9 World History Unit 2: Absolutism

Louis XIV

- Named himself the sun king, relating to the sun and how everything revolves around it

- Believed that a king was the direct representative of God

- Believed that he had absolute power and that the government revolved around him

- Kept nobles in the "royal hunting lodge" located in versailles (palace of versailles)

- Symbol of absolutism

- Created wars to expand france

- Progressively add land to his country

- Invasion of Spanish Netherlands - War of Devolution - eventually gained territory

- France-Dutch War territory in Flanders

Cardinal Richelieu

He served as chief minister for King Louis XIII (France)

• Centralized Power: He stripped control from local nobles and Protestants, making the French king an absolute ruler.

• Boosted Global Standing: He weakened France's main rivals during the Thirty Years' War to make France Europe's dominant power.

• Protected French Culture: He established the Académie Française to officially regulate and preserve the French language.

• Created a Spy Network: He built a secret intelligence system to uncover internal plots and stop traitors.

Cardinal Mazarin

Cardinal Mazarin was an Italian diplomat who became the Chief Minister of France from 1642 to 1661. He helped rule the country while King Louis XIV was still a child.

Key Achievements

- Expanded France: He negotiated major peace treaties that ended European wars and made France the most powerful nation in Europe.

- Protected the King: He crushed the Fronde rebellions led by angry nobles, which centralized power and allowed Louis XIV to rule with total control later on.

- Mentored the King: He educated young Louis XIV and trained top government officials to help the king run France.

- Supported Culture: He brought Italian opera to France, helped found the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and created the country's first public library.

Versailles

A palace built by Louis XIV outside of Paris where he kept nobles in.

- Made france's culture an appealing way to live life

- Very extravagant

- Made Louis XIV look good, living in glory

- Transformed in this palace from a royal hunting lodge

- Kept nobles close to him

- Symbol of absolutism

Peter the Great

Peter the Great was the monarch of Russia from 1682 until he died in 1725. During his reign, he worked to modernize Russia and transform it into an empire that rivaled anything in Europe. He changed Russia to be more like Europe. He took control of the church, moved the capital, and made himself more powerful by taking control away from the nobles.

The Streltsy Revolt

The Streltsy Revolt was a major rebellion in 1698 by Russia's elite military guards, known as the Streltsy. They tried to overthrow Peter the Great while he was traveling in Europe, but the uprising failed and led to the brutal destruction of the guard.

James I

He was the first king to rule both Scotland and England at the same time. His most famous achievement was ordering the King James Bible in 1611, an official English translation that became one of the most important and read books ever written. The parliament was wished to be destroyed while the Catholics wished to assassinate James I. A new holiday formed from the reaction of the Catholics' persecution.

Divine Right

The political and religious idea that a king or queen gets the right to rule directly from God, rather than from the people or a parliament. Because their power comes from God, monarchs are absolute rulers who are not accountable to human laws or citizens.

Charles I

- Charles I believed he answered only to God and shut down Parliament to rule alone for 11 years.

- He created unfair taxes and religious changes that deeply angered his people when he decided to not imprison people for false reasons and not to impose taxes.

- This tension started the English Civil War in 1642 between the King's supporters and Parliament.

- Charles lost the war, was convicted of treason, and was publicly beheaded in 1649, temporarily ending the monarchy.

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a clash between King Charles I, who wanted absolute power, and Parliament, which demanded a voice in government. Parliament won, resulting in the king's execution and a temporary republic.

The conflict split the country into two main factions:

- Royalists (Cavaliers): Nobles and landowners who backed the king.

- Parliamentarians (Roundheads): City folk and Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, who fought for reform.

- The Cause: Charles I sparked the war by ruling alone for 11 years, enforcing unpopular taxes, and forcing religious changes.

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was a 17th-century English leader who overthrew the monarchy.

- Country: England.

- Defeated the King: He led the army that overthrew and executed King Charles I.

- Ruled the Republic: He abolished the monarchy and ruled - England as Lord Protector from 1653 to 1658.

- Changed the Army: He created a professional military based on skill rather than social status.

- Expanded Power: He boosted England's navy but used brutal force to conquer Ireland and Scotland.

John Locke

John Locke was a famous English philosopher from the 1600s known as the Father of Liberalism. His ideas shaped modern democracies and the founding of the United States.

His key ideas were

- Natural Rights: Everyone is born with the right to life, liberty, and property.

- The Social Contract: Government only rules because the people allow it, and its main job is to protect their rights.

- Right to Rebel: If a government stops protecting people, the citizens have the right to replace it.

- The Blank Slate: Humans are born without built-in ideas.

- We learn everything through our life experiences.

- Freedom of Religion: Government and religion should be kept separate.

Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes was a famous English philosopher who lived from 1588 to 1679. He wrote about political philosophy and how governments should control society. He also argued in favor of absolutism.

- Human Nature Hobbes believed humans are naturally selfish, driven by fear, and always looking for conflict. Without a government, humans would live in a brutal state of nature where life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

- Three Causes of Discord Hobbes said humans fight for three reasons: Competition: Using violence to take things from others for personal gain. Distrust: Fighting out of fear to protect themselves. Glory: Fighting for reputation and honor to feel superior.

- Social Contract Theory To escape constant war, people agree to a social contract. They give up some of their personal freedom to a ruler. In return, the ruler guarantees safety and peace for everyone.

- The Leviathan In 1651, Hobbes wrote his most famous book, Leviathan. The name comes from a giant biblical sea monster. Hobbes used this monster as a metaphor for an all-powerful government, arguing that a ruler must be incredibly strong to force people to keep the peace.

Charles II

King Charles II was the ruler of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 to 1685. His time on the throne is called the Restoration period because he restored the monarchy after a period of strict military rule.

James II

King James II ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 to 1688. He is famous for his religious conflicts and for accidentally changing how Britain was ruled.

His main impacts include:

- Promoted Religious Freedom: As a Catholic king in a Protestant country, he tried to give full religious freedom to everyone. This angered Protestant leaders who feared a Catholic takeover.

- Created the Modern Parliament: His actions caused a bloodless rebellion called the Glorious Revolution. He fled the country, and Parliament passed new laws that took power away from the king and gave it to Parliament.

- Upgraded the Navy: Before becoming king, he successfully reorganized and expanded the British Royal Navy.

William and Mary

In 1689, William and Mary became the only joint king and queen in British history, meaning they ruled with equal power.

Their Main Contributions:

- Saved Parliamentary Power: They signed the English Bill of Rights in 1689. This took absolute power away from the king and gave it to Parliament, setting up the modern democracy we see today.

- Religious Freedom: They passed the Toleration Act, which gave Protestant groups outside the official Church of England the freedom to worship openly. [1]

Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution (1688-1689) was the peaceful removal of England's Catholic King James II by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. This event stripped the monarchy of absolute control and gave final governing power to Parliament.

Causes

- Religion: King James II was Catholic and changed laws to favor his own faith.

- The Heir: The birth of his son meant England faced a permanent line of Catholic rulers.

- The Invitation: Protestant leaders asked William of Orange to bring an army, causing James to flee.

Effects

- New Laws: William and Mary signed a Bill of Rights that stopped kings from ruling without Parliament.

- Shift in Power: Elected officials gained permanent control over national laws and taxes.

- Royal Ban: The law banned any Catholic from ever wearing the British crown.

Constitutional Monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a government where a king or queen is a symbolic leader, but their power is limited by a constitution. Real power belongs to an elected parliament and prime minister.

Causes

- Demand for Democracy: Citizens wanted a vote instead of total royal control.

- Avoiding Revolution: Monarchs shared power to stop violent rebellions.

- Keeping Tradition: Countries kept their history while building a modern democracy.

Effects

- Symbolic Royalty: The monarch handles ceremonies, not politics.

- Power to the People: Elected officials make the laws.

- National Stability: A neutral monarch keeps the country steady during political fights.

- No Dictators: The constitution prevents anyone from taking total control.

English Bill of Right

The English Bill of Rights of 1689 was created after King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution for abusing his power. By limiting royal authority and making Parliament supreme, the law officially established a constitutional monarchy where rulers had to follow the law. It guaranteed basic civil liberties for English citizens—such as free speech and protection from cruel punishments—and served as a major inspiration for other countries around the world.

Define Absolutism and compare and contrast the way in which different European monarchies utilized it.

Absolutism is a system where a king or queen has total, unlimited control. They do not share power with a parliament or follow a constitution, and they often claim God gave them the right to rule.

In the 1600s and 1700s, different European countries tried this system with very different results:

- France succeeded. King Louis XIV took all power for himself and controlled the nobles by making them live in his grand palace.

- Russia succeeded through force. Peter the Great used total control to force his country to modernize and copy Western Europe.

- England failed. The kings tried to rule with absolute power, but Parliament fought back. This caused a civil war, and the king was executed.

Ultimately, all of these rulers wanted the same thing: complete control over taxes and the military. France got it through social politics, Russia got it through raw force, and England lost it because the people rebelled.

Explain the ways in which the Renaissance and Protestant Reformation created the atmosphere in which Absolutism could emerge and flourish.

The Renaissance and Protestant Reformation broke the power of the Catholic Church, leaving kings as the ultimate authority. Because the Reformation triggered decades of chaotic religious wars, people craved stability and were willing to accept an all-powerful ruler to keep the peace. At the same time, the Renaissance brought back old philosophies that justified a king's total control. By weakening the Church, giving monarchs control over religion, and creating a desperate need for order, these movements allowed Absolutism to flourish.