• Monarchs (kings/queens) were strengthened through their colonies
– Economic growth through mercantilism
(exploitation of colonies for economic benefit of mother country)
– Competition among nations to become the most wealthy and most powerful

• Rulers believed they were chosen by god to rule
– Known as Divine Right
• Also believed that they should have absolute power without limit
– Known as Absolutism

• Most European nations developed absolute monarchies in the 16001700’s.
• Exceptions:
– England and the Dutch Netherlands preferred a more constitutional government in which the ruler’s power was limited

• Once the most powerful nation in Europe
– Phillip II (rule 1556-1598)
• Catholic, strict control prohibited the spread of Protestantism
– Spanish Inquisition, Reconquista
• Competition and conflict with England
– Religious differences
(Spain Catholic, England Protestant)
– British piracy
(Elizabeth I and her “sea dogs”)
• 1588- sends he Spanish Armada to invade
England
– Fails

• Spanish economy weak
– Royal debt
– Excessive spending on military
– Excessive spending to maintain colonial empire
– Price Revolution (influx of silver from colonies leads to inflation)
– High taxation
• Eventually, Spain would lose its place as the dominant power in Europe

• English monarchs share power with
Parliament
– Some try to take power from Parliament
• Tudor Dynasty:
– Important rulers:
• Henry VIII (starts Anglican Church)
• Elizabeth I
– Highly educated, not married, Europe flourishes under her reign, sponsored piracy against Spanish fleets

• Tudor Dynasty ends with Elizabeth
– She died without an heir
• King of Scotland becomes new English monarch
– James I
• Founder of Stuart Dynasty
• Believed in Divine Right and wanted absolute power

• England begins period of conflict
– Religious and political
• James I and his successor, Charles I abuse their power
• English Civil War:
– Supporters of king fight with supporters of
Parliament
• Parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell

• Cromwell defeats the kings forces
– Charles I executed, monarchy abolished, and
England declared a Republic
– Eventually, Cromwell will establish a military dictatorship
• Known as the Puritan Republic or Commonwealth of England…both are quite misleading names!
• 1658: Cromwell dies and monarchy eventually restored
– Trouble will soon begin again

• James II became king in 1685
– Openly Catholic, has son who will carry on the
Catholic rule
• 1688: Glorious Revolution
– Nobles invite William and Mary to take throne
• Mary was James II’s daughter (Protestant)
• James and his family flee to France
• 1689: William and Mary sign the English Bill of
Rights
– Limit power of monarchs and give political power to
Parliament

• Ruled by Bourbon Family
• Support Catholic Church
– Short period of tolerance for Protestants
• Edict of Nantes (King Henry IV, 1598)

• Louis XIII
(r. 1610-1643) and his advisor,
Cardinal Richelieu, work to increase power of monarch
– Established administrative districts with appointed officials who answer to the king
– Sold titles of nobility (Nobles of the Robe) to raise money for crown and increase loyalty
• Louis’ son (Louis XIV) would take this centralization of power to a new level!

• Louis XIV
– Became king in 1643 at age 5
• Rules for 72 years
– “Sun King”
– Absolute ruler, Divine
Right
– Palace of Versailles

• Important advisors:
– Cardinal Mazarin…until he gets fed up with Mazarin and begins to make all decisions on his own
• The Fronde (revolt among the nobility)
– Jean Baptiste Colbert: believed in mercantilism
(economic advisor of Louis XIV)
• Encouraged Louis to continue to pursue an empire
– Jacques Bossuet: Louis’ bishop and tutor; huge supporter of Divine Right
– Moliere: playwright hired to entertain guests at
Versailles

• France waged many wars over the 17 th and 18 th centuries in attempts to increase her own power
– Conflict with England
• Seven Years War (Fought in Europe, Americas, India)
– War of Spanish Succession
– War of Austrian Succession
• France’s economy fell under a heavy burden due to excessive spending and poor tax policy…..all causes of the French
Revolution!

• Germany not a united country until late-
1800’s
– Broken into small states
– Part of the Holy Roman Empire
• Established in 800’s
• Austria and Prussia two most important
German states
– Austria ruled by Hapsburgs
– Prussia ruled by Hohenzollerns

• Austrian rulers often also served as
Emperors of Holy Roman Empire
• Hapsburg family extremely powerful up until the 1800’s!
– Huge rivals of the Bourbon Dynasty in France
• Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

• Prussia was a very militaristic German state
– Ran by the Hohenzollern family
• Prussia’s power would grow dramatically in the 1700’s and 1800’s.
– Eventually, Prussia will become the foundation of Germany ….more on this later!!!

• ***SEE ADDITIONAL PPT (Russia in the
Early Modern Period) FOR MORE
INFO!!!***
• Largely isolated from rest of Europe
• Economy underdeveloped due to Mongols
• Mongols overthrown by Moscow
– Ivan III (Ivan the Great)
• Bloody history
– Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible)

• Romanov Dynasty began in 1613
• Important Rulers:
– Peter I (Peter the Great)
• Rules from 1689-1725
• Wanted to Westernize Russia
• Made important changes to modernize Russia
• New capital at St. Petersburg
• War with Sweden for access to Baltic Sea

• Catherine the Great
– German Princess who seizes throne from her husband Peter III
– Also wanted to modernize and westernize
Russia
• Although making improvements, Russian peasants had very harsh lives
– Serfdom very much like slavery in Russia