Absolutism TestAnswers

Questions 1- 2 Relate to the Passage Below“We have already seen that all power is of God. The ruler, adds St. Paul, "is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Rulers then act as the ministers of God and as his lieutenants on earth. It is through them that God exercises his empire. Think ye "to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David"? Consequently, as we have seen, the royal throne is not the throne of a man, but the throne of God himself. The Lord "hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel." And again, "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord.”

Bishop Jacques Benigne Bossuet, Political Treatise, circa 1650

1. Which of the following concepts best describes the excerpt above?a. Divine Right b. Religious Toleration c. Absolutism d. Enlightened Despotism

2. Which of the following would most have disagreed with Bishop Bossuet’s assessment? a. John Calvin b. Ignatius Loyola

c. King Henry VIII of England d. King Louis XIV of FranceThe others support the divine nature of monarchyQuestions 3- 7 Relate to the Passage Below“A sovereign must possess an exact and detailed knowledge of the strong and of the weak points of his country. He must be thoroughly acquainted with its resources, the character of the people, and the national commerce....Rulers should always remind themselves that they are men like the least of their subjects. The sovereign is the foremost judge, general, financier, and minister of his country, not merely for the sake of his prestige. Therefore, he should perform with care the duties connected with these offices. He is merely the principal servant of the State. Hence, he must act with honesty, wisdom, and complete disinterestedness in such a way that he can render an account of his stewardship to the citizens at any moment. Consequently, he is guilty if he wastes the money of the people, the taxes which they have paid, in luxury, pomp, and debauchery. He who should improve the morals of the people, be the guardian of the law, and improve their education should not pervert them by his bad example. Princes, sovereigns, and king have not been given supreme authority in order to live in luxurious self-indulgence and debauchery. They have not been elevated by their fellow-men to enable them to strut about and to insult with their pride the simple-mannered, the poor, and the suffering. They have not been placed at the head of the State to keep around themselves a crowd of idle loafers whose uselessness drives them towards vice. The bad administration which may be found in monarchies springs from many different causes, but their principal cause lies in the character of the sovereign. The sovereign is the representative of his State. He and his people form a single body. Ruler and ruled can be happy only if they are firmly united. The sovereign stands to his people in the same relation in which the head stands to the body. He must use his eyes and his brain for the whole community, and act on its behalf to the common advantage. If we wish to elevate monarchical above republican government, the duty of sovereigns is clear."

Frederick II (1740-1786) Essay on the Forms of Government

3. The passage above would most closely resemble the political works ofa. Nicola Machiavelli b. John Lockec. Jean Jacques Rousseau d. Carl von Clausewitz

In The Prince Machiavelli advised the proper roles for leaders in this form

4. Which innovation would Frederick II and others rely upon to give detailed intelligence on the strengths and weaknesses of the state?

a. The institution of a state sponsored Lutheran religionb. The creation of an educated civil service and “Kabinet” of advisorsc. The establishment of an equitable tax based. The institution of state sponsored elementary education

5. Who does Frederick II believe is the single most important factor in creating a strong, stable state?a. The idea of religious toleration for Protestants, Catholics, and Jews alike.b. The Sovereign himselfc. The establishment of a thriving middle classd. The security of a powerful well-trained military

6. In the source when Frederick II writes, “They have not been elevated by their fellow-men to enable them to strut about and to insult with their pride the simple-mannered, the poor, and the suffering. They have not been placed at the head of the State to keep around themselves a crowd of idle loafers whose uselessness drives them towards vice.” Who would have most resembled the kind of king that he was criticizing?

a. King Louis XIV of France b. Queen Elizabeth I of Englandc. Tsar Peter I of Russia d. King Philip II of Spain

7. The form of government advocated by Frederick II would best be calleda. Republicanism b. Dictatorship c. Enlightened Despotism d. Theocracy

This is a classic example of a King who wanted to make reforms for the strength of the state

Questions 8 –9 Relate to the Passage Below“The tsar labored at the reform of fashions, or, more properly speaking, of dress. Until that time, the Russians had always worn long beards, which they cherished and preserved with much care, allowing them to hang down on their bosoms, without even cutting the moustache. With these long beards, they wore the hair very short, except the ecclesiastics, who, to distinguish themselves, wore it very long. The tsar, in order to reform that custom, ordered that gentlemen, merchants, and other subjects, except priests and peasants, should each pay a tax of one hundred rubles a year if they wished to keep their beards; the commoners had to pay one kopek each. Officials were stationed at the gates of the towns to collect that tax, which the Russians regarded as an enormous sin on the part of the tsar and as a thing which tended to the abolition of their religion. These insinuations, which came from the priests, occasioned the publication of many pamphlets in Moscow, where for that reason alone the tsar was regarded as a tyrant and a pagan; and there were many old Russians who, after having their beards shaved off, saved them preciously, in order to have them placed in their coffins, fearing that they would not be allowed to enter heaven without their beards. As for the young men, they followed the new custom with the more readiness as it made them appear more agreeable to the fair sex. From the reform in beards we may pass to that of clothes. Their garments, like those of the Orientals, were very long, reaching to the heel. The tsar issued an ordinance abolishing that costume, commanding all the boyars [i.e., the nobles] and all those who had positions at court to dress after the French fashion, and likewise to adorn their clothes with gold or silver according to their means. As for the rest of the people, the following method was employed. A suit of clothes cut according to the new fashion was hung at the gate of the city, with a decree enjoining upon all except peasants to have their clothes made on this model, upon penalty of being forced to kneel and have all that part of their garments which fell below the knee cut off, or pay two grives every time they entered the town with clothes in the old style. Since the guards at the gates executed their duty in curtailing the garments in a sportive spirit, the people were amused and readily abandoned their old dress, especially in Moscow and its environs, and in the towns which the tsar often visited. The dress of the women was changed, too. English hairdressing was substituted for the caps and bonnets hitherto worn; bodices, stays, and skirts, for the former undergarments. . .”

Jean Rousset de Missy, Life of Peter the Great, c. 1730

8. Based upon the passage, why did Peter I position on beards create such outrage?a. The cold winters necessitated long beards for comfort.b. They equated their appearance with their religious beliefsc. Only nobles wore beards and this threatened to reduce their statusd. They thought that it made then seem less manly.

9. Why did Peter I force a new closing style upon the Russian people?a. He was infatuated with everything about Franceb. He wanted to attack the power of the patriarchc. He sought to culturally westernize Russia

d. He hoped to increase the Russian textile industryIn both cases this was Peter’s embarrassment over the nature of his own kingdom vs. the west

Questions 10 - 13 Relate to the Passage Below"1. In the future also, the Jews in Vienna shall not constitute their own community, under their own direction; each individual family enjoys the protection of the law of the land; no public worship, no public synagogue, no press of their own for works in Hebrew, for which they must use the press in Bohemia. 2. It is also intended that the number of Jews and the conditions under which they are at present tolerated in Lower Austria and here in Vienna shall remain unaltered, and where no Jews have ever been domiciled, none shall be allowed to settle in the future7. No Jew is permitted to settle in a rural district of Lower Austria, unless he proposes to introduce a manufacture or a useful trade, for which he must apply to the Government for a permit, when he will enjoy the same rights as in the capital. The facilities enjoyed by the Jewish religion under the present regulations, which entirely supersede the last regulations, of May 5, 1761, are, accordingly, as follows: Since it is Our purpose to make the Jews more useful and serviceable to the State, principally through according their children better instruction and enlightenment, and by employing them in the sciences, arts, and handicrafts: 8. We permit and command the tolerated Jews, in places where they have no German schools of their own, to send their children to the Christian upper elementary schools, so that they shall learn at least reading, writing, and arithmetic, and although they have no synagogue of their own in Our capital, We yet permit them to build for their children, at their own expense, a normally equipped school, with a teaching staff of their own religion, which shall be subject to the same control as all the German schools here, the composition of the moral books being left to them."

Edict of Toleration for the Jews of Lower Austria January 2, 1782

10. This edict of toleration of Jews would have been issued bya. Empress Maria Theresa b. Emperor Joseph IIc. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V d. Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II

He made the most far-reaching reforms and by this time his mom (a) was gone11. Based upon the tone of the passage it seems clear that

a. Anti-Semitism within the Austrian government was on the rise.b. That Jews were now being forced to live in ghettos to segregate them from society.c. Reforms were being made that focused upon economic improvementsd. That Jews were being excluded from positions in business and industry

Same stereotype as Frederick II

12. Generally speaking, which of the following best expresses the religious policies of most absolutists?a. They adhered to a very strict policy of the state above all religious viewsb. They maintained a state church but also granted toleration.c. They completely rejected all state churches and allowed open toleration of most Christian sects.d. They tolerated only Christian denominations oppressing both Jews and Muslims.

13. Which absolutist ruler openly oppressed a Calvinist minority in his realm asserting the supremacy of Catholicism?

a. Louis XIV of France b. Peter I of Russiac. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden d. Elizabeth I of EnglandRevoked the Edict of Nantes forcing many Huguenots into exile

Questions 14 – 16 Relate to the Image Below

14. Which of the following best explains the reasons for Pugachev’s Rebellion in 1733?a. The peasants were angry over rising grain prices and shortages of bread.b. The Boyars were angry over Catherine II plans to reform the Russian Orthodox Churchc. The peasants were angry over the strictures of Russia’s backward system of serfdom.d. The Boyar nobles believed that Catherine II was not the legitimate czarina being born in Germany

15. What impact did Pugachev’s Rebellion have upon early 18th century Russia?a. It was such an isolated effect it’s impact was negligible.b. Catherine II turned away from ideas of land reformsc. It led Catherine II to take major steps to reduce the system of serfdom.d. Russian boyars agreed to immediately abolish serfdom fearing for their lives.

She turned away in support of the boyar nobles

16. A similar peasant uprising was crushed during the 16th century with heavy casualties ina. Holland and modern day Belgium b. Several northern German provincesc. The Italian city-states d. Spain and Portugal

The Great German Peasant Uprising that Luther condemned in the 16th century

Questions 17 – 19 Relate to the Passage Below“We heard from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam [died 78/697] as follows: When Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, accorded a peace to the Christians of Syria, we wrote to him as follows:

In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. This is a letter to the servant of God Umar [ibn al-Khattab], Commander of the Faithful, from the Christians of such-and-such a city. When you came against us, we asked you for safe-conduct (aman) for ourselves, our descendants, our property, and the people of our community, and we undertook the following obligations toward you. We shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks' cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims. We shall keep our gates wide open for passersby and travelers.

“Pugachev’s Judgement” by Vasily Perov (1875)

We shall give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for three days. We shall not give shelter in our churches or in our dwellings to any spy, nor bide him from the Muslims. We shall not teach the Qur'an to our children. We shall not manifest our religion publicly nor convert anyone to it. We shall not prevent any of our kin from entering Islam if they wish it. We shall show respect toward the Muslims, and we shall rise from our seats when they wish to sit.”

Medieval Sourcebook, Pact of Umar, circa 7th Century

17. Based upon the passage who most likely was Umar ibn al-Khattab?a. A well-known traveler in the modern Middle Eastb. The Ottoman Sultanc. The Patriarch of the Syrian Christian Churchd. The Russian Ambassador to Syria

18. While the passage is centuries before the early modern period, what administrative system was already evident in the Ottoman Empire?

a. The Serf System b. The Millet Systemc. The Encomienda System d. The Mercantile System

19. At the height of Ottoman power in the 17th century, what region of Europe was under their control?a. The Baltic b. The Balkans c. The Iberian Peninsula d. The North Sea

All three of the above are from a class readingQuestions 20 – 21 Relate to Image Below

20. Peter the Great’s desire to construct a new capitol city centered around the fact that a. Moscow was not easy to defend during times of war.b. He wanted a commercial and political center nearer to the west.c. He was embarrassed by the filth of the ancient capitold. He wanted a port city nearer to the Baltic Sea.

21. While he considered it to be one of his finest accomplishments the construction was also problematic because

Peter the Great Reviewing plans forThe building of St. Petersburg

a. So many peasants died during the building of accidents, diseases, and exposure.b. Most foreign dignitaries preferred Moscow to St. Petersburg.c. The City was built of poor materials that caused constant problems.d. The Neva River often froze making travel there impossible

Questions 22 – 25 Relate to the Map Below

22. What traditional foreign policy issue is reflected by the map above?a. Russia’s desire for warm water ports to allow for merchant and naval operations.b. The Turkish desire to control Greece and Cyprus.c. Ukraine’s fear of Turkish aggression in the Black Sea Region.d. The Holy Roman Empire’s desire to control the Balkan Region

Windows to the west23. Which major power featured on the map would have blocked Russian plans to expand their influence in the Mediterranean Sea?

a. Bulgaria b. Greece c. Turkey d. Ukraine

24. A similar map could be consulted revealing Peter the Great’s expansionist plans ina. The North Atlantic b. The Baltic Seac. The Bay of Bengal d. The South China Sea

25. In the early 21st century Russian military activities have centered on control which strategic area?a. The Mediterranean Sea b. The Crimean Peninsulac. The Caspian Sea d. The Iberian Peninsula

Questions 26 – 28 Relate to the Passage Below“My son, the work of a king is agreeable. One must have his eyes open to the whole earth. He must endeavor to learn each hour the news concerning every province and every nation, the secrets of every court, the moods and weaknesses of every prince and every foreign minister. He must be well informed on all matters from commerce and science to art and philosophy. He must find out the secrets of his subjects, and discover the selfish interests of those who approach him with their real motives disguised. I know of no other pleasure I would take in place of the work of a king.”

Louis XIV wrote a memorandum to his son, 1666

26. In the excerpt Louis XIV tells his son (future king Louis XV) that the work of being a king is agreeable. Which king that we have discussed would least have agreed with this assessment?

a. Henry VIII of England b. Frederick II of Prussiac. Philip II of Spain d. Peter I of Russia

Poor workaholic27. By which method was Louis XIV able to “find out the secrets of his subjects?”

a. The Court of the Star Chamber b. The Intendent Systemc. The Musketeers d. The Streltsy

A combo of spies and civil service28. When the king writes that a good king must know, “the secrets of every court, the moods and weaknesses of every prince and every foreign minister”, of particular concern would have been the secrets of which court?

a. The Stuarts of England b. The Romanovs of Russiac. The Medici of Florence d. The Habsburgs of Austria

Louis XIV feared encirclement by the HabsburgsQuestions 29 – 31 Relate to the Passage Below“Louis XIV made for a brilliant court. His figure, his grace, his beauty, his grand bearing, even the tone of his voice and his majestic and natural charm set him apart from other men as the king. Even if he had been born a simple private gentleman, he still would have excelled in all social festivities. However, intrigues against the king during his childhood made Louis suspicious of intelligent, educated, noble, and highly principled men, and as he advanced in years, he began to hate them. He wished to reign by himself, and his jealousy on this point soon became a weakness. The superior ability of his early ministers and generals soon wearied him. He liked no one to be in any way superior to him. He chose his ministers, therefore, not for their knowledge, but for their ignorance; not for their capacity, but for their want of it. He liked to teach them even the most trivial things. He unceasingly concerned himself with the smallest details of his troops, his minor household officials, and the way his mansions were built and maintained. He would even instruct his cooks, though he taught them things they had known for years. His vanity, his unreasonable desire to be admired, ruined him. His ministers, his generals, his mistresses, his courtiers soon understood this fatal weakness. They praised him and spoiled him, for it was the one way they could approach him.”

Duc de Saint-Simon, Appraisal of Louis XI, circa 1750

29. What intrigue against the king is referenced here in the passage?a. The Fronde b. The Ciompi Revoltc. The German Peasant Uprising d. The Vendèe Revolt

30. What was the main reason why court life was so critical to Louis XIV and his reign?a. His court was designed to impress foreign dignitariesb. Court life was a method of controlling once powerful nobles.c. It was designed to awe the growing middle class.d. He liked a good party more than the work of ruling.

31. The impact that threats in his youth had upon Louis XIV ruled would have been best understood by?a. Peter I of Russia b. Frederick II of Austriac. Maria Theresa of Austria d. Joseph II of Austria

the attempt by empress Elizabeth and streltsy to kill Ivan and PeterQuestions 32 –34 Relate to the Passage Below“For nearly thirty years, your principal Ministers have destroyed and reversed all the ancient customs of the state in order to raise your authority to its highest level. They no longer speak of France and its constitution; they only speak of the King and of his royal pleasure. They have pushed your revenues and your expenses to unprecedented heights. They have raised you up to the sky in order, they say, to outshine the grandeur of all your predecessors. They have impoverished the whole of France with the introduction of monstrous luxuries of court. Your ministers have been harsh, haughty, unjust, and violent. They have recognized no other rule but to threaten, to crush, and to destroy all who resist them. They have rendered your name odious, and the whole French nation intolerable to all our neighbors. They have caused almost twenty years of bloody wars.”

Archbishop Fenelon, Anonymous Letter to Louis XIV, circa 1715

32. While the Archbishop blames his ministers for wars, Louis XIV was directly responsible for which of the following?

a. The War of Spanish Succession b. The War of Austrian Successionc. The Seven Years War d. The Franco-Prussian War

trying to place a Bourbon on the Habsburg throne (see #28)33. While this ranking member of the Catholic Church was critical of the king, what had he previously done in support of Catholic power in France?

a. He revoked the Edict of Nantes making Catholicism the only acceptable faith.b. He suppressed the Jansenist order within Catholic borders.c. He once again allowed the Pope to name bishops in France.d. He converted from Calvinism to Catholicism upon taking the throne.

See #1334. By the late 17th and 18th century what had the policy become in church-state relationships?

a. There was a clear separation of church and state.b. There were established state religions coupled with edicts of tolerationc. There were religious wars as people chaffed against state churchesd. All Christian religions were tolerated but Jews and Muslims were severely oppressed.

Questions 35 - 37 Relate to the Passage Below“Patent of November 1, 1781, in re Manorial Lords and Subjects. The servile status of subjects is herewith abolished completely and the following dispositions enacted:1. Any subject is entitled to marry, subject to previous notification and acquisition of a certificate, to be delivered free of charge.

2. He may, provided he observes the regulations governing conscription for military service, leave his present manor and settle or take service on another within the Province; but if he wishes to establish himself as a peasant cultivator or cottager on another manor, he must ask for a leaving certificate, which must also be issued him free of charge, to be shown to the new manorial authority.

3. A subject is free to learn any handicraft, trade, etc., and seek his livelihood where he will. For this no leaving permit is necessary.

4. Subjects are no longer required to perform domestic service for their lords, except orphans, who may be required to do such service for a period not exceeding three years.

5. No services shall be imposed on or required of subjects beyond the robot and payments in kind and cash attaching to their holdings. Subjects are bound to render obedience to their lords in virtue of the existing laws.”

Emperor Joseph II's Patent on Serfdom November 1, 1781

35. Generally speaking, why was the abolition of serfdom an important measure for enlightened despots?a. It enhanced their personal power versus the nobility.b. It increased peasant’s loyalty to the state versus their lordsc. It fostered greater agricultural production and national self-sufficiencyd. It would end the possibility of peasant uprisings

36. Other than Joseph II which other sovereign had some success in abolishing serfdom?a. Frederick II of Prussia b. Peter I of Russiac. Catherine II of Russia d. Louis XIV of France

about 1/3 of serfs who lived directly on Hollenzollern lands

37. In the end, the reforms of Joseph II failed for all of the following reasons EXCEPT?a. He faced greatest resistance from nobles because ending serfdom threatened their power.b. Peasants resisted because they had little means to support themselves of pay for their freedom.

c. His untimely death reversed the course of reforms.d. The Catholic Church stood against his reform ideas fearing the loss of tithes.

38. In western Europe serfdom was had all but vanished by the 17th century largely because ofa. The impact of the Black Death upon the social structure there.b. The social impact of the Enclosure Movementc. The end of the corvèe system had been abolished across Europe.d. Western monarchs had turned to mercantile methods.

From our debrief of the summer work we said this but also that Russia was largely uneffected

Questions 39 –40 relate to the expert below“When the unexpected and lamentable death of my father of blessed memory occurred, this being especially painful for me because I not only loved and honored him as a father, but, no less than the least of his vassals, looked on him as my lord, and thus felt a double loss and grief, and was at the time the more devoid of the experience and knowledge needful to rule dominions so extensive and so various because my father had never been pleased to initiate or inform me in the conduct of either internal or foreign affairs, I found myself suddenly without either money, troops, or counsel….”

Maria Theresa's Political Testament, 1749-50

39. Maria Theresa’s ascendency to the Habsburg throne was unusual becausea. Salic Laws had forbidden a woman from being Holy Roman Emperor.b. She was actually born in Russia and not the Austrian estatesc. She had once converted to Calvinism, a rogue religion within the empired. She was unmarried so the line of succession was immediately questions.

40. Which of the following agreements resulted in Maria Theresa becoming the one and only Empress of Austria?a. The Concordat of 1801 b. The Pragmatic Sanctionc. The February Diploma d. The Peace of Westphalia

because of 39, A shoe could not be HRE but the agreement 40,B allowed her to be “empress” but not the “Holy Roman part..