Euro Unit 3 - Absolutism and Constitutionalism

government where monarch has absolute rule

Previously James IV of Scotland

Became King of England when Elizabeth I died without an heir

Start of Stuart Dynasty

Clashed beliefs with Parliament (mostly house of commons)

believed in divine right of kings

overspent and wanted Parliament to cover his personal debts

needed money to pay for Spanish War

• MP’s said yes if Charles I married a Protestant

  • James had Charles marry a Catholic

    • laid foundation for rebellion + civil war

son of James I of England

thought kings had divine right

adjourned parliament when they didn’t allow him to tax

recalled Parliament 11 years later to fund war in scotland

civil war broke out when he did not listen to rules of parliament

won the English Civil War

Established a commonwealth in England

had to put down many Royalist Revolts

Originally from the Netherlands

Son in law of James II

anti-catholic nobles were done with the catholic stuarts when James II’s wife had a male child

invited ____ to rise to throne of england because he was protestant

• known as Glorious Revolution

• forced to sign English Bill of Rights limiting power of monarch

signed by William and Mary

Established parliamentary sovereignty by limiting monarchs power

Said:

• Parliament could meet frequently

• Parliament had to approve any change in laws

• Parliament needed to approve taxed

agricultural invention made by Jethro Tull

metered out seeds in straight lines, then covered them with dirt

agricultural invention made by Jethro Tull

removed weeds inbetween seed rows

horse-drawn

bank in england chartered by William of Mary

original mission to gather subscriptions from wealthy investors that the cash-poor government could prrow 1.2 million at 8 percent interest, charging 4000 per year

quadrupled size of navy - overseas empire for england

resulting industries drove economic expansion

became an LLC (limited liability coorporation)

• an investor was not responsible for debt/liabilites of the company beyond the originial investment

so successful that George Washington remained a stockholder during revolutionary war

select class within society controlling the government

made up of rural landlords and urban gentry

• ie dutch republic

war between Netherlands and Spain for independance

1568-1648

Gained independence through Peace of Westphalia

Some provinces remained Spanish

Dutch Republic became leading cargo shipper with trade rivalry against britain

formed by Estates-General of Dutch Republic

aka VOC

join-stock company, where shareholders could buy stock

made amsterdam one of the richest cities

wealth kept Dutch Republic peaceful and stable

helped Dutch Golden Age

revolts in France against the monarchy

reaction to policies intended to weaken the nobles and reduce power of parliament

scarred Louis XIV for life, and he never trusted the Fronde again

in contrast to English Civil War

Spain and France vs England, France and Netherlands

To put Louis XIV grandson on throne of Spain because no heir was present

France lost in both land and sea

war ended with Peace of Utrecht

series of treaties altering balance of power in 1713 after wars of spanish succession

Changes Made:

• Britain won territories in Spain and Americas

  • sole right to import enslaved Africans into Spanish Colonies in Americas

• Philip V as king of Spain (Louis XIV grandson)

  • was not allowed to rule both France and Spain

• Southern Netherlands (modern Belgium and Luxembourg) were ceded to austria

Son of Frederick I

expanded Prussia

convinced legislative body to allow him to tax peasants

• said to legislative that peasants would work for minimal pay

army grew

son of Frederick William I

made Prussia into leading military power

attacked HRE when Charles VI died and left throne to Maria Theresa

• invaded Silesia

• Prussia gained lower Silesia

had alliances with France, based on hatred of Hapsburgs

Invaded Saxony and Bohemia, starting Seven Years war

during his reign, Spain reached Height of its power

solidified unity in Spain

gained control of portugal

Spain began period of decline after his death

saw Russia as a medieval state that had not afvanced

• though that differences made Russia a weak state

visited western Europe to understand differences

• returned and convinced Russia to modernize

Allied with Saxony and Denmark-Norway in Great Northern War against sweden

• to gain warm water port

• gained St. Petersburg and began to build as “window on Europe”

other reforms to modernize:

• promoted science and technology so that military, industry, transport, and trade could keep up with western Europe

• founded Russian Academy of Sciences

  • invited foreign experts to teach

• sponsored secular education

married Peter the Great’s grandson

• hated eachother

• Peter III ( her husband ) died shortly after gaining throne, so she was heir

  • she probably killed him

replenished state treasury by seizing property of clergy

was an enlightened despot

• commission of all classes to create constitution, but it was never adopted

serfs rose as Pugachev Rebellion

• learned peasants were a threat

• allowed nobles to do whatever they wanted to serfs

overall, added 200,000+ sq. mi. of territory to Russia