Chapter 15 - State Building and the Search for Order in the 17th Century

Bishop Bossuet

French theologian and court preacher who advocated for the divine right of kings, arguing that monarchs were God's representatives on Earth. Justified absolute monarchy during the reign of Louis XIV, shaping the ideological foundation for centralized royal authority in early modern France.

Cardinal Richelieu

Served as chief minister to Louis XIII, strengthening the power of the French monarchy by weakening the nobility and Huguenots while centralizing administrative control. Laid the groundwork for absolutism in France, paving the way for Louis XIV's reign.

Intendants

French royal officials sent to enforce royal policies and oversee local governance, especially under Cardinal Richelieu and later Louis XIV. Helped reduce the influence of local nobles and increased the crown's centralized control, marking a key feature of absolutist governance.

Taille

A direct tax on the Third Estate that was a major source of royal revenue. It symbolized the burden of taxation on the lower classes and the fiscal inequality of the Ancien Régime, contributing to rising tensions that eventually led to the French Revolution.

Fronde

The Fronde was a series of noble-led revolts against royal authority (Manzarin) in France when Louis XIV was a child, and the chaos convinced him that strong, absolute control was the only way to prevent disorder and keep the nobles in check.

Palace of Versailles

Built by Louis XIV to display royal power and control the French nobility by forcing them to live under his watch; it became a symbol of absolutism and the cultural dominance of France in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Parlements

Regional French courts, the most powerful being the Parlement of Paris, which had the authority to register and sometimes challenge royal edicts; although meant to administer royal justice, they later became centers of resistance to absolutism and contributed to the pre-revolutionary crisis.

Jansenists

Catholic reform movement in France that emphasized predestination and inner piety, attracting followers among the educated elite but clashing with royal authority and the Jesuits; their persecution by Louis XIV reflected the monarchy's efforts to suppress religious dissent in the name of unity. Difference between them and protestants is that they still supported the pope but did not agree with free will.

Edict of Fontainebleau (1685)

Issued by Louis XIV in 1685, revoked the Edict of Nantes and led to the persecution and mass exodus of Huguenots from France, weakening the economy and marking a turning point in the religious intolerance associated with absolutist policies.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683)

Louis XIV's finance minister who used mercantilist policies to boost France's economy by increasing exports, building up industries, and regulating trade, helping fund Louis's wars and Versailles but also placing heavy pressure on the lower classes.

Corvee

forced unpaid labor that French peasants had to do for the state, like building roads or infrastructure. Showed how the burden of absolutist policies fell mostly on the lower classes, fueling resentment before the French Revolution.

François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis of Louvois

Louis XIV's war minister who built up the French army into Europe's largest and most professional force, which allowed Louis to wage aggressive wars and expand France's power but also drained the treasury and provoked rival alliances.

The Nine Years' War (1688-1697)

One of Louis XIV's major wars against a European coalition trying to stop his expansion. Shows how France's dominance under absolutism sparked widespread resistance and contributed to long-term financial strain.

War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

Fought to stop Louis XIV's grandson from controlling both France and Spain. Although Louis gained nothing in the end, the war drained France's economy and showed the limits of absolutist ambition.

The Great Embassy

Trip taken by Peter the Great to explore Europe and bring back knowledge and reform Russia. Trip was cut short due to attempts to overthrow him in Russia.

Table of Ranks

A ranking system for nobles and officials, based on service to the state rather than family name. Nobles had to earn their privileges by working in civil, military, or court service.

Gave Peter total control over the elite class.

Holy Synod

The replacement Peter the Great created for the office of Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was a "bureaucracy of laymen under his supervision."

St. Petersburg

Built by Peter the Great of Russia to attract Europeans and to get warm water ports. Window to the West.

Great Northern War

Russia vs. Sweden over Baltic control. Proves that Russia is no longer medieval and insignificant. Sweden declines, Russia rises.

Old Believers

Conservative Russians who refused to accept the ecclesiastical reforms of Alexis Romanov; many were exiled to southern Russia or Siberia. Bye Patriarch hello Holy Synod.

Boyars

Russian nobles had enormous influence over politics, land, serfs, and military command. Influence decreased when Peter introduced the Table of Ranks, St. Petersburg (Versaille type shit), and by taking away privileges.

Streltsy

Group of military officers that attempted to revolt against Peter the Great on his absence. Peter the Great then proceeded to kill all of them and dissolve the corps. Need to be loyal to the tsar to survive bro.

Frederick William the Great Elector

Built professional standing army after the Thirty Years' War. Centralized power by giving Junkers privileges (exempt from taxes, control over peasants) in exchange for obedience and taxation rights. Established a centralized, militarized bureaucracy that collected taxes, ran the army, and controlled the state.

Frederick William I (Soldier King)

Expanded the General Directory (government body that ran everything especially military). Demanded that all nobles serve the state (usually as officers; instilled loyalty to king). Instituted military values throughout civilian life. Was frugal and reinvested money into the army and government administration.

Leopold I

Holy Roman Emperor and Habsburg monarch who consolidated Habsburg control over Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary, while deprioritizing the fractured Holy Roman Empire. Shifted Habsburg focus away from the weak Holy Roman Empire toward building a centralized Austrian empire

Strengthened Catholic absolutism in his hereditary lands

Fought off both Ottoman and French threats, stabilizing Habsburg power in Central Europe. Laid the groundwork for Austria to emerge as a major European power

Pragmatic Sanction

Issued by Charles VI of Austria in 1713 to assure his daughter Maria Theresa gained the throne. The decree was quickly broken when Frederick II invaded Silesia.

War of Austrian Succession

(1740–1748) Fought after Maria Theresa ascended to the Austrian throne, with Prussia, Spain, France, and Russia aiming to seize Austrian territories. The war ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, where most territories were returned to their original owners, except for Silesia, which remained under Prussian control, significantly strengthening Prussia and setting the stage for the Seven Years' War.

7 Years War

(1756–1763) Global conflict involving most of the great powers of the time, with Prussia + Britain vs. Austria, France, + Russia. Seen as the first true "world war". Austria vs. Prussia for Silesia and France vs Britain for parts of North America.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Prussia retained Silesia (securing its position as a major European power), France lost much of its colonial territories (like Canada to Britain), and Austria was left weakened, despite the fact that Maria Theresa had fought to reclaim Silesia.

Liberum Veto

Rule of the Sejm (Polish Parliament) that any governmental action needed unanimous vote of the legislature. The system prevented the monarchy from centralizing power or making reforms to strengthen the state, which left Poland vulnerable to foreign intervention and internal disorder.

Dutch burghers

Urban middle class in the 16th and 17th centuries, consisting of merchants, artisans, and shopkeepers. Played a key role in the economic success of the Dutch Republic, holding political influence in city councils and supporting the Reformation. Their contributions helped shape the cultural and intellectual achievements of the Dutch Golden Age.

Puritans

Group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic practices. Advocated for a simpler form of worship and a stricter moral code. Their beliefs led to tension with the monarchy, especially under James I and Charles I.

James I

King of England (1603-1625) and the first monarch of the Stuart dynasty. His reign was marked by conflicts with Parliament over royal prerogative, religious tensions with Puritans, and the belief in the divine right of kings.

Petition of Right (1628)

A constitutional document that King Charles I was forced to sign. It limited the king's power by prohibiting arbitrary taxation, imprisonment without cause, and the use of martial law. It was a major step in the struggle between monarchy and Parliament and also promptly ignored lol.

William Laud

Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I in England. He tried to force the Scottish to use the English Book of Common Prayer. He was later executed by Parliament during the English Civil War.

Oliver Cromwell

A military and political leader who played a key role in the English Civil War. He led the Parliamentarian forces to victory and later became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, effectively ruling England as a republic, but it was really a military dictatorship.

New Model Army

Professional army created by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell. It played a decisive role in the defeat of the Royalist forces and helped establish Cromwell's authority.

Levellers

A political movement during the English Civil War that advocated for universal suffrage, equality before the law, and the reduction of the monarchy's power. They were considered radical for their time, but their ideas influenced later democratic reforms.

Rump Parliament

English Parliament that remained after Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army purged the Long Parliament in 1648. Played a key role in abolishing the monarchy and declaring England a republic in 1649.

Lord Protectorate

Title of Oliver Cromwell (1653-1658) after the execution of Charles I. It was a republican government that replaced the monarchy but was highly centralized under Cromwell's authority (basically military dictatorship).

The Restoration

Period in 1660 when the monarchy was restored in England under Charles II, following the collapse of the Commonwealth and the death of Oliver Cromwell. It marked the return of the Stuart monarchy after a period of republican rule.

Glorious Revolution

Peaceful overthrow of King James II of England. It led to the ascension of William III and Mary II to the throne, marking the beginning of a constitutional monarchy and the end of absolute rule in England.

Bill of Rights (1689)

English law that limited the powers of the monarchy and outlined the rights of Parliament and citizens. It ensured parliamentary sovereignty and reinforced civil liberties, including the right to a fair trial and freedom from cruel punishment.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

Argued that human beings in their natural state were selfish and brutal, and thus required a strong, centralized authority to maintain order and prevent chaos.

John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

Argued for the protection of individual rights, including life, liberty, and property, and emphasized the importance of consent of the governed. Laid the foundation for modern liberalism.