ABSOLUTISM 17TH CENTURY

THE BIG CHANGE…F

eudal monarchy had been a balance between king and nobles

Kings stopped convening medieval parliaments

Attacked castles of nobles who opposed

Became known as absolute monarchs

DEFINITION OF ABSOLUTISM

D

ivine right theory

k

ing was God’s

representative on earth

o

bedience to king =

obedience to God

K

ing could do no wrong

CHARACTERISTICS OF ABSOLUTISMT

itle was inherited

D

ecisions of king were final

K

ing controlled lawmaking body

K

ing controlled all foreign affairs

P

eople had no voice

TIMELINE OF REIGNS

S

panish King Phillip II ~ 42 years ~1556-1598

E

nglish Queen Elizabeth ~ 45 years ~ 1558-1603

E

nglish King James I ~ 22 years ~1603-1625

F

rench King Louis XIV ~ 72 years ~1643-1715 became King at age 5

A

ustria and Prussia’s King Ferdinand ~ 19 years ~1618-1637

THREE EXAMPLES

P

hillip II of Spain

L

ouis XIV of France

E

lizabeth I of England

SPAIN- PHILIP II 1556-1598

Son of Charles V

Believed in Divine Rights of Kings

Strengthened Catholic power

Emergence of the nation state

All territory under a common (dominant) language united. Territory becomes a single country rather than dozens of

locally controlled areas.Centralized power under a strong monarchy. The king or queen rules the entire country from one

location – usually the city that became the capital.Powerful armies loyal to the monarch enforce against nobles who might challenge.

P4 17/12

SOCIETY

L

ived very simply, his palace doubled as church,

house, tomb

D

evoted his life to government work

M

arried Mary (Bloody Mary)

FRANCE

ECONOMICS

W

ar drained wealth

N

eglected farming and trade in own country- occupied with silver in

Americas (lead to inflation)

G

ov.- taxed middle class- no support for royal power

G

ot rid of Muslims and Jews from Spain- artists and merchants

WAR: RELIGION AND LAND

• Spanish Armada – powerful navy

• Spain & Italy beat Ottoman fleet at Battle of Lepanto 1571 (Off coast of Greece)- huge victory

ARTS: 1550-1650- GOLDEN CENTURY

Phillip II- patron of arts and founded schools for science and math

Theatre, writing blossomed

RELIGION

K

icked Muslims and Jews from Spain.

1

560s riots against the Spanish Inquisition.

Netherlands gained independence

D

efended the Catholic Reformation • Enforced religious unity

QUEEN ELIZABETH

England

ELIZABETH IELIZABETH ITT

he red-haired daughter of he red-haired daughter of

Henry VIII and Anne Henry VIII and Anne

Boleyn, Boleyn,

GOVERNMENTR

ule • Became Queen at age 25 after

• Her father Henry VIII• Brother Edward VI• Sister Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary)

• Believed it was her Divine right to rule• Last Tudor to Rule

How she maintained control:

• refusing to marry anyone• playing one noble against another – many

hoping to marry the Queen.

ECONOMICS S

ir Francis Drake – Best Sea Dog (privateer)E

xplored West Indies P

oor Laws – to aid the poorI

ssues a new currency – standard amount of metalP

romoted trade E

ast India Company (spices etc from Asia)

DOMESTIC/ RELIGIOUS CONNECTIONS

Before she ruled – Religious Strife

Protestant (Church of England)Act of Supremacy – stated that she was the head of the church

Act of Uniformity – attendance to church was required by all, book of common prayers created and penalties were enforced.

She organized public debates on religion

P

oor• Helpless Poor, Able-

Bodied Poor, Vagabonds & Rogues

• Compassion towards poor

• Poor Laws (1570s) collected tax to distribute to the poor, people expected to provide work for the poor

SOCIETY

N

obles• Land owning=power• Titles inherited• Ruffles showed status• Supposed to aid the

monarch in governing • Peasants take their

problems to their lord

WAR

H

ated war

1

588 – Spanish Armada

R

ivalry between Phillip II and Elizabeth

E

ngland was involved in military campaigns in • Netherlands• France• Ireland

ARTS/EDUCATION

E

lizabethan Age – Amazing literature – Faire Queen

E

lizabeth had a good education

C

ould speak French, Italian, and English. She could write in

Greek and Latin

W

illiam Shakespeare began his career during this time.

FRANCE- LOUIS XIVM

ost powerful ruler in French historyP

hilip II’s Great Grandson“

L’etat, c’est moi”- (lay tah se mwah)- “I am the state”

Sun King

Economic, political and cultural advances

Mercantilism- gov. control over agriculture

CONTROL

1643 – ruled for 72 years!

VERSAILLES

Gains of Louis XIV

Europe against the Sun King

TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

W

hat types of government can you think of?

W

hat are the strengths and weaknesses of each type of political system?

W

hat is the best system for war? For peace, for the economy, for social

order and for international power.

W

hat classes benefit the most from each system? And which system will

cause the most suffering?