World History Absolutism Rulers Study Guide

Philip II (r. 1556–1598)

Country: Spain

Who he was:
One of the most powerful absolute monarchs of the 16th century and ruled Spain at the height of its global empire.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Strengthened absolute monarchy by centralizing power in Spain
  
  

• Defender of Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation
  
  

• Expanded Spanish influence in the Americas and Asia
  
  

• Built the Escorial, symbolizing royal and religious power
  
  

• Fought costly wars against:
  
  

  • The Ottoman Empire
    
    

  • Protestant rebels in the Netherlands
    
    

  • England (sent the Spanish Armada in 1588, which failed)
    
    

His reign marked both Spain’s golden age and the beginning of its decline due to debt and war

Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715)

(r. 1643–1715)

Country: France

Who he was:
Known as the “Sun King,” is the best example of absolutism.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Declared, “L’état, c’est moi” (“I am the state”)
  
  

• Centralized power completely under the monarchy
  
  

• Built the Palace of Versailles to display wealth and control nobles
  
  

• Weakened the nobility by forcing them to live at court
  
  

• Expanded French territory through wars
  
  

• Revoked the Edict of Nantes, persecuting Protestants (Huguenots)
  
  

• Strengthened France culturally, politically, and militarily

Peter the Great (r. 1682–1725)

Country: Russia

Who he was:
Transformed Russia into a major European power.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Westernized Russia after traveling Europe incognito
  
  

• Modernized the army and navy
  
  

• Reduced the power of the nobility and Russian Orthodox Church
  
  

• Built St. Petersburg, Russia’s “window to the West”
  
  

• Introduced Western technology, education, and customs
  
  

• Strengthened absolute rule while modernizing the state

Frederick the Great (r. 1740–1786)

Country: Prussia

Who he was:
An example of an Enlightened Absolutist—combined strong rule with Enlightenment ideas.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Expanded Prussia’s territory by taking Silesia
  
  

• Built one of Europe’s strongest militaries
  
  

• Promoted religious tolerance
  
  

• Supported education and the arts
  
  

• Simplified laws and improved bureaucracy
  
  

• Believed a ruler should serve the state, not just themselves

Ferdinand II (r. 1619–1637)

Country: Holy Roman Empire (Habsburg lands: Austria, Bohemia, etc.)

Who he was:
A staunch Catholic ruler whose actions helped spark the Thirty Years’ War.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Tried to impose Catholicism on Protestant territories
  
  

• Strengthened imperial authority
  
  

• His policies led to widespread rebellion
  
  

• Played a major role in the devastation of Central Europe
  
  

Represented absolutism tied closely to religious control

Charles V (r. 1519–1556)

Country: Ruled a vast empire including:

• Spain
  
  

• Holy Roman Empire
  
  

• Parts of Italy, the Netherlands, and the Americas
  
  

Who he was:
One of the most powerful monarchs in European history, ruling a global empire.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Controlled territory on which “the sun never set”
  
  

• Defended Catholicism against the Protestant Reformation
  
  

• Fought wars against France and the Ottoman Empire
  
  

• Struggled to maintain control due to the size and diversity of his empire
  
  

• Eventually abdicated, splitting his empire between family members

Maria Theresa (r. 1740–1780)

Country: Austria (Habsburg Empire)

Who she was:
A powerful female ruler who modernized Austria during a time of challenge.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Preserved Habsburg power despite foreign invasions
  
  

• Reformed taxation, military, and education
  
  

• Limited the power of the nobility
  
  

• Improved conditions for peasants
  
  

• Practiced Enlightened Absolutism, though she remained deeply Catholic
  
  

Mother of Joseph II and Marie Antoinette

Henry VIII (r. 1509–1547)

Country: England

Who he was:
A strong monarch who changed the religious structure of England.

Key accomplishments & significance:

• Broke from the Catholic Church to form the Church of England
  
  

• Declared himself head of the Church
  
  

• Strengthened royal authority over religion
  
  

• Known for his six marriages
  
  

• Confiscated church lands, increasing royal wealth
  
  

• His reign laid the foundation for absolute royal power in England