Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism (1648-1815)

Rise of absolutism

• more people became Protestant

• People were less interested in religious affairs after the peace of Westphalia

• The Catholic church’s influence was weakened

Louis XIV

“I am the state” - believed all power belong to him

• he made nobles move into the palace of Versailles to keep an eye on them

• He revoked the edict of Nantes; Huguenots fled France

• he made himself the head of the Catholic Church in France

• He consolidated power through military expansion

Ex. He fought the Dutch war to gain territory in the Spanish Netherlands and weaken the Habsburgs, which was unsuccessful

he threw parties to distract the nobles from their weakening powers

Colbert

finance minister for Louis XIV

• used mercantilist polices

• Decreased France’s debt, expanded France’s colonial holding, and created a favorable balance of trade

Intendant System

Louis XIV sent intendants into different parts of France to make sure the laws and rules were followed

Peter the Great of Russia

Believed that Russia needed to westernize or will be taken over by western countries

Politically- required nobles to serve in the army; table of ranks made sure the best was at the top

Culturally - he tried to shape the Russian culture to fit western views; beard, and clothes

HE HEAVILY TAXED THE PEOPLE

Constitutionalism

Monarchs had to share power with a representative body

English civil war (1642-1651)

Conflict between king, parliament, and other nobles

Magna Carta 1215

created the English parliament and stated that the king was subject to the law

Monarchs of the English civil war

1. James I - believed in divine rights

2. Charles I - also believed in divine

• he went against parliament because of economic issues caused by the 30 year war, he refused to call in parliament in 1629 because he didn’t want restrictions, but had to call parliament in 1640 in order to crush a rebellion in Scotland; became known as long parliament

They both believed they had the right to take property and the House of Commons was mad

3. Charles II - he schemed with the French and didn’t work well with Parliament

4. James II - he appointed Catholics in the army, universities, and government

• caused parliament to give the throne to Mary and William of Orange

beginning conflict for the English civil war

The puritans wanted to remove any Catholic symbols and traditions from the Anglican Church to reform it, James I didn’t listen to them and Charles I married a Catholic

Charles I during the English civil war

After 3 years of fighting the parliaments new army won but Charles I refused to concede

Oliver Cromwell

Member of the House of Commons and a puritan

• led the parliamentary army against Charles I and won

• He kicked out supporters of the king from the parliament and the ones that stayed were known as the Rump parliament

• The rump parliament tired Charles I for treason and cut his head off

• Cromwell created a dictatorship and kept all the power to himself; the people didn’t get their rights

After the English civil war

England became a republic called the protectorate under Cromwell who was called “lord protector”, extreme religious ideas were used (like Calvin) Ex. No drinking, cursing, or singing

After Cromwell’s death

In 1660 parliament restored the monarchy and gave the throne to Charles II

This became known as the restoration period

Glorious revolution 1688-1689

The parliament was unhappy with James II and offered the throne to Mary and William of Orange, causing James II to flee

• Mary and William rose to power in 1689

Known as the glorious revolution because no blood was shed during the transfer of power and monarchs

English bill of rights

Only parliament was able to control taxes , not monarchs, when parliament made a law, monarchs could not overthrow it

The Dutch

• They were able to become the most prosperous state because of the location

• They were controlled by the Habsburg rulers in Spain

Philip II of Spain

He enacted on policies that would bring more wealth to Spain through the Netherlands

• when the Dutch Protestant protesters began destroy Catholic Churches across the Netherlands, Philip sent an army and ended up killing thousands on the account of treason

The Dutch republic

William of Orange led the Dutch Protestants to get rid of Spanish influence

The Dutch republic was formed by the peace of Westphalia

The Dutch became the wealthiest European commercial empire

State general

Government of Netherlands which consisted of the upper wealthy class, usually did things to benefit themselves

Oligarchy

Battle of Vienna 1683

The Ottoman Empire attempted to invade Austria to get better trading routes but the Austrian Habsburgs, Poland, and the Holy Roman Empire united to stop the invasion and won

War of Spanish succession 1702-1713

When Charles II of Spain died, Philip V was supposed to become king, he was also Louis XIV’s grandson

European countries feared this because they believed Spain and France would be under Louis XIV’s power

England, united provinces, Austria, and Prussia fought against France, Spain, and Bavaria

Treaty of Utrecht

Ended the was of Spanish succession in 1713, Philip V was able to become the Spanish king but France and Spain had to be separate

Agricultural revolution

Alternating crops - allowed farmers to plant crops all year long and use all the land

Cast iron plow - digging furrows for better planting and had interchangeable parts

Seed drill - mad sure the seeds were planted at the exact intervals and covered with dirt

Mechanical Hoe - increased the efficiency of weeds being removed from soil

Water frame - a wheel that was turned by moving water and powered factories

Cottage industry (putting out system)

Good were made in people’s homes

Merchants would bring raw goods to homes to be created into finished products

Each home focused on something specific