Absolutism
• Essential Questions:
– How did absolute monarchs centralize power in
government and thereby control the religion,
culture and economics of Europe?
Spanish Absolutism
• Starts with Charles I
– A Hapsburg King
• Also rules the Holy
Roman Empire,
Netherlands , and
America
• Conquests by Cortes
and Pissaro
– Spain gains immense
power and influence
Philip II of Spain
• Ruler of Spain during
their “golden years.”
– Don Quixote is written
– El Greco
• Son of Charles V
(remember from the
Reformation)
• Spain becomes the
most powerful nation
during his reign (15561598)
Government tactics
• Appointed family to
Royal jobs
• Created a new royal
palace (1584)
Military
• Expanded Spanish
armada to over 150 ships
– Battle of Lepanto (1571)
made Spain strongest navy
• Fought in several wars
– Vs. Ottomans (muslim)
– Main Catholic League
nation during Reformation
– Anglo-Spanish war
• Spanish Armada defeated
British
Spanish Inquisition
• Part of the Catholic
Counter-Reformation
– Attacks Protestants,
Muslims, Jews and
Homosexuals
• About 87,000
cases recorded
• Continues until
1834
Economy under Philip II
• Used silver from the
Americas to pay for most
of his programs
– Command Economy
• Didn’t build up industry in
country
– Ex. Sheep or wheat?
• Extreme spending
– Debt of 36 million ducats
• When silver mining dries
up, Inflation and debt set
in and cause a decline in
power and wealth
France and Absolutism
• France emerged after Spain as the next great
power of absolutism.
• Started over religious conflict.
– Huguenots versus Catholics
– Henry IV offered the Edict of Nantes
• Created Religious tolerance towards Huguenots
• In the process, consolidated his power as king
• The main absolutist in France was Louis XIV.
King Louis XIV: Sun King
• King of France from
1661-1715
• “I am the State”
• Strengthened royal
power immensely
• Built Versailles to keep
the Estates General
(Congress) happy so he
can get his way.
Versailles
Versailles Gardens
Versailles Mall
Versailles Gardens
Versailles Gardens
Versailles Gardens
Hall of Mirrors
Louis’ Chapel
Louis XIV
• Foreign Policy
– Fought several wars, including the War of Spanish
Succession and others against England and the
Netherlands
– Franco-Ottoman Alliance (against Spain)
– Had the largest army in Europe at 300,000 soldiers
Religion under Louis XIV
– Persecuted the
Huguenots
– Repealed the Edict of
Nantes in 1685
– More than 200,000
fled
– Why is this a bad
move for Louis?
Economics under Louis
• Mercantilism
– Export more than a country imports
• Taxes and tolls
– Over 100 tolls within France
– Placed high Tariffs on imported goods
– Huge taxes on the middle class
• Cost of Versailles:
– 10% of total income to maintain
Peter the Great
• interested in western European
society/education
• attempt to reform Russia to be more
European (westernization)
• enlightened despot (social &
political reforms)
• centralized all power
(inc. Orthodox church)
• failed to gain warm water port
• fueled by Russia's need to
gain access to the sea
• Emperors waged
expansion wars against
Ottoman empire
• wanted trade access
• route to Pacific was too far
(Siberia & away from
Europe)
• goal was Black Sea
• finally achieved under
Catherine the Great in
1795
Warm
Water Port
Catherine the Great
• Empress of Russia
• enlightened despot
• daughter-in-law of Peter the
Great
• spoke against serfdom
• expanded empire to warm
water port
• efficient & organized
Empress
• 1762- (Empress)
St. Petersburg &
Westernization of Russia
• capital designed as
"window to the West“
• built by serfs & Italian
architects
• Serf: low wage worker
Habsburg Family Crest
Austrian Empire: 1657-1718
Leopold I
Holy Roman
Emperor
(r. 1658-1705)
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace
Prince Eugène of Savoy: 1718
Holy Roman Empire: 1750
Prussian Family Crest
Prussia & the Austrian Empire: 1721-72
King Frederick I of Prussia (r.1701-1713)
Formerly:
Frederick III
of Brandenburg
(r. 1688-1701)
Frederick the Great (r. 1740-1786)
Frederick the Great (r. 1740-1786)
Frederick the Great’s Court
Europe in 1740
Charles VI (r. 1711-1740)
Maria
Theresa
(r. 1740-1780)
Maria Theresa & Her Family
Her Notable
Children:
 HRE Joseph II
 HRE Leopold II
 Queen Marie
Antoinette (Fr.)
War of the Austrian Succession
• What are the benefits of Absolutism? Who
benefits?
• What are the problems with Absolutism?
The exception to absolutism
• England’s Parliament held much power.
– Queen Elizabeth was able to coerce parliament on
many issues
– Charles I- acted as a complete absolutist monarch
• Refused to sign the Petition of Right
• Jailed civilians
• Led troops into the House of Commons to arrest
A breach to Absolutism
• The English Civil War.
– Cavaliers (supporters of Charles I)
– Roundheads (led by Oliver Cromwell)
– Charles I is executed
• The Commonwealth.
– A republic led by Cromwell
– Puritan laws and power
• The Glorious Revolution
– Charles II
– Constitutional monarchy
– English Bill of Rights
• Habeas Corpus