THE THEORY OF ABSOLUTISM: CP
Many rulers of Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries became absolute monarchs. Absolute
rulers have dated back from ancient times including Darius in Persia, Shi Huangdi in China, and the Roman
Caesars. After the decline of the Roman Empire, however, European monarchs had been weak. The feudal
nobility, the Church, and other rulers had limited the power that any one monarch could wield. This
concept changes in the 17th century...
OBJECTIVE:
To understand the characteristics of absolutism
To apply and evaluate these characteristics in leaders of Europe in the 17th century and today
TASK:
You will be writing an essay on two absolutist leaders: one from 17th century Europe and one from the
present, and comparing their rule to characteristics of absolutism.
Europe
Spain – Philip II
France – King Louis XIV
Russia – Peter the Great, Catherine the Great
Prussia – Fredrick the Great
Austria – Maria Teresa
England – Henry VIII
Possible leaders from the present:
Mao Ze Dong (China)
Fidel Castro (Cuba)
Kim Jong Il (North Korea)
Crown Prince Abdullah (Saudi Arabia)
Omar Al-Bashir (Sudan)
Hu Jintao (China)
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)
Pol Pot (Cambodia)
ESSAY (INDIVIDUAL)
o Introduction:
 What is absolutism? What are its characteristics and what duties do absolutist
leaders carry out? Who are your two leaders?
o 1-2 Paragraphs:
 A full description of your European monarch’s rule: when, where, why and how they
took power, major accomplishments and problems of their rule, *** what
characteristics of their rule were absolutist in nature with an ANALYSIS of why you
think this.
o 1-2 Paragraphs:
 A full description of your modern monarch’s rule: when, where, why and how they
took power, major accomplishments and problems of their rule, ***what
characteristics of their rule were absolutist in nature with an ANALYSIS of why you
think this.
o Conclusion: the “so what,”
 How did and to what extent did the absolutist nature of these rulers affect security,
freedom, and prosperity in their nations? Was absolutism necessary? Beneficial?
o MLA Works Cited
 At least 3 ACADEMIC sources – no Wikipedia, yahoo answers, thinkquest, etc.
o Rubric attached
HOW YOU WILL BE GRADED – 75 POINTS
Introduction:
_________/10 points
- Absolutism is clearly and specifically defined
- Several specific characteristics and duties of absolutism provided to explain
- Thesis
European Monarch:
_________/25 points
- basic information on monarch provided (where, when, why, how)
- *comparison of how their rule matches with characteristics of an absolutist leader using several
specific facts and details from their rule (to what extent were they absolutist? – use examples)
- comparison shows critical thinking and analysis
Modern Monarch/Dictator:
_________/25 points
- basic information on monarch provided (where, when, why, how)
- *comparison of how their rule matches with characteristics of an absolutist leader using several
specific facts and details from their rule (to what extent were they absolutist? – use examples)
- comparison shows critical thinking and analysis
Conclusion:
- describes the significance of absolutism in the world
- discusses the effect absolutism had on that country and evaluates
_________/10 points
MLA Works Cited/rubric/Grammar
- 3 sources
- In MLA
- PROOFREAD YOUR WORK!!!!!!!
_________/5 points
DUE: ____________________________________