2025 History-Absolutism and Protestantism

Little ice age

• Intense rainfall, lack of sunshine, and lower temperatures decreased harvests or ruined them entirely. 

• Europeans suffered hypothermia, the birth rate dropped, and famines became more common.

 Peasant Rebellions 

• Aka Bread riots

• Poor + Peasants were hardest hit in the Little Ice Age 

• Their wages were greatly lowered  

• Bread prices rose and they were unable to pay

Thirty years war

• Tremendously destructive in Central Europe

  • Caused the death of millions of people

• Diffused by Denmark

• Started by ferdinand II

• Imperial foces (Ferdinand II) vs. Protestant forces (Fredrick V)

Treaty of Westphalia 

• The peace of Westphalia in 1648 ended the conflict and marked the conclusion of religious wars in Europe.

Louis’ 5 concepts of consolidation and legitimacy of power

1. The King Must Appear as Divine

2. The King Must be in Control

3. The King Must be Wealthy 

4. The King Must Enforce Religious Conformity

5. The King Must Have An Army 

Machiavelli’s 10 rules for power

1. Be Practical, Not Idealistic 

2. Appear Virtuous, But Be Ruthless When Needed  

3. Control Fortune Through Preparation

4. Be feared Rather Than Loved

5. Know when to break promises

6. Adapt to Change

7. Eliminate Threats Completely

8. Maintain Control Over Your Subjects 

9. Use Deception Wisely

10. Avoid Dependency on Others

Religious conflict in France

• Protestants vs. Catholics

 Henry IV 

• diffused religious tensions 

• Made Edict of Nantes 

• Allowed Huguenots to worship 

• Rebuilt France economy 

  • Invested in infrastructure 

• Murdered by catholic Zelot

• French

Huguenots

Protestants

Edict of Nantes 

• granted religious tolerance and equality to the Huguenots

• Created by henry IV

Cardinal Richelieu

• First minister of the French crown 

• Designed domestic policies to strengthen royal control 

  • reduced power of provincial nobles 

• Wanted to destroy Habsburg’s grip on territories surrounding France 

• Supported Protestants during 30 years war

• French

The Fronde

• uprisings

• Faded over time

• French people were mad

• happened under Cardinal Richealu

successes of Louis XIV

• He impressed subjects w/ his discipline

• Based authority on the divine right of kings 

  • Kings couldn’t do whatever they wanted 

Failures of Louis XIV

• Had to rule in a consistent and virtuous way 

  • Relied on the collaboration of nobles 

• Imposed aggressive religious unity 

• Kept France at war for extended periods 

  • Used-up materials, damaging the economy 

Versailles

• In the countryside of Paris 

• Interior hailed Louis's power 

  • Apollo (sun god) 

  • Neptune (sea god) 

• Gardens showed Louis's dominance extended into nature 

• Showcased the latest military and civil engineering 

Louis XIV and war

• Kept France at war for 33 years 

  • Army tripled in size 

  • Uniforms and weapons standardized 

  • Part of the “Military revolution” 

• Caused strain on resources 

How did Louis XIV respond to Edict of Nantes?

• Badly

• Imposed (hated) religious unity

• Revoked it

Troubles during a backround of Russian Absolutism

• Little thought of progress 

• Sewage on streets, extreme wealth, and struggling 

• Troops continued to attack and Aristocrats killed 

  • Time of bloodshed and violence

Peter the great’s childhood

• Peter developed a hatred of tradition 

• Loved playing “war” with real people and generals

• It seemed unlikely he would get the throne 

• Saw many deaths (traumatic)

Success of Peter the great

• Built a successful army and navy 

• Allowed men and women to choose who they married 

• Increased number of schools 

  • Opened them to boys who weren’t nobility 

• Directed expansion in mining and manufacturing 

  • Particularly of weapons 

• Forged peace agreement with the Turks 

• Gained St. Petersburg port 

• Made Nobles work for their positions

failures of Peter the Great

• Declared war on Sweeden 

  • Had no motive 

  • Expensive

  • Waste of materials

• Tortured his son 

  • suppressed how successful his son could’ve been 

• Captured St. Petersburg Petersburg

  • Needed to be built by 1000s of Russians

    • many died

Louis XIV vs. Peter the great

• • Similar: interested in war, absolute ruler, controlled nobles, traumatized, reimagined, taxed  countries (art,culture, education)  

  • Difference: Peter cared more about people of Russia, Louis was self absorbed 

How Peter The Great consolidated power

• Military reform 

  • Made new weapons

  • Made navy 

• Administration changes 

  • Controlled nobles

  • Expanded education opportunities
    

How Louis XIV legitimized power

Cultural dominance: built Versailles

Howe Louis XIV consolidated power

consolidation

Military reform  made military stronger  Administration changes  Controlled nobles

How peter the great legitimised power

• Cultural dominence

  • Allowed people to choose who they married 

  • Allowed all people to receive education