyed by the lower classes. By the end of the century, many changes would occur that revolutionized these thoughts and changed the political, social and economic systems in most areas of the world.

5. RAQ #1 - While watching the video, answer the following questions: - What is an Absolute Monarch? - What is the Divine Right theory? - How does life change under Absolute Monarchs? - How would your life have been different under an Absolute monarch? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ru_S_5k2c#

6. What is Absolutism? • Absolute Monarch: king or queen who believes all the power rests in their hands / no limit to their power or authority. • Divine Right: belief that God created the monarchy and the king/queen was God‘s representative on earth • Absolute Power + Theory of Divine Right of Kings = Absolute Divine Right Monarchy

7. Causes for Absolutism • Medieval History • Renaissance/Reformation • Exploration • Global Commerce • Industrialism • Nationalism • Militarism • Powerful Monarchs

8. Medieval Society and Absolutism RAQ #2 – Discuss with your partner why people during the Medieval period would eventually prefer an Absolute ruler over the Feudal system that had been in place for centuries.

9. Medieval Society and Absolutism • Disorder and confusion which prevailed in Europe during the Medieval period greatly contributed to the growth of the absolute monarchies. People were fed up with uncertain conditions which caused them untold misery and were willing to be ruled by an absolute ruler who could assure them peace and order.

10. Renaissance, Reformation and Absolutism RAQ #3 How did the Renaissance contribute to the development of Absolute rule? Did the Protestant Reformation have an impact on the development of Absolutism? If so, how?

11. Renaissance, Reformation and Absolutism • The Renaissance greatly contributed to the growth of absolute monarchies. As a result of Renaissance people took to the study of classical literature and discovered that ancient Romans thrived under the autocratic rule of one person and were willing to support autocratic rulers for the sake of the glory of the nation. • The Reformation dealt a severe blow to the prestige of the Catholic Church and in a number of countries the king became the head of the church. i.e. King Henry VIII

12. Exploration, Global Commerce, Industrialism and Absolutism RAQ #4 Discuss with your partner how the Age of Exploration, Global Trade (the Columbian Exchange) and the Industrial Revolution brought rise to the idea of an Absolute Monarchy.

13. Exploration, Global Commerce, Industrialism and Absolutism • The enormous expansion in trade, commerce, industry and the consequent rise of towns and cities during the 17th and 18th centuries greatly contributed to the growth of absolute monarchies in Europe. The traders, merchants and industrialists wanted peace and order so that they could carry on their occupation withoutany hindrance and were too willing to extend necessary support to the absolute rulers who promised them peace and order as long as the middle classes continued to provide the kings with necessary finances and useful officials.

14. Nationalism, Militarism and Absolutism RAQ #5 With your partner, describe how feelings of Nationalism allowed a Monarch to rule with absolute authority. Explain how the build up of militaries and the invention of new weaponry in the Industrialized countries contributed to Absolutism?

15. Nationalism, Militarism and Absolutism • The spirit of patriotism and nationalism which grew during the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries played a significant role in the promotion of absolute monarchies. Fired by the spirit of patriotism and nationalism people were willing to extend full support to the rulers who could provide position of pride to the country.

16. Nationalism, Militarism and Absolutism • Discovery of gun-power greatly facilitated the emergence of absolute monarchies. After the discovery of gunpowder the kings tried to free themselves from the control of the feudal lords and started maintaining standing armies of hired soldiers. Militarism has been a significant element of the imperialist or expansionist ideologies of several nations throughout history.

17. Powerful Monarchs and Absolutism Finally, the emergence of absolute monarchs was possible due to the presence of a number of powerful monarchs in history: - Elizabeth I of England 1558-1603 - Louis XIV of France 1643- 1715 - Peter the Great of Russia 1682-1725 - Philip II of Spain 1556-1598 These rulers waged numerous wars and brought glory, wealth and power to their nation-states.

18. European Nations and Absolutism England Spain France Russia

19. The Impact of Absolutism RAQ #6 With your partner, explain what the following quote means: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Lord Acton of Britain in the late 18th century

20. The Impact of Absolutism RAQ #7 – Discuss with your partner and list the Pros and Cons of Absolutism Pros Cons

21. The Impact of Absolutism Pros:Cons: Created Stable Government High Taxes on lower classes Standing military for protection Social Class inequalities Colonization of new territories Costly Wars with Imperialist nations Treaties that set up trade alliances Privileged nobility Lavish spending/building projects Religious control No Individual rights

22. The Perfect Example of the Absolute Monarch King Louis XIV of France 1643-1715 RAQ #8 Analyze the Picture of King Louis XIV using the OPTIC format. O – Overview P – Parts T – Title I – Interrelationships C - Conclusion

23. King Louis XIV of France Quotes attributable to Louis XVI "I have no intention of sharing my authority" "L'état, c'est moi." (I am the state) "One king, one law, one faith." "The interests of the state must come first” Discussion: How would we, the citizens of the United States, react to these types of statements today?

24. The Perfect Example of the Absolute Monarch Louis XIV fully embodied absolutist principles. The Sun King ruled France from 1643 to 1715. In many ways, Louis was the embodiment of the modern age for the whole of Europe. Historians like to consider the reign of Louis XIV as the beginning of the modern state. Most of the practices of the modern state were more or less instituted in the France of Louis XIV: centralized government, a centralized civil bureaucracy, national legislation, a national judiciary, a large, standing military under the direct control of national authorities, and a national tax collection mechanism in which taxes went straight to the national government rather than passing through the hands of regional nobility. Monarchs turned to him as a model for government, but countries, such as England, reacted against his example.

25. The Perfect Example of the Absolute Monarch In order to secure his power, Louis had to centralize the military, take control of taxes, reign in independent territories, break up the legislative assemblies, and impose a religious unity on the country. Rather than charging nobility to collect taxes, Louis set up a bureaucracy to collect taxes directly from the peasantry. The social classes were divided into three estates: First Estate – Clergy, Second Estate – Nobility and the Third Estate – merchants and peasants. The First and Second Estates did not have to pay taxes at all. By the end of his reign, Louis was collecting more taxes than ever from the Third Estate. Louis spent much of this money to improve roads, build the Palace of Versailles, on wars and to invest in national industry.

26. The Perfect Example of the Absolute Monarch • Louis moved the monarchical residence out of the center of Paris to a suburb in Versailles. There he built the most opulent palace ever built for a king of Europe: the palace of Versailles. It was an awe-inspiring structure and was built as a stage on which to display monarchical power. The building itself was over a third of a mile long; the outside was surrounded by magnificent gardens and over 1400 fountains employing the newest hydraulic technologies. The inside was an altar to French military might, room after room decorated with paintings, tapestries, and statues celebrating French military victories, heroes, and, especially, French kings. • Louis required every noble to spend some time at the palace at Versailles. There he would stage elaborate performances and rituals designed to show the nobility his power.

27. Effects of Absolutism RAQ #9 After watching the video, discuss how the Third Estate in France would have reacted to the palatial luxuries at the Palace of Versailles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X235vpOToVU

28. Results of Absolutism RAQ #10 List 3 probable results of Absolutism as a result of the abuses of power, war and taxation: 1. 2. 3.

29. Results of Absolutism • Constitutionalism (i.e. England, United States) and Limited Monarchs – rulers who must obey the laws of the government established by the people (Parliament) • Enlightenment Ideas/Thinkers (Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Blackstone, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft) • Revolutions and Independence Movements (i.e. England, America, France, Latin America, Russia) • Individual Rights (English Bill of Rights, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen) • Enlightened Despotism • Cultural and Economic changes (Russia - Communism)