Age of Absolutism

Absolute Monarchy

• the ruler has absolute power and authority

• Louis XIV, Peter the Great of Russia, and Catherine the Great = examples

• loyalty owed to crown

• control of funding/taxes

• rise of state power

• decrease in influence of the church and nobility

• ruler dominated the upper classes

Divine Right Monarchy

• Divine Right Theory

• kings receive their power from god

• Jacques Bossuet defined the theory in a book

Cardinal Richelieu

• Chief Minister to Louis XIII

• strengthened power of the monarch

• architect of French Absolutism

• eliminated power of huguenots

• kept nobles in check; network of spies

• reformed government

• less successful in finances

Louis XIV

• Sun King

• “One King, One Law, One Faith”

• took power @ 23 in 1661

• dominated Europe → Age of Louis XIV

• bypassed old nobles →created new nobles (Nobility of The Robe)

• Edict of Fontainebleau → Revocation of Edict of Nantes

• closed huguenot churches and schools

Versailles

• residence of king

• reception hall: state affairs

• offices for members of government

• Nobles lived here, serving king to distract them from real politics and power

• built from constant taxes on 3rd estate (peasants)

• the model for all wannabe absolute monarchs

French Social Classes

• 1st Estate; clergy (high people in the church)

• 2nd Estate; nobles (wealthy, elite, people in gov. positions)

• 3rd Estate; peasants, poor, working poor

Gentry

• new social class in Englands and Netherlands

• self-made people

• rich/powerful from commercialization and trade

• the richest but no political power

• 17th-19th centuries in England fought for political power

Glorious Revolution

• James II began dismissing judges and military officials= replaced them with Catholics

• Parliament became concerned →aimed to remove James

• Invited “William of Orange” to invade England and take throne

• James II army defected and James fled

English Bill of Rights

• freedom of speech for Parliament members

• no cruel/unusual punishments →required trial by jury

• limited monarchy power/ established free elections for Parliament

English Civil War

• 1642

• monarch shared power with Parliament

• Charles I called Parliament for funds → House of Commons took chance to make them permanent

• Charles I attempted to disband/ arrest Parliamentary (many Gentry/Puritans)

• Puritans saw as attack on political power/ religious beliefs

• war broke out under Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell

• succeeded in leading Gentry to victory

• banned nobles from Parliament

• abolished monarchy

• used military force to rule/make unfair law

• many changes stayed after his death →Parliament permanent part of gov./required to approve new taxes/funding for king

Westernization Methods

• Prussia, Austria, Russia

• governments →more centralized

• adopted western economics (commercialization, no serfdom)

• improve military structure and tech

• adopted western culture

Peter the Great of Russia

• rejected enlightenment → wanted complete control

• moved ALL nobles to him →forced them to be apart of his government

• reformed military after Prussian model (nobles=officers)

• expanded Russian territory East against Poland

• built city → St. Petersburg and lavish winter palace

• conquest for ports to open trade/ commercialization like West

Frederick II of Russia

• enlightened monarch

• enlightenment of government and religion

• to protect and serve the people (consent of the governed) mindset

Catherine the Great

• reformed education; enhanced education and started state school for women

• patronized enlightenment art and writers

• began to remove Eastern Orthodox Church from Russia

• expanded Russia massively

• reformed serfdom

Baroque Art and Music

• originated in Europe in early 17th century

• AKA “Catholic Art” during years of reformation

• Baroque translates from Portuguese= “odd shaped, imperfect pearly”

Baroque Characteristics

• very detailed

• overblown/exaggerated

• rejected medieval art → classical influences from Renaissance

• more classical instead of religious

Reubens

• The Fall of Man

• flemish (Netherlands)

• depicts the picking of the forbidden fruit from the Bible (Adam and Eve)

• exaggeration= half child/snake being

Jean Baptiste Lully

• official court composer of Louis XIV @ Versailles

• deep/emotional, lively/fast music

Vivaldi

• Italian

• baroque composer and Priest

• AKA “Red Priest”

• instrumentation

• “The Four Seasons” - violin

Bach

• German

• baroque composer

• organist

• The Six; Brandenburg Concertos

Handle

• German-British

• baroque composer

• opera= The Messiah

• water music composed for King George I

Charles I

• war vs. Scotland

• forced to call Parliament for funds in which House of Commons took the opportunity to pass laws that made them permanent entity

• attempted to disband Parliament and arrest outspoken members

• executed

Charles II

• took over after changes made to Parliament (Parliament was now permanent, required to approve all new taxes and funding for the king))

• executed

The Fronde

• tax rebellion/revolts

• attempt to check growing power of royal government

• failure led to absolutism of Louis XIV

• forced Cardinal Mazarin into temporary exile

William of Orange and Mary

• part of House of Orange

• reigned as King of England, Scotland, and Ireland

• Glorious Revolution

• invited by Protestant nobles to invade England and claim throne

• invaded England under King James II

• oldest daughter of Charles I

• William of Orange wife

• oversaw important moves towards parliamentary democracy

James II

• last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland

• conflicts over religious tolerance

• struggles over principles of absolutism/ divine right

• defeated by William of Orange

• exiled due to religious issues

John Locke

• philosopher and political theorist

• AKA founder of British Empiricism

• contributed to modern theories of limited, liberal government (liberalism)

• laid foundation for Enlightenment

Nobility of The Robe

• class of “new nobles” by Louis XIV

• commoners were now GIVEN nobility status

• expected to follow King’s orders

• were distracted from real power and politics →King’s absolute control