ABSOLUTISM
(1600-1770)
INTRODUCTION
In
the Middle Ages, the power of kings
had been limited by nobles,
parliaments, and the Catholic Church
The decline of feudalism, the
Renaissance, the Protestant
Reformation, and the Commercial
Revolution all helped enrich European
society and increase the power of
European monarchs (hereditary rulers)
THE BIG QUESTION:
How
did Europe’s rulers
achieve absolute power?
WARS OF RELIGION
During
the Reformation, most kings
took control of religion within their
own borders
Religious wars provided kings with an
opportunity to build large standing
armies
Introduced new government
officials
Allowed tax increases (resistance
was put down by the king’s army)
CHANGING ROLES OF THE
NOBILITY
In
the Middle Ages, nobles had been
independent sources of power
In the 1600s, rulers began to “tame” the
nobility by keeping watch over them.
Nobles kept wealth and privileges, but
had to obey the king’s command
The growing urban middle classes often
allied themselves with kings against the
nobility
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR ROYAL POWER
 “Reason
of state” – justified doing whatever
was necessary for the survival of the state
 Some thought that without a strong central
authority to keep order, society would
break down, so kings were justified in seizing
absolute power in order to maintain order in
society
 Divine right of kings – the king was God’s
deputy on earth, and royal commands
expressed God’s wishes
ACTIVITY
Complete
the chart of
absolute rulers. Include the
years the monarch ruled, the
country the monarch ruled,
and key legislations or policies.
LEFT SIDE ACTIVITY
Choose
one of the justifications
for royal power and create a
cartoon describing or
illustrating it.
ABSOLUTISM IN RUSSIA
 By
the end of the 15th century, rulers around
Moscow declared independence from
Mongol rule (adopted the system of royal
absolutism on a grand scale)
 Conquered neighboring lands
 The majority of population were serfs (just
when serfdom was declining in Western
Europe, it was increasing in Eastern Europe)
 Russian nobility pledged absolute loyalty to
the Tsar in return for their power over serfs
ACTIVITY
Add
Peter the Great (16821725) and Catherine the
Great (1762-1796) to your
chart
Left Side Activity
Create
a chart comparing
absolutism in France and
Russia. Include both
similarities and differences
LIMITED MONARCHY IN ENGLAND
English
monarchs were never able to
establish absolute rule as those in
France, Spain and Russia did
Checks had been placed on the
English king’s power
 Magna
Carta (1215) guaranteed that
Englishmen could not be fined or
imprisoned without process of law and
new taxes had to be approved by the
king’s barons
 Parliament: established as a legislative
body made up of nobles and elected
representatives
ENGLAND’S ROAD TO LIMITED
MONARCHY
 Create
a flow chart describing the
events leading to England’s Limited
Monarchy:
 Tudor
Monarchs: Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
 Early Stuart Monarchs: James I and Charles
I
 English Civil War (1642-1649): Oliver
Cromwell
 The Restoration: Charles II
 The Glorious Revolution: William and Mary
and the English Bill of Rights
POLITICAL THINKERS IN THE
AGE OF ABSOLUTISM

Thomas Hobbes – Man was not naturally good and
was incapable of maintaining social order,
therefore absolute rule was necessary
 John Locke – believed rulers obtained power from
the people, not God. Promoted the “social
contract”. The purpose of government was to
protect natural rights (life, liberty, property)
 Sir William Blackstone – explained English common
law (judges following precedents of other
courts) and England’s “mixed monarchy” where
power was shared by king and Parliament.
EUROPEAN SOCIETY IN THE 18TH CENTURY
Social
Order – The “Old Regime”
Society was aristocratic – people
of noble birth were a race apart
(superior to everyone else)
Nobles owned the most land,
served as army officers, became
Church bishops, and held the
highest government positions