Chapter 15

1. Chapter 15 State Building and the Search for Order in the Seventeenth Century

2. Social Crises, War, and Rebellions • Economic contraction • Population changes • The Witchcraft Craze • Witchcraft before the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century • Increased persecution and executions • Accusations against witches • Reasons for Witch craze • Religious Uncertainty • Social Conditions • Women as primary victims • Begins to subside by mid Seventeenth Century

3. B. Traditional Thinking and Witch Hunts • European beliefs derived from both local folk traditions and Judeo-Christian beliefs. • During the 16th and 17th centuries over 100,000 people (3/4 women) were tried and about half of them were executed on charges of witchcraft. • Witch hunts became manifestations of fear of unattached women without male guidance.

4. A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching.

5. The extraordinary fear of the power of witches in the late 16th and 17th centuries is testimony to the belief in the spiritual causes of natural events. (Over 100,000 people, 3/4 women, were tried and half of them were executed)

6. The Thirty Years’ War (1618 - 1648) • Forever weakened the HRE and paved the way for French continental supremacy. • Approx. 1/3 of the population died and approx. 1/2 of the wealth of the German states was depleted. • This decimation set the stage for the long-term fragmentation of central Europe.

7. The Bohemian Phase (1618 - 1625) • Protestant, Frederick V of Bohemia demanded more autonomy for Bohemia from Ferdinand II (HRE) • Defenestration of Prague • Rebellion drove the Imperial forces from Bohemia • The Protestant forces were decisively defeated at the Battle of White Mountain and Frederick was deposed.

8. The Danish Phase (1625 - 1629) • Danish King Christian IV stepped up to lead the Protestants who were nearly wiped out after phase I. • The protestant forces experienced more losses at the hands of Tilly and Wallenstein. • The Edict of Restitution forced protestants to restore to the Catholic church all lands that had been taken from it since 1552. This was a major defeat.

9. The Swedish Phase (1630 - 1635) • Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus and his army landed in Germany, starting phase III of the war. • Cardinal Richelieu of Catholic France supported Gustavus and the Protestant forces in an attempt to control the power of the Hapsburgs.

10. Swedish Phase, continued • Many early protestant victories, but Gustavus was killed in the battle of Luetzen in 1632. • Ferdinand had Wallenstein assassinated in 1634. • Thus, this phase of the war was a costly one for both sides.

11. The Swedish-French Phase (1635 - 1648) • Sweden was attacked by Denmark in 1635, because Denmark hoped to break the power of the Swedish empire. • France sent troops to help Sweden. • Cath. France + Prot. Sweden vs. Cath. HRE + Prot. Denmark + Cath. Spain • 1645: Denmark surrendered • 1648: Germans called for a truce.

12. The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) • Renewed the Peace of Augsburg (cuius regio, eius religio). • Officially recognized Calvinism as a legal religion • nullified the Edict of Restitution (whoever owned the land in 1624 got it back) • Recognized the independence of Switzerland and the Netherlands

13. Westphalia, continued • German princes given more sovereignty (they now had the right to raise armies and conclude foreign alliances) • All agreed to settle their religious disputes through negotiation, rather than edict or majority vote. • This treaty permanently weakened and fragmented the HRE.

14. The Final Phase (1648 - 1659) • Although the German states were no longer involved as combatants in the war, Spain and France continued to war over their differences, fighting on German soil. • Both nations looted and pillaged the German lands, and the devastated Germans were helpless in stopping them. • This phase ended with the Treaty of the Pyranees.

15. Rebellions • Peasant Revolts (1590 – 1640) • France, Austria, Hungary, Portugal and Catalonia • Russia (1641, 1645 and 1648) • Switzerland (1656) • Noble Revolts in France (1648 – 1652)

16. The Practice of Absolutism in Western Europe • France and Absolute Monarchy • Political theory that believed in the “Divine Right of Kings” (Monarchs received their authority from God). • Origins of French Absolutism • Cardinal Richelieu (1624 – 1642) • Weakens Huguenots • Weakens nobles • Cardinal Mazarin (1642 – 1661) • The Fronde – Noble Revolt

17. FRENCH POLITICS • Louis XIII (1610 - 1643): Became king at 9 with the help of the Queen mother, Marie de Medici. • Louis appointed his advisor, Cardinal Richelieu, when he reached manhood. • Richelieu effectively ruled France for about 20 years and attempted to return power taken by the nobles back to the king.

18. Actions of Louis XIII • Disbanded the standing armies of the nobles • Destroyed the fortified castles of the nobility • Set up royal spy organizations • Crushed conspiracies with wholesale executions

19. More Actions of Louis XIII • Transferred control of the provinces to provincial officials called intendents • Crushed the political power of the Huguenots, but still allowed a small bit of religious tolerance • Joined the 30 years War on the Protestant side to weaken the Hapsburgs

20. Louis XIV (1643 - 1715) • Became king at age 5. Helped by Queen mother, Anne of Austria, and chief advisor, Cardinal Mazarin. • Frondes: 2 successive revolts of the nobility: crushed by Mazarin. • 1659: Treaty of the Pyranees ended French involvement in the 30 years War and gave Maria Therese of Spain to Louis as his wife.

21. Policies of the “Sun King” • Divine Right Ruler (Bishop Bosseut) • Built up Versailles and was a great patron of the arts (Golden Age of France). • Used intendents to strengthen royal power and control the power of the nobility. • Desire for territorial expansion led Louis into 4 costly wars.

22. Châteaux de Versailles • King’s residence and center of government. • Spent vast sums of money on expansion. • Royal apartments were at the center of the complex.

23. The Wars of Louis XIV • As a result of the 4 wars fought during Louis’ reign, France lost many talented generals and found its economic situation to be unsound. • War of Devolution (1667-1668) Louis claimed the Spanish Netherlands as his wife’s unpaid dowry. • Gained a small part of it as a result of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

24. More Wars • War against the Dutch (1672-78) Louis went back to get more Dutch territory and to claim Dutch commercial interests. • Fought against the Dutch, HRE, Spain, and Prussia. • Treaty of Nimwigen: France received another small piece of the Sp. Netherlands, but lost many valuable men.

25. More Wars • War of the League of Augsburg:(1680-97) Louis invaded Strasbourg and other Ger. border territories. • Opposed by Spain, Dutch, Sweden, HRE, and England • Stalemate: Peace of Ryswick: Louis retreated from most territories in return for peace.

26. War of Spanish Succession (1702 - 1713) • Spanish king designated Louis’ grandson Philip as the Spanish heir and Leopold Hapsburg thought his son had a stronger claim. • War broke out and Spain and France fought England, HRE, and the Dutch. • This bloody war ended in a virtual stalemate.

27. Treaty of Utrecht • This treaty ended the War of Spanish Succession. • Allowed Louis’ grandson Philip to become the King of Spain (Philip V), but forbade any combining of French and Spanish holdings. • England received control of Gibralter and of the Asiento. • Spain’s holdings in Italy and the Neth. went to the HRE.

28. French Mercantilism • Finance minister, Colbert, was the architect of French Mercantilism. His actions included: • encouraged trade and commerce by trying to rid France of internal tariffs • tried to maintain a favorable balance of trade to offset the huge military expenses • 5 great farms • industrial production standards set • wealth based on gold & silver • unsuccessfully tried to balance the budget.

29. Religious Disputes • Louis’ absolutism extended to religious affairs. • Suppression of the Jansenists & the burning of Port Royal. (they favored strict morality and less papal influence) • Revocation of the Edict of Nantes: thousands of Huguenots were forced to either flee France or become Catholic • Gallican Liberties: Louis would pay papal dues, if he could appoint French bishops.

30. The End of an Era • Louis XIV was one of the great state-builders of Europe • Despite this, the peasants of France suffered as they never had before or since. This would bring government welfare as a state function it the 18th century • His absolutist policy solidified the place of France as the dominant power in Europe.

31. The Decline of Spain • Bankruptcies in 1596 and in 1607 • Philip III (1598 – 1621) • Philip IV (1621 – 1665) • Gaspar de Guzman and attempts at reform • The Thirty Years War • Expensive military campaigns • Civil War • The Netherlands lost

32. The Rise of Brandenburg-Prussia • Modern Prussia was created in the 17th century when the Hohenzollern family united several small states in N. Germany. • These states were dominated by the great landed aristocrats, called the junkers.

33. Frederick William I (1640 - 1688) • Frederick William I (the great elector) was the real founder of modern Prussia • He built the nation on the foundation of a strong army • Under his rule, the standard Prussian policies of militarism and opportunism in foreign affairs were set.

34. Frederick William II (1713 -1740) • FW II made the army even stronger & more defensive. • FWII gained the actual independence of Prussia by entering the war of Spanish Succession on the side of the HRE. • In return for their military help, the HRE granted Prussian independence.

35. Frederick the Great (1740 - 1786) • Great grandson of Frederick William I • Fred the great was an enlightened despot who encouraged the arts, founded the Pr. Academy of the Sciences (with the help of Leibnitz), and wrote music. He played the flute. • Although he nearly bankrupted Prussia in the first half of his rule, he regained Prussian greatness by the end of his life.

36. The War of Austrian Succession (1740 -1748) • In the resulting war, Austria was allied with England against France, Spain, Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia. • This war soon turned into a world war over colonies & trade. • The first major action of Frederick the Great was to dispute the succession of Maria Theresa to the Austrian throne. • Her succession had been guaranteed by pragmatic sanction, but when she assumed the throne, Frederick refused to recognize her right to rule Austria. • An Austrian victory allowed MT to keep her job

37. The Peace of Aix la Chapelle (1748) • Ended the war of Austrian Succession • Colonial conditions were kept at the status quo • Maria Theresa retained the Austrian throne • Frederick the great made the only real territorial gain when he took Silesia from Austria • Scared by Prussian aggression, France & Austria buried the hatchet and formed an alliance against Prussia that was later joined by Catherine the Great of Russia.

38. The Diplomatic Revolution • Concerned about the alliances against his country, Frederick the great relied on diplomatic means to change the situation. • Fred played on colonial rivalries between England and France to realign the alliances and keep his nation from being isolated.

39. The Seven Year War (1756 - 1763) • This war was the result of Fred’s plotting • Fred allied Prussia with England against France and Austria • although the war was hard on Prussia, Fred managed to survive, due to the loyalty and skill of his troops • Prussian troops drove off French, Austrian, and Russian armies.

40. War, continued • England, under the cabinet of William Pitt, became preoccupied with fighting in N. America (Fr. & Indian War) and was little help to Prussia, but Prussia won the European war, anyway. • Treaty of Hubertusberg (1763): Prussia gains permanent control of Silesia • Treaty of Paris (1763): brought a final end to the war for all participants and guaranteed England supremacy in colonial matters in N. America and India.

41. The Emergence of Austria • Habsburgs • Leopold I (1658 – 1705) • Expands eastward • Conflicts with the Turks • Siege of Vienna (1683) • Multinational Empire

42. Russia: From Fledgling Principality to Major Power • Moscow • Ivan IV the Terrible (1533 – 1584) • First Tsar • Romanov Dynasty (1613 – 1917) • Stratified Society • Tsar • Landed Aristocrats • Peasants and Townspeople

43. Peter the Great (1682 - 1725) • Peter took over Russia after a revolt of the Strelsky. • He did the following things: • Attempted to westernize Russia & built St. Petersburg as his “window to the west.” • Brought the Russian Orthodox church under his own personal control • To raise money, Peter set up state taxes on each individual, created state monopolies, and created a national currency.

44. Peter, continued • Peter set up new administrative offices by province and a central office for supervision. He set up this system of “colleges & cabinets” to supervise all affairs of Russia, even those of the church. • Peter created schools for civil service & military leaders & imported foreign technicians.

45. Peter, continued • In order to fight his foreign wars, Peter decreed compulsory military service for all land-owners. By these wars, he drained Russian finances & population. • He brought the nobles & landed aristocrats directly under his control.

46. Peter, continued • He tried to change the customs & traditions of the Russian people by banning certain traditional forms of dress, reforming the calendar, changing the system of numbers, & reforming Russian educational & business institutions. • Peter insisted on Western dress & personally cut off the beards of the “old believers.”

47. The Great Northern War • This war, 1700-1721, marked Russia’s triumph over Sweden for the leadership of northern Europe. • This war, fought between Peter and Charles XII, was finally won by Russia, but at great cost. • Decisive battle = Battle of Poltava

48. Great Northern States • Denmark • Christian V • Absolutist constitution was proclaimed in 1665 • Sweden • Gustavus Adolphus • ‘‘First Estate’’ • Christina • Riksdag • Charles X • Charles XII

49. The Ottoman Empire, The Limits of Absolutism • Suleiman the Magnificent (1520 – 1566) • Attacks against Europe • Advances in the Mediterranean • Ottomans viewed as a European Power • New Offensives in the second half of the 17th century

50. The Ottoman Empire • Took over the Byzantine empire with the fall of Constantinople happening in 1453. • Began to expand into Europe, pushing north from Greece and west from the Black Sea coast. • They fought on the Danube and were a serious challenge to Charles V.