Absolutism

Time Period

1550s-1800s

What is Absolutism?

where a monarch (king or queen) rules with absolute authority

Goals of Absolute Monarchs

• military conquest

• economic development

• territorial expansion

• construction projects

Divine Right

God put monarchs on the throne and therefore they only had to answer to God

Military Conquest

building a strong military was a key part of achieving goals monarchs had

Economic Development

• monarchs worked on raising more money w/o raising taxes

• more money paid for a larger military & building projects

Territorial Expansion

acquiring more land in order to increase the scope, authority, and wealth of the nation

Construction Projects

the building of palaces, gardens, and other public works designed to represent the power of the monarch

What factors contributed to the rise of power in monarchs with absolute control?

• Reformation led to wars between religious groups so in order to create some stability people wanted the order that a national absolute ruler established

• Monarchs took advantage of the fact that the Reformation had diminished the power of the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire

Glorious Revolution (1688-1689)

The Protestant-controlled Parliament, unhappy with a Catholic monarchy, urged James II’s daughter Mary and her husband William to take the throne, James fled to France

What did the Glorious Revolution lead to?

Constituional monarchy in England

Maria Theresa (Austria)

• stablized tax system

• strengthed the gov

• encouraged trade and education

• funded public works

Louis XIV (France)

• cultural advancements

• built palaces of Versailles as a major symbol of his wealth

• built a powerful army

• believed himself to be truly chosen by God

• paranoid about his power

Peter (Russia)

• moved capital to St. Petersburg

• created a new class of nobles

• Russia becomes more indsutrialized

• expanded Russian territory

• built rls with neighboring nations

• changed updated Russian trads