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System of government King or Queen has complete control over government & its people Autocracy

Explore the system of government in the 16th and 17th centuries where monarchs had complete control over their governments and people. Discover the causes and effects of absolutism, including the rise of nation-states and the regulation of religion and society. Learn about prominent absolutist rulers such as Philip II of Spain, Louis XIV of France, and Peter the Great of Russia. Dive into the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution, which led to the establishment of a limited monarchy.

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System of government King or Queen has complete control over government & its people Autocracy

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  1. The Age of Absolutism 16th & 17th Centuries • System of government • King or Queen has complete control over government & its people • Autocracy • Centralized Government • Nation states

  2. Absolutism • Monarchs based their claim on Divine Right • Authority comes from God • Similar to “Mandate of Heaven” • Monarchs are “Above the Law” • Common features- Strong armies,limited representative bodies, high taxes

  3. Causes of Absolutism • Breakdown of Feudalism/ Rise of Nation states • Continuous Warfare • Need for money • Exploration • Declining influence of the church

  4. Effects of Absolutism • Regulation of Religion & society • Loss of power by nobility & legislatures • New government Bureaucracies • Huge building projects

  5. Absolutism in Spain • The Hapsburg Monarchy • 1556 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V divides empire • Son Phillip II rules Spain, Netherlands & Italy

  6. Philip II (1556-1598) • Promoted “Golden age of Spain” • Wealth from colonies helped buildup military • Defender of Catholicism • 1588-Spanish Armada defeated by England (Elizabeth I) • 1600’s Spain power declines • Financial problems

  7. 1588 Spanish Armada Defeated "Protestant Wind"

  8. Absolutism in France • The Bourbon Monarchy • Henry IV increases power of Govt. & decreases power of nobility • Louis the XIII strengthens & builds up military • Cardinal Richelieu subdues nobles & Huguenots

  9. Louis XIV "The Ultimate Absolutist" • Known as “The Sun King” • Ruled for 72 years • Mercantilistpolicies • Built the strongest army in Europe • Expanded bureaucracy • Never called the Estates General • Persecuted the Huguenots • French Protestants

  10. The Sun King

  11. Built Lavish palace @ Versailles • “Gilded Cage” for nobility • His successors inherited enormous debts (costly Wars & extravagance)

  12. Russia • Peter the Great • Grand Embassy tour • Westernization • Modernization • Russian Orthodox Church • St. Petersburg

  13. Peter the Great 1682-1725 • Centralized royal power & decreased the power of the nobility • Russian Orthodox Church • Created largest European Army • Gained access to the Baltic Sea • Failed to gain warm water port (Black Sea)

  14. Russia under Peter the Great

  15. Henry VII1485-1509 Henry VIII1509-1547 Edward VI1547-1553 Parliament keeps the Monarchy in Check • Parliament successfully blocked attempted shifts to absolute rule • The Tudor Monarchs(1485-1603) generally worked well w/ Parliament • Ex. Henry VIII & Elizabeth I

  16. Early Checks on English Monarchs • 1215 King John forced to sign Magna Carta • Limited King’s powers • 1295 Edward I establishes Model Parliament • Lawmaking body • House of Lords & House of Commons

  17. Mary I1553-1558 Elizabeth I1558-1603 James I The Stuart Monarchs • Had absolutist tendencies (Strong belief in Divine Right) • James I & son Charles I Consistently clashed with Parliament over finance & foreign policy • Angered Puritans

  18. The English Civil War • Known as the Puritan Revolution (1643) • Charles’s Cavaliers vs. Roundheads led by Oliver Cromwell • Charles I is overthrown by forces loyal to Parliament • beheaded in 1649

  19. Cromwell & the Commonwealth • England became a Republic called the Commonwealth • At first Cromwell & Parliament share power • 1653 Cromwell assumes Title of Lord Protector & rules as a dictator • Cromwell brutally put down revolts in Ireland & Scotland (Genocide)

  20. Cromwell as Lord Protector

  21. Restoration & The Glorious Revolution • Upon Cromwell’s death, Parliament restores Stuart Monarchy to throne • Charles II & James II became unpopular due to absolutist policies • Parliament fears return of Catholicism(James II) • Parliament overthrows James II & asks William & Mary to assume throne (Glorious Revolution)

  22. 1688-William & Mary forced to sign English Bill of Rights • Guarantees Parliament’s superiority over the Monarchy • England becomes a Limited Monarchy (Remains today)

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