RISE OF ABSOLUTISM
THIRTY YEARS WAR
• What is the point of this “basically meaningless
conflict?”
• Demonstrates the rise in national interests over
religious interests.
• Huge win for Protestantism
• Big loss for the Catholic Church
• Peace of Westphalia
• All “german” states determine religion, France gains some
land (Alsace, Verdun, Toul, etc.) Holy Roman Emperor now
a figurehead
MILITARY REVOLUTION
• Gustavus Adolophus– King of Sweden revolutionized
the military after the 30 Years War.
• Firearms replace bows
• Pike-man(spear) replace knights
• Conscripts replace mercenaries
• More trained military
• More bureaucracy to control military
• MORE MONEY to maintain military!!
ABSOLUTISM
• Absolute Monarchs claimed absolute power over
their subjects lives.
• Divine Right of Kings
• Not subject to parliaments, estates, congresses etc.
• Cardinal Richelieu: Louis XIII’s minister
• Limited rights of Huguenots (no private armies)
• Network of spies killed conspirators (limiting threat of nobles)
• Intendants carried out work of central government
• Not as good with money
CARDINAL MAZARIN
• Louis XIV’s minister: Louis was only 4 when he
became king
• Fronde:
• Nobles of the Robe (by job) revolted to eliminate the Italian
Cardinal but are stopped
• Nobles of the Sword revolt (by blood) but then fight with
nobles of the robe and Mazarin wins again 1652
• Mazarin demonstrated with both that the monarchy
needed to be strong and not give in to others
LOUIS XIV
• King at 4 but not sole ruler until 23 (1643-1715) when
Mazarin dies
• Quote 452
• Administration in Government:
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Palace built in Versailles
Brings high nobles to be preoccupied with court life
Subservient ministers do his bidding
Those he could not persuade were bribed
LOUIS XIV
• Religious policy:
• Did not want the protestant minorities to challenges his
power so makes the Edict of Fontainebleau
• Popular among most French people but lost many skilled
protestants
• Finances:
• Cost of Versailles was ridiculous
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert—Mercantilism
• High Tariffs, independent manufacturing
• Drainage due to constant war
LOUIS CONT. . . AGAIN
• Daily Life for Louis’ Court:
• Strict rules and demeaning chores for nobles
• Constant entertainment
• War:
• Several small wars like War of League of Augsburg
• War of Spanish Succession
• Charles II (Spanish King-Habsburg) left throne to Grandson of
Louis XIV (Philip V)
• People don’t want a Bourbon in Spain and France so all go to
war
• Treaty of Ultrecht 1713 says Philip king but can’t join with France
• Britain becomes powerful
PETER THE GREAT (1689-1725)
• Westernization was his goal! Portrayed as a barbarian
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Political leaders expected to gain a Western education
Learn European language
Beard tax and new dress
Russian Navy
Noble mobility with Table of Ranks
Conscription of landholders
Controlled church with Procurator (Russian Orthodox)
Holy Synod
CHANGES IN ART
• Mannerism: (1520s-30s-1600s)
• Wanted to reflect the uncertainty of the time by rejecting
Renaissance methods of balance, harmony, proportion
• Demonstrates emotion and anxiety
• El Greco– the Laocoon
BAROQUE ART
• Baroque Art (end of the 16th C)
• Popular among the Catholic
Reform movement (Habsburgs)
• Classical ideals of Renaissance art
with problems of the times
• Dramatic effects to arouse
emotion
• Demonstrated power in
architecture
• Peter Rubens
• Gian Bernini
• Artemisia Gentileschi 476-477
ENGLISH REVOLUTION
• Tudor-Stuart family change
• James I: 1603-1625
• Stuart line from Scotland
• Not very knowledgeable about English
customs
• Divine Right of Kings-alienates Parliament
• Ticks off Puritans when he keeps bishops
instead of presbyters
CHARLES I
• Charles I (son of James I )
• Parliament submits the Petition of Rights
• Charles rejects it
• Charles I dismisses Parliament. . . Bad move
• Makes new taxes like ship tax (upsets coastal cities)
• Marries catholic sister of Louis XIII and viewed as too
Catholic
• Angers Scotts by trying to have them accept Common
Book of Prayer
• In desperate need of money Charles calls Parliament
LONG PARLIAMENT AND WAR
• For the next 20 years (1640-1660) Parliament would
enforce measures to limit the power of kings
• Some MPs were content (Cavaliers) while others
wanted to eliminate Bishops (roundheads)
• Charles arrests some of the roundheads and starts
the civil war
• Parliament captures the king with the aid of the
New Model Army
OFF WITH HIS HEAD!
• Cavaliers decide to put King back in charge but
with a Presbyterian church and limited rule
• Radicals want more when the two start to fight
again King runs away but is captured
• Jan. 30 1649 Oliver Cromwell, leader of the
roundheads, dismisses cavaliers from Parliament
(rump Parliament), convicts the king of treason, and
has him executed
THE COMMONWEALTH
• Rump Parliament eliminates monarchy and the
House of Lords (upper house in parliament) and
makes Cromwell the Commander in Chief. . . A king
• Cromwell fights Levellers, Irish, Scotts, and more pg.
471 quote
• Cromwell doesn’t like to play well with others so
dismisses Parliament. . . Twice with the force of the
New Model Army
CHARLES II
• When Oliver Cromwell dies in 1658 Parliament
assembles and elects Charles II to be king. . . The
son of Charles the I who they had beheaded?
• More trouble with Charles in religion
• Parliament wanted to make the country Anglican again
• Charles refuses
• Test Act trumps Charles and says need to be Anglican to
hold important offices
• Dismissal of Parliament in 1661 and division in the court
• Whigs hate king
• Torries like king
JAMES II
• When Charles II dies his brother James II becomes
king . . . As a Catholic
• People want to kill him but realize he is old and has
a Protestant daughter that would take over so feel
like they should let it be
• James II has a son by second wife who is Catholic!
WILLIAM OF ORANGE
• Parliament decides that they will give supplies to
James II’s daughters, husband (a puritan) to scare
away James II
• Glorious Revolution works and no one is killed!
• Bill of Rights 1689
• Constitutional Monarchy
• Toleration Act gives freedom of religion to Puritans
REACTION TO ENGLISH REV.
• Thomas Hobbes:
• Leviathan claims that man gave over their rights to be
governed and should not rebel (Social Contract)
• John Locke:
• Two Treatises of Government claimed in the Social Contract
as well but claimed that there were natural rights and the
government has the responsibility to protect those rights. If
they do not they should be removed