AP EURO: Absolutism

Absolutism

A political system where a ruler holds absolute power and authority, typically without any checks or balances.

Absolutist rulers claimed to rule by divine right and had control over all aspects of government, including legislation, judiciary, and the military. This system often led to centralized control, limited individual freedoms, and a lack of political participation for the general population.

Why Now?

foundation of new monarchs established

reformation —> state/church

Economic and Demographic Crisis in Europe

• Agriculture 

  • Peasants threatened by scarcity and famine

  • Little Ice Age (1460-1550)

  • People dying from disease brought on by malnutrition/exhaustion 

  • Population decreasing 

• Industry

  • Food prices rise

  • Wages stagnated

  • Unemployment soared

• Peasants are the first to suffer

  • Bread riots 

• Religious conflict 

17th century building obstacles

Goal=Consolidate State control

Obstacles faced: Underdeveloped infrastructure. No paved roads, telephones etc.

• Makes it difficult to get information in and out of your empire

Cultural Barriers: different languages and backgrounds

Privileged Groups: Nobility, Clergy, local powers

17th century achievements

• Taxation:

  • Requires a larger government structure 

• Growth in armed forces

• Larger and more efficient bureaucracies

• Increased ability to compel obedience

• Sovereignty

  • Monopoly over instruments of state, justice, force

Military

Medieval armies had been raised by feudal lords

17th century the monarchs wanted to take control Why? - wanted to show they had power

Maintained a large standing army in times of war and peace

Deployed in and out of the country

Loyal and obedient to monarchs

Professional: new techniques for training and deploying soldiers

Great Britain: instead of building a land army, the British focused on naval forces

Popular Political Action

• Moral Economy: Price of bread begins to rise, convoys were taking grain away from rural farms and into cities

  • Peasants respond by seizing bread of the bakers’ and selling it at a “just” price

  • Women often took the lead in these actions

• Increased taxes + war + hunger = popular revolts

  • Tax collectors often attacked and killed

• Urban disorders are a feature of life

  • Angry, violent, focused on retribution

• Governments not ready/able to deal, so they give in… but not for long

Absolutism in France

• France divided into 3 Estates: 1st-Clergy, 2nd-Nobility, 3rd Bourgeoisie (middle class), artisans, urban workers, and peasants

• Henry IV

  • Protestant -> Catholic

  • Edict of Nantes

  • Improved French infrastructure

• Louis XIII

  • Cardinal Richelieu

    • Reduced Nobility influence in government

    • Took political power away from Huguenots

      • Why is Nobility the biggest threat? - controlled military, held financial power.

Louis XIV

The Fronde - nobles revolt: want local power returned

Revocation of the Edict of Nantes: “one king, one law, one faith”

Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s mercantilism & tax collection

• Textiles & colonies

• Create a self-sufficient economy

Professional army to expand borders

Intendants: Royal officials ruling in the King's name

Peace of Utrecht: Balance of power principle

Versailles court culture French classicism

Edict of Nantes

A decree issued by King Henry IV of France in 1598. It granted religious freedom to the Protestant Huguenots and ended the French Wars of Religion. The edict allowed Huguenots to practice their religion in certain designated areas and granted them certain civil rights.

However, it was revoked by King Louis XIV in 1685, leading to the persecution and emigration of many Huguenots.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles in France is a grand royal residence built in the 17th century. It served as the main home for French monarchs, symbolizing absolute monarchy and the power of the nobility.

It housed influential nobles to earn kings favor and centralize power.

Phillip II of Spain

Son of Charles V

Received Spain, the Spanish Netherlands, Milan, Naples and the Spanish “New World” Capital city: Madrid, Spain (a city built new by Philip)

This branch of the Habsburgs became known as the “Spanish Habsburgs”

Religious background:

• Fanatical Catholic

• Sought a Universal Catholic Church

• Cannot suppress revolt in Netherlands & lost Span

War of Spanish Succession

Cause: The will of Charles II (Spanish Habsburg king) gave all Spanish territories to the grandson of Louis XIV.

European powers feared that Louis would consolidate the thrones of France and Spain, thus creating a power that would destroy the balance of power.

The Grand Alliance emerged in opposition to France: England, Dutch, Austrians and Prussians

Treaty of Utrecht (1713): Though Louis’ grandson was enthroned in Spain, the unification of the Spanish and French Bourbon dynasties was prohibited. Represents a balance-of-power

Peter the Great

• Great Northern War

  • Russia defeats Charles XII of Sweden to gain land along the Baltic Sea

• St. Petersburg: “Russia’s Window to the West”

• Westernization

  • Russian state and society was westernized

    • Culture

      • Western clothing

      • Beard tax

    • Education

      • Peter sent sons of Russian nobles to study abroad in Western Europe

    • Politically

      • Boyars-Service to the state

    • Religious

      • Consolidate power of the Russian Orthodox Church

Prussia

• Frederick William (The Great Elector)- Allowed the nobility to have control over serfs. 

• Frederick I -Supported the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire during the war of Spanish Succession. In return the H.R.E. gave him the title King of Prussia. 

• Frederick William I (Soldier King-1713-1740)

  • Militarism

    • Junkers formed the backbone of the Prussian military officer corps

  • Most important in regards to Prussian absolutism 

Eastern Absolutism

Based on a powerful nobility, weak middle-class, and a oppressed peasants composed of serfs

Western Absolutism

France - Nobility power limited, middle-class relatively strong, and peasants were generally free from serfdom

English Constitutionalism

Government power is limited by law

Tudors

• Elizabeth I is last Tudor queen

  • Shrewd & flexible

  • Displayed monarchy’s majesty

  • Good relationship with Parliament

  • “Virgin” Queen has no heir (married to England)

• Long standing tradition that property cannot be taken away without due process

Stuarts

• Scottish cousin James I

  • Was king of Scotland

  • “The king is from God, and the law is from the king”-James 

  • “No privileges and immunities which can stand against a divinely appointed king”

  • Parliament is nothing but “cries, shouts, and confusion”

  • Divine Right

A changing House of Commons

• Controls the money - looking for greater say in government 

• Socially mobile capitalists

  • Because of:

    • Dissolution of monasteries

    • Enclosure

    • Expanding cloth industry

  • Are:

    • Wealthy

    • Educated

    • Articulate

    • Tax paying

Charles I

• Personal

  • Sympathetic to Catholicism

    • Married a French Catholic princess (daughter of Henry IV)

• Political

  • Divine Right

  • Parliament issued Petition of Right (1628)

  • Rules w/o Parliament (1629-1640)

    • Financing through “ship money”

    • Tried to avoid wars to save money 

  • Long Parliament (1640-1660)

    • Summoned to put down Scottish rebellion

      • Charles tried to impose Anglicanism on Calvinist Scotland

    • Passes laws to limit power of the monarch

      • Triennial Act-Parliament must meet for at least a 50 day session every 3 years

Charles I Personal Rule

• English Civil War (1642-1649)

  • Royalists (Charles I supporters-Cavaliers) vs. Parliament (Roundheads. Led by Cromwell)

  • Cromwell defeated Charles I

    • “Rump Parliament” put Charles on trial for high treason

      • Found guilty and then executed 

Cromwell

• Led the Commonwealth of England.

  • Restricted the freedom of Anglicans and Catholics (closed theaters, prohibited dancing, required strict observance of the Sabbath).

• Established English control over Scotland put down a revolt in Ireland. 

• 1653-Cromwell dissolved parliament and took title of lord protector.

  • Leads a military dictatorship 

Charles II 1660-1685

• Generally avoided conflicts with Parliament.

  • Corporation Act (1660): to be a justice of peace, one had to participate in Church of England (COE) services.

  • Test Act (1673): all holders of political offices must take sacrament in COE.

  • Habeas Corpus Act (1679): protection from arbitrary arrest and safeguarding of personal liberties.

• Supported Catholicism

  • Granted freedom of worship

  • Deal with Louis XIV ($ for relaxed laws for Catholics)

  • Dissolved Parliament when they tried to pass a law denying royal succession to Catholics 

James II 1685-1688

• Attempted to impose royal absolutism and promote a restoration of Catholicism. 

• James has a son with Catholic wife Mary of Este. 

• Political Parties of Parliament joined to drive James from the throne. 

  • Whigs-supporters of parliamentary power, merchants and Nonconformists. Wanted to exclude James II from succession

  • Tories-Favored the succession of James II to the English throne. 

    • Some tories remained loyal to James II they became known as Jacobites. 

WIlliam and Mary

• William and his wife Mary (Daughter of James).

• 1688- “Glorious Revolution”  

• 1689-Parliament required William and Mary to accept the Bill of Rights

  • Parliament now had freedom of speech.

  • King barred from levying taxes without Parliament's approval.

  • King cannot maintain a standing army in peacetime.

  • Right to trial by jury is guaranteed.

  • Required frequent meetings of Parliament. 

In the Wake of the Glorious Revolution: Toleration Act of 1689

• Religious rights for Dissenters

  • Allowed non-Anglican Protestants––known as “Dissenters” in England––to practice their religion

  • Dissenters still excluded from political and public life

• Did not embrace full religious toleration

  • Offered no rights or privileges to Catholics or the Jewish community

Dutch Republic

• “Golden Age of the Netherlands”

• Government controlled by wealthy merchants with middle class values

• Commercial prosperity & high quality of life

  • Thrift, frugality, religious toleration

    • ALL faiths are welcome

  • Dutch East India Company - invest money into these to hope they find natural resources and get payed

Absolutism vs Constitutionalism

In the absolute monarchy, the monarch holds the supreme or absolute powers.

In a constitutional monarchy the king or queen has limited powers since they rule along with a parliament or a governing body.