1 / 35

The Age of Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism. Absolutism. Political theory that believed in the “Divine Right of Kings” (Monarchs received their authority from God). Bishop Bossuet established this in Politics Taken From the Very Words of Scripture. Bishop Jacques Bossuet . Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715).

reya
Download Presentation

The Age of Absolutism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Age of Absolutism

  2. Absolutism • Political theory that believed in the “Divine Right of Kings” (Monarchs received their authority from God). • Bishop Bossuet established this in Politics Taken From the Very Words of Scripture. Bishop Jacques Bossuet

  3. Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715) • Personal rule began in 1661 with the death of Cardinal Mazarin. • "L'État, c'est moi" (the state is me) • Symbolized as the “Sun King.” (Center of France; rays of sun reflect off of monarch onto subjects).

  4. Châteaux de Versailles • King’s residence and center of government. • Spent vast sums of money on expansion. • Royal apartments were at the center of the complex.

  5. Court Life at Versailles • King severed dual functions: that of courtier and that of administrator. • Both functions were aimed at state-building. • The Fronde had taught Louis to distrust the nobility, so he appointed officials from middle-class origin. • He also continued the practice of selling titles (“nobles of the robe” as opposed to “nobles of the sword”).

  6. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) • Served as controller of finances from 1662-1683. • Supported mercantilist policies. • Built roads and canals. • Credited for many of Louis’ economic successes and failures.

  7. Domestic Policies • Louis enacted absolutist ideas through domination of the central bureaucracy which had greater control of state finances, the execution of laws and the use of armed force. • Increased royal control over the local parlements. • Defended the policy of Gallicanism. • Revoked the Edict of Nantes in in October 1685 and began persecuting Huguenots; over 200,000 fled France.

  8. Wars & Expansion under Louis XIV • Through a series of expensive wars Louis slowly expanded French territory. • War of Devolution (1667-68) • The Dutch War (1672-78) • War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97)

  9. War of Spanish Succession • Childless Hapsburg Charles II names Bourbon Philip of Anjou as heir. • England, Holland and HRE oppose French acquisition of Spain & territories. • Louis was defeated by the British and Austrians.

  10. Treaty of Utrecht (1713) • War ended with Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and Treaty of Baden and Rastatt (with Hapsburgs in 1714) • Philip of Anjou become Philip V of Spain, but he nor his successors could hold French throne. • Hapsburgs and British gained territory, French lost New World lands.

  11. The End of an Era • Louis XIV was one of the great state-builders of Europe • Despite this, the peasants of France suffered as they never had before or since. This would bring government welfare as a state function it the 18th century • His absolutist policy solidified the place of France as the dominant power in Europe.

  12. Political Changes in Eastern Europe • Three aging empires: gave way to new empires of Austria Prussia and Russia • Holy Roman Empire: religious divisions and war in 16th and 17th century • Ottoman Empire: could not maintain possessions in E. Europe and Balkans • Poland: liberum veto – voting in Polish parliament had to be unanimous (= weak gov’t)

  13. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Multinational empire: Austrian, Hungarian, & Bohemian kingdoms (later expansion into Slavic lands) • Cosmopolitan aristocracy: serfdom • Leopold I (1658-1705),: successfully repelled Turks • Turkish threat: relatively religiously tolerant empire

  14. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Charles VI • Pragmatic Sanction (1713) issued by Charles VI: Habsburg territories indivisible; only Habsburgs could rule (daughter Maria Theresa) • War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) – (King George’s War – 1744-1748) • Prussia, France, Bavaria & Spain vs. Austria and Russia • Prussia tool Silesia from Austria; Prussia now most powerful German state: “Great Power” • Treaty of Aix-laChapelle (1748): legitimized Frederick the Great’s conquest.

  15. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Maria Theresa (r. 1740-1780): Wars of 1740s led to internal consolidation • Reduced serfdom (more than any other e. European ruler except her son Joseph II)

  16. The Austrian Hapsburgs • Joseph II (1765-1790) – greatest of the Enlightened despots (“greatest good for greatest number”) • Abolished serfdom in 1781, freedom of press, freedom of religion & civic rights, more equitable justice system, made German official language (to assimilate minorities), increased control over Catholic education, expanded state schools, left empire in economic and political turmoil: Leopold I rescind many laws (e.g., serfdom)

  17. Hohenzollerns in Prussia • Frederick William, The Great Elector (r.1640-1688) • Rule consolidated after 30 Years’ War: military force & taxation • Junkers: nobility sided with king for stability; hereditary serfdom in 1653 • Created most efficient army in Europe

  18. Hohenzollerns in Prussia • Frederick I (r. 1688-1713) • (Elector Frederick III) “The Ostentatious” (1688-1713); 1st “King of Prussia” • Allied with Habsburgs in War of League of Augsburg and War of Spanish Succession.

  19. Hohenzollerns in Prussia • Frederick William I (r. 1713-1740) “The Soldiers’ King” • Established Prussian abolutism • “Sparta of the North”: Largely a military state – best army in Europe • Junkers became officers caste in army in return for king’s absolutism

  20. Hohenzollerns in Prussia • “Frederick the Great” (Frederick II: 1740-1786) of Prussia • At war for first half of his reign • Became a reformer during 2nd half of his reign – ruler was the “first servant of the state” • Religious freedom, education in schools and universities, codified laws, promoted industry and agriculture, encouraged immigration • Social structure remained heavily stratified: serfdom; extended privileges for the nobility, Junkers became heart of military; difficult upward mobility for middle class leadership

  21. Peter the Great in Russia • Romanov Dynasty (1613-1917) • Michael Romanov (1613-1645) • Created Russian empire across Asia to the Pacific (largest nation by 1689)

  22. Peter the Great in Russia • Peter the Great (1682-1725) • 1698, put down revolt by strelski (Moscow Guards) • westernization (modernization): mostly for military purposes • state-regulated monopolies created; industrial serfdom • Table of Ranks: educational training for new civil service (mostly of nobles)

  23. Peter the Great in Russia • St. Petersburg begun in 1703 on Baltic; largest city in Northern Europe by his death. • “Winter Palace” sought to emulate Versailles. • Great Northern War (1700-1721) • Charles XII, 18-yr-old Swedish king • Battle of Poltava, 1709: Peter defeated Sweden • Treaty of Nystad (1721): Peter gained Baltic states “window to the West”

  24. Alternatives to Absolutism • Sweden • Nobles use the absence of the king during warfare to reaffirm their power. • United Provinces • Merchants and landowners in the Estates General held the House of Orange in check. • Poland • King was elected by nobles, who continued to hold the power.

  25. Constitutionalism in Great Britain - The Restoration (1660-1688) • King Charles II (r. 1660-1685) • Parliament in 1660 reelected according to old franchise (gentry): Anglicans back in power • Charles II “The Merry Monarch” (1660-1685): Stuarts restored to the throne • Declaration of Breda: Charles agreed to abide by Parliament’s demands • The Clarendon Code, 1661: Anglicans excluded Dissenters (Puritans) from politics. • Declaration of Indulgence, 1673: Charles II granted free worship to Catholics.

  26. The Restoration (1660-1688) • Test Act of 1673: all officeholders must take communion in Anglican Church • Was Anglican response to Declaration of Indulgence • Habeas Corpus Act (1679): no arbitrary arrest and speedy trial • Parliament was split and fragmented into two political parties • Tories: king’s supporters, nobles • Whigs: middle-class and merchants; also high aristocracy

  27. The Restoration (1660-1688) • King James II (r. 1685-1688) • sought to Catholicize England in Declaration of Liberty of Conscience. • Second wife Mary (Catholic) bears a son, fear of Catholic succession • He is forced to abdicate. • Leads to rebellions in Scotland and Ireland.

  28. Glorious Revolution (1688) • William III (William of Orange) and Mary Stuart (daughter of James II form first marriage): Protestantism secured in England • Act of Toleration: granted religious freedom (except to Catholics, Jews, and Unitarians

  29. Bill of Rights (1689) Act of Parliament (one of the bases of the “British Constitution”) that includes: • freedom from royal interference with the law • freedom from taxation by royal prerogative, without agreement by Parliament • freedom to petition the King • freedom from a peace-time standing army, without agreement by Parliament • freedom to elect members of Parliament without interference from the Sovereign • the freedom of speech in Parliament. • freedom from cruel and unusual punishments, and excessive bail.

  30. Locke v. Hobbes • Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan (1651): Justified strong government. Life was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" • John Locke: Two Treatises on Government (1689): Right to overthrow tyrannical rulers; Social contract; philosophical argument for supremacy of Parliament.

  31. Queen Anne & Act of Union • Act of Settlement (1701): only Anglican could succeed to the throne • Queen Anne (1702-1714): • Act of Union (1707) – English and Scottish Parliaments merged = United Kingdom of Great Britain • Royal veto used for last time • On her death the Elector of Hanover, George I took the throne.

  32. The Jacobites • Beginning in the 1690s and through the 1740s, revolts in Highland Scotland broke out in support of Stuarts (James II, James Edward Stuart (James III) and Bonnie Prince Charlie). • These ended in 1745-46 with the Battle of Culloden and the Highland Clearances.

  33. Parliamentary Government • Cabinet System of preparing laws for Parliament developed during early 18th century • Party system (Whigs and Tories) become prominent. • Prime minister became leader of cabinet and responsible to majority party in the House of Commons. • Robert Walpole (1721-1742) became first prime minister

More Related